Restaurant & Café Magazine | April 2021

April 2021 Vol 14 Issue 03

ENTRIES CLOSE 11.59pm NZT, 21 May 2021

$10.95

CHANGE STARTS WITH FINE

The gas giant.

The octo burner.

The blue-eyed dragon.

Old click, click, woooof.

Crystal clean at opening.

Chaos during service.

Carnage at last call.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

It’s been the enabler of Kiwi culinary creativity since way back.

It was there when whitebait first met fritter.

KIWI CUISINE

It’s helped us level up the boil up.

And it stood by while you had to make well done taste medium rare.

Kitchen burners have kept Kiwi cuisine unique from open ‘til close.

And with zero carbon gas on the way, they won’t be taking a break any time soon.

Here’s to changing the world, without changing too much of yours.

See how gasischanging.co.nz

editor’snote

Tania Walters Publisher tania@reviewmags.com

DESPITE the considerable economic and personal challenges that the world faced in 2020, it’s also been a year of innovation and growth.

Businesses have had to adjust, adapt to rapid changes, and deal with the differing alert levels. Social distancing, working from home, and personal safety all came with a cost.

Often out of adversity comes innovation. The ingenuity and strength of some companies have seen new brands launch and some product reformulations to meet consumers’ food and beverage choices.

While we can’t deny that 2020 has been a pivotal and influential year in ways we haven’t realised yet, it has also brought opportunity.

From plant-based, new flavour trends, artisanal products and what we call “small pleasures”, those products that make us feel better, secret and not so secret treats.

Consumers are reaching for more alcohol-free spirits, low-calorie alcoholic beverages, and some spiced up versions of popular healthy drinks. Craft beverages continue to grow in popularity with the new work-from-home consumers helping to increase sales in trendy alcoholfree spirits.

Zoom Cooking Classes boomed in lockdown, and this trend looks set to continue. Chefs and artisanal producers are getting creative with their offerings on many social platforms, focusing on local ingredients and breathing fresh life into some comfort staples.

In this issue we take a look at the lineup for the upcoming Fine Food Expo after a long break, visitors will be looking for inspiration and innovation.

Enjoy.

tania@reviewmags.com

contents

April 2021

8 13

16

5 News

14 Meet the Roaster

8 Industry Competitions

16 Meet the Brewer

12 Meet the Chef

19 Fine Foods

26 26 Who's Who

Fine Foods

RESTAURANT & CAFÉ SUPPORTS 100% OWNED

READ ONLINE

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Chairman: Peter Mitchell, peter@reviewmags.com Publisher: Tania Walters, tania@reviewmags.com General Manager: Kieran Mitchell, kieran@reviewmags.com Group Managing Editor: Sarah Mitchell, sarah@reviewmags.com Editor: Caitlan Mitchell, caitlan@reviewmags.com Staff Writers: Sophie Procter, sophie@reviewmags.com Advertising: Caroline Boe, caroline@reviewmags.com Senior Designer: Raymund Sarmiento, raymund@reviewmags.com Graphic Designer: Debby Wei, debby@reviewmags.com

ISSN 2422-9601 RESTAURANT & CAFÉ: Retail 6, Heards Building, 2 Ruskin Street, Parnell, Auckland 1050 PO Box 37140, Parnell, Auckland Tel (09) 304 0142 or Fax (09) 377 2794 This magazine is published monthly under license. Please direct all enquiries and correspondence to Review Publishing Co Ltd. This magazine is a platform for the industry and may include content that expresses views and opinions by contributing writers. Content is attributed to the author, and these opinions and the view/s are those of the author/s. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organisation, employer or company. The opinions and material published in this edition are not necessarily those of the publishers unless expressly stated. All material appearing in the magazine, website and social media platforms is copyright and may only be reproduced with the written consent of the publisher. Copyright 2021

news

SAVAGE DRIVE-THROUGH SIGN REFLECTS COVIDWORLD FEELINGS

QUEENSTOWN’S TOP DINING REVEALED A sign displayed at a McDonald's drive-through in the United States apologising for delays has gone viral for its ‘savage’ explanation as to why the restaurant was short-staffed.

Footage shared to TikTok by someone ordering at an unidentified restaurant shows a bright yellow sign displayed above the ‘order here’ station. It reads: "We are short-staffed. Please be patient with the staff that did show up. No one wants to work anymore."

America's hospitality industry has been badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic, some reports state that the U.S unemployment benefits are so good in the aftermath of the pandemic that "it pays to stay unemployed". Workers have also admitted feeling skittish about returning to work after mass lay-offs

due to alarming virus numbers.

The video has been viewed over a million times and has received a huge reaction online with many empathising with the employees who had gone to work and found themselves in a sticky situation, while others praised the sign for being honest.

One woman commented. "Nobody wants to come to work atm, it's a problem every business has right now … that's what happens when everyone is still getting unemployment and refusing to work."

Some also praised the McDonald’s team for standing up for themselves.

"This is every restaurant in America right now. Be kind and don't take it out on the staff," one reasoned.

"People still refuse to wear a mask, no wonder no one wants to deal with them anymore," another agreed.

Read more online.

The finalists have been announced in the Queenstown Hospitality Awards and locals are being invited to vote for their favourite place to dine out.

The finalists represent the top-notch dining establishments in the city as voted by the hospitality industry.

“Queenstown is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to dining out, offering exceptional experiences in some of the world’s most stunning settings. It is a great opportunity to remind locals, domestic visitors and soon Australians of all the incredible options for dining they have to choose

from,” commented Restaurant Association CEO, Marisa Bidois.

“We believe it’s important to shine a light on our industry and make sure we are recognised for the contribution we make to our community and economy.

With all categories keenly contested, this year’s winners truly exemplify what it means to be at the top of their respective categories.”

Voting closes on Sunday, 25 April at 5.00pm and winners will then be announced at the awards evening on Monday, 3 May at the Skyline in Queenstown. Read more online.

NEW ZEALAND BARTENDER OF THE YEAR RETURNS FOR 2021

After an 11-year hiatus Highball, New Zealand’s cocktail and spirits festival, in association with Federal Merchants & Co, is proud to announce the return of New Zealand Bartender of the Year.

This is the opportunity for cocktail creatives to test themselves against the top bartenders in the nation and have a shot at becoming New Zealand Bartender of the Year.

Highball is New Zealand’s most exciting annual cocktail and spirits celebration. An immersive two-day celebration showcasing some of the best purveyors of cocktails and spirits New Zealand and the world has to offer.

For more information about the Bartender of the Year competition, visit www.highball.co.nz.

Read more online.

STANDARD MONTHLY RENTAL PRICES:

Small tank $195+GST Medium tank $225+GST Large tank $265+GST A $195+GST delivery and removal fee is added if tank is left for less than 4 months. Offer available while stock lasts. Out of Auckland customers are equipped to self service.

April 2021

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news

A DOUBLE SHOT OF SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION

Award-winning liqueur and spiritmaker Koakoa is doubling down

on its ground-breaking spirit crates system as it ramps up its commitment to be one of the most sustainable distilleries in New Zealand.

Their spirit crates system was initially launched in 2019 by Coowners Chris Barber and Bec Kay in response to the excessive amount of cardboard and glass being discarded in their sector after just one use.

The company has received a $5000 grant from its local Council, enabling them to purchase an additional 200 plastic crates, doubling the scheme.

After their gin, vodka and limoncello is delivered in the green plastic crates, their hospitality clients return used bottles (in the crates)

SNAP UP GREEN BOUNTY

New Zealand Hops’ Green Hops programme is a one-off opportunity every year when brewers can register for a quantity of fresh hops – up to a maximum of 100 kilograms per customer. The hops are harvested straight from the bine, with no drying – a fragile and time crucial process – and used in brew immediately, creating fresh hop beers that are marketed for just a few months each year.

For a week at the end of March, workers at Hinetai Hops, near Tapawera, were joined by New Zealand Hops staff to collect and prepare the first Green Hops batch for 2021 – consisting of the new player on the hop market, Nectaron.

For some brewers, it is first chance to see what the season of hops has in store, for others there is the opportunity of a one-shot

to the factory. After being washed, sanitised, and refilled the bottles are returned to their clients. Each bottle is used up to seven times before ultimately heading for recycling.

“On average, our bottles cost about $1.90 each, and our labels cost $0.70 each. In just over a year, we have saved our customers more than $4,000 and cut the need for an additional 133 cardboard boxes.

With the support of the new grant, we can now double the impact and the savings.

It will reduce our environmental footprint further and help our customers reduce theirs,” noted Chris Barber, Co-Owner of Koakoa, adding that their scheme has saved 1600 bottles, delivering more than just financial savings.

Read more online.

chance of extracting the fresh hops full potential.

Time is of the essence, however, from 6am hops were harvested fresh and brought into the packhouse, wet and rich in resin, for processing.

By about 9am the trucks rolled in to transport the cones to New Zealand Hops’ cool store in Appleby and by early afternoon hops were collected and couriered by chilled transport to distributors in Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington.

To preserve the green hop state for optimum aroma some brewers will drive from as far away as Queenstown to collect their hops in person or arrange a mercy flight to have their hops flown in to add to a brew already in progress that day.

A total of 22 brewers are involved this year, with Nectaron sent to 18 breweries and about 12 breweries set to receive Moutere hops next week from Motueka producer Mac Hops.

Read more online.

FOREST FREE-RANGE FARM OPENS

A leading forest free range farm has opened near Tokoroa in South Waikato, pioneering sustainable egg production in New Zealand.

The 139-hectare property is set to become New Zealand’s leading egg production site as it develops over the next five years to ultimately be the home of 320,000 laying hens free ranging in the forest’s 90,000 native and exotic trees with eight laying sheds.

The site will produce eggs under the Heyden Farms Free Range brand for egg producer and supplier, Better Eggs Limited. Better Eggs Chief Executive Gareth van der Heyden said the forest free range farm is an agroforestry venture combining forestry and poultry enterprise. The pine, oak, poplar and eucalyptus trees planted on the property will be milled for timber or pulp when they mature. The growing trees will sequester carbon.

“Better Eggs is a New Zealand family-owned business with strong family values. These values are what

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have led us to innovate a whole new way of poultry farming in New Zealand that will enable the hens to live in a natural environment from which they originated, while producing eggs in a sustainable manner.

“They will be able to roam and scratch on the forest floor in the shade, shelter and safety provided by the trees and the laying sheds are specially designed to give the birds natural light and ample space to roam around in. We are providing the birds with the highest animal welfare and

hen enrichment standards. We sought advice from Australia and Europe that enables us to exceed best practice in many facets.”

The farm is highly automated enabling staff on site to spend a greater portion of their time caring for the hens. Eggs are transported from the nesting boxes via conveyor belts to a robot that packs the eggs into trays and pallets which are then collected by trucks for delivery to the existing grading and distribution facility nearby in Lichfield. Read more online.

2021 NZ Artisan Awards Entries NOW OPEN!

The NZ Artisan Awards has given New Zealand food and beverage producers an opportunity to showcase product innovation. The 2020 New Zealand Artisan Awards saw a fierce competition with over 600 entries. It made a tough job for the judges which consisted of an expert panel of food writers, chefs, and packaging design professionals.

“For the 2021 competition we are looking for producers of premium quality products who are looking to break into foodservice or FMCG,” said head judge, Tania Walters.

For those who would like to be a winner in the 2021 New Zealand Artisan Awards will triumph over their competition with a product that is innovative, fit for purpose, has great visual appeal and taste, an excellent price point, and stand out packaging.

The team at Inspire+ New Zealand Artisan Awards are proud to once again in 2021 provide a platform for emerging and established businesses to bring their products to be recognised, grow their business in foodservice and retail.

Established by SupermarketNews magazine and Restaurant & Café magazine, the New Zealand Artisan Awards were set up to support artisan producers and showcase innovative products. The annual awards programme has a long history of success for participants who display exceptional creativity and potential.

Retailers, chefs, restaurateurs and foodservice providers are always looking for local suppliers who are providing inspiration and food solutions and never more so than in a COVID-19 world. The Inspire+ New Zealand Artisan Awards provides suppliers with the opportunity to be recognised, to grow their business and get in front of both the retail and foodservice markets. The Awards celebrate the best that New Zealand’s artisan producers have to offer.

This year, entrants will have the opportunity to put their product(s) forward for PITCHme Food & Beverage. PITCHme is an exciting initiative from Review Publishing that opens lines of communication between small, large, and artisanal producers and respective buying groups.

A Dragon's Den-style opportunity you don't want to miss out on. Simply indicate your interest in your Artisan Entry Form and you'll be sent a PITCHme entry pack to complete.

All finalists and category winners will be able to display the 2021 Inspire+ New Zealand Artisan Awards logo on their products, which provides recognition of product excellence for both consumers, retailers and restaurateurs.

These are badges of excellence, a testament to the hard work and high quality the judges have seen and recognition of quality, innovation, consumer appeal, and taste.

Read more online.

SAVE TIME, SAVE MONEY, GAIN THE POWER! For the last nine years, PowerTank NZ Ltd, a New Zealand owned

and operated company, whose main objective is to remain at the cutting edge of kitchen cleaning technology, has been growing with the PowerTank System being used around the country by fine dining celebrity chef ’s such as Sid Sahrawat and Simon Gault, to quick service restaurants like Domino’s Pizza through to suburban cafés.

Anyone in the hospitality or foodservice industry understands what a time-consuming chore deep cleaning kitchen items can be, but it is a chore that is unavoidable. Today, customers are more aware than ever when it comes to health and hygiene, and with kitchens becoming more open-plan, allowing customers an inside look, it’s important that every piece of equipment looks as new as possible.

PowerTank is the answer, saving you time, money, and energy use.

The PowerTank System has evolved after years of research and development and consultation with cfood industry clients. It has become the market leader for the safe and most advanced methods of removing baked on carbon from commercial kitchen equipment.

Save time with PowerTank’s choice of two different proprietary detergents that have been designed to reduce soak times with much better cleaning results. These detergents are manufactured in New Zealand satisfying all New Zealand compliant regulations and ensuring that supply is never an issue. The organic salt detergents are eco-

friendly, non-caustic, biodegradable alkaline powder, making the kitchen a much safer, cleaner, and more hygienic working environment.

Save money by not having to pay a staff member to manually scrub kitchen utensils and equipment, PowerTank will reduce labour costs, save dollars on chemicals and replacement parts, as well as having major water saving benefits. You can even save money cleaning your own range hood/ extraction filters with the PowerTank System, cutting out another business expense and reducing the risk of fire by removing hardened grease.

The PowerTank System is simple to use, the tanks are manufactured to the highest quality standards, with safety being paramount in the design. PowerTank utilises a lid safety locking mechanism which prevents injuries as well as a user-friendly load basket designed to make the process of removing heavy equipment (grills/filters etc.) an easy one. Simply immerse the items, leave from half an hour, to overnight, and everything comes out looking nearly new.

These are the best designed tanks on the market,

Gilmours has been operating for almost 100 years, so we truly understand the Foodservice sector and look for ways to share our expertise with our members. www.gilmours.co.nz

0800 270 414

allowing for temperature adjustments, eliminating the need for scrubbing without causing damage to parent materials. Different size tanks and baskets mean that there is a PowerTank System to suit your requirements and PowerTank’s pricing structure makes the soak tank affordable for all sized outlets, whether you’re a little, local café or a large chain restaurant.

“We find having a PowerTank in our restaurants a great time and money saver for our busy kitchens. It increases our efficiency whilst getting far cleaner results than we used to get by hand cleaning. The other big factor in choosing the PowerTank system is the safety factor for our staff,” expressed Victor Milne, Development Manager, Nando’s NZ. What a boost in morale having a sparkling, clean kitchen can give your staff and what confidence it gives your customers. If you want a quality cleaning system that eats carbon for breakfast, get in touch with PowerTank today.

Contact sales@powertank.co.nz, phone 0800 82 65 62, or visit www.powertank.co.nz

WINE I N T E RN AT I O N A L

COMPETITION

We have awarded the best International Wines available locally, to round out your wine menu.

See the next issue for our Top 20 winning wines.

April 2021

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industrycompetitions

CULTIVATING CREATIVITY THROUGH COMPETITION

Industry competitions shine the spotlight on the hospitality and foodservice sectors, and after a hellish year for the industry, highlighting the exceptional young hospitality talent we have in this country is one way to help propel the industry forward. running culinary competition, which hit New Zealand shores for the first time in its 55 years history.

The Nestlé Golden Chef ’s Hat Award exists to support emerging culinary talent by offering the next generation of chefs a platform to experience new experiences and advance their culinary careers.

This year’s Award will retain individual-chef entry and video submissions. Regional and final cookoffs are back, with prizes at every stage.

Twelve grand finalist chefs will be selected from across Australia and New Zealand to compete in the ultimate culinary showdown at Fine Food Australia in Sydney. One winner will take out the top award - Golden Chef of the Year – along with a generous $10KAUD cash prize.

LEWISHAM AWARDS 2021

C

ompetitions are a great way for junior staff to gain experience, for example young or trainee chefs in a professional kitchen are often only responsible for a few individual components of a dish, but competitions force them to prepare the entire dish themselves or even an entire multi-course menu.

Industry competitions showcase creativity, often you will find no two entries alike and many competitors steer away from classics, opting instead to put their own unique twist on a dish. For those competing it is a chance to be exposed to new and different ideas that they can take back to the establishments they work in. Hospitality is about continually learning, and competitions are the perfect way for young talent to show off their acquired skills.

Competitions also bring the industry together, something that is particularly needed in our new COVID reality. The world of hospitality is fast-paced and intense, often involving double shifts, long days, and late nights. Competitions are the perfect place for everyone in the industry to come together and celebrate how brilliant the sector truly is.

Our industry works incredibly hard, and this year has been more challenging than most, so it’s important we take time out to recognise our achievements. Now more than ever we need to focus on celebrating great people and excellent businesses through the awards platforms,” noted Restaurant

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Association of New Zealand CEO, Marisa Bidois.

“Competitions are a great way to stretch the skills of our workforce.

They give us a chance to push ourselves to acquire new skills, hone the ones we have and learn from others. They also enhance the creativity in the industry by giving our professionals a chance to try out new creative ideas free from the constraints of the commercial realities of the business environment.”

A competition doesn’t need to be large or international to make waves either, local competitions are a great breeding ground for unique dish ideas, new flavour combinations, and innovative ways to use local ingredients. Latte Art competitions show off the skills of the barista who is usually hidden behind the coffee machine and bar tending competitions allow cocktail artists to delve into what they’re passionate about.

New Zealand has some great competitions coming up this year so get the team involved, they are a fun way to put your establishment and talented staff in the spotlight.

DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CHEFS SINCE 1965

The hunt is on for talented young chefs who can represent New Zealand in this year’s trans-Tasman Nestlé Golden Chef ’s Hat Award. Last year Sam Heaven from Auckland took out the top spot in Australia’s longest-

After being forced to cancel last year’s awards due to the COVID pandemic, the Lewisham Foundation is excited to host the 2021 annual Lewisham Awards at the Cordis Hotel.

The event will be a sell-out with amazing entertainment, food stations and quenching beverages.

Nominations are now open; nineteen awards are to be won and you decide who the hospitality stars are raising the bar yet again. Let’s recognise the highflyers of our industry that go the extra mile.

The Lewisham Awards are an annual event organised by a dedicated committee of industry professionals with the support of industry suppliers and businesses.

VITASOY ESPRESS YOURSELF LATTE ART CHALLENGE Are you the next Latte Lichtenstein or Piccolo Picasso? If your flat white is smooth as silk, you could be in to win a share of $10,000 at the Vitasoy Espress Yourself Latte Art Challenge.

The Vitasoy Espress Yourself Latte Art Challenge is a nationwide competition taking place right now on the Espress Yourself Instagram. Each month, talented baristas battle it out online by sharing their best latte art skills that fit within a monthly theme.

The top barista each month takes home $250 to celebrate their talents.

The top three entrants will be invited in October to compete live in Auckland to take out the 2021 Vitasoy Espress Yourself Latte Art Challenge crown.

BAKELS NEW ZEALAND SUPREME PIE AWARDS Established in 1996 to help the baking industry to keep on improving and innovating, the Bakels Supreme Pie Awards has now grown to around 600 entries and has become one of New Zealand’s most popular and prestigious food competitions.

Online registrations open on the 1st of May, in July judging takes place at Bakels. Experienced baking industry experts are joined by a celebrity judge to blind judge pies in 12 categories.

Gold medal winners from 11 of the 12 categories are then in contention for the Supreme Award. Presentations and celebrations take place a week after the judging day at an Awards night where all finalists are invited to attend.

THE GREAT NEW ZEALAND TOASTIE TAKEOVER In September last year, good old-fashioned comfort food reigned supreme in the Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover competition with a small Dunedin eatery and its supremely delicious meatloaf creation taking top honours.

Romeo Dowling-Mitchell of Hungry Hobos officially laid claim to the best toasted sandwich in the land with his “Bat out of Hell” entry.

The 2020 Toastie Takeover was a tasty treat amid a year of disaster and disruption. Stay tuned for information about this year’s Toastie Takeover and your eatery could be the next toasted sandwich superstar.

INSPIRE+ NEW ZEALAND ARTISAN AWARDS The Inspire+ New Zealand Artisan Awards has given New Zealand food and beverage producers an opportunity to showcase product innovation.

The team at Inspire+ New Zealand Artisan Awards are proud to provide a platform for emerging and established businesses to bring their products to be recognised and help to grow their business in foodservice and retail.

Established by SupermarketNews magazine and Restaurant & Café magazine, the New Zealand Artisan Awards were set up to support artisan producers and showcase innovative products.

The annual awards programme has a long history of success for participants who display exceptional creativity and potential.

industrycompetitions

H

HEAVEN’S BEST Sam Heaven is a rising Kiwi culinary star, at only 23 years of age he is employed at Park Hyatt Auckland where he works in events for VIP clients.

Over the last few years Heaven has been expanding his experience through (and winning) industry competitions.

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eaven has put himself up against the best throughout New Zealand and the World, in both cookery, bakery and patisserie.

Using the skills from these industries he was able to take out the Baking Industry Association of New Zealand open class Live Bake Off at the age of 18 and won the New Zealand Baker of the Year in 2018.

In 2019 he was selected to represent New Zealand in Cookery at the World Skills competition in Russia. Last year he was named Under 25 Chef of the Year for New Zealand and Australia, and this year was named the 1st and only Young Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ambassador. He has definitely been busy.

Heaven grew up in an awardwinning family-owned bakery that his father runs, established by his grandfather in 1974, so it was natural he would end up in the hospitality industry.

“I really wanted to make my own path, however, and didn’t want to give anyone any reason to say I’m only good because of my family history. So, when I went into cheffing it gave me a chance to carve out my own path, take the passion that was passed down to me and create my own career,” Heaven expressed.

Mentors are important in any profession and for Heaven, his father is a valuable one, albeit a strict one.

“He has put the perfectionist in me and taught me that it doesn’t matter if you’re making a fruit tart or cooking wagyu you do it right and you do it perfect every time.”

Heaven’s current mentor is his sous chef at Park Hyatt - with Michelin experience in Ireland, the advice he has given is about consistency every time, every plate the same.

“Recently, because of the opportunity from Beef + Lamb NZ, I have been able to talk to Phil Clark from Phil’s Kitchen who has been great to talk to about what I need

to do to get myself to the next level in my career. The knowledge and insights into Michelin have been and eye opener and just fuelled the flame. I know I want to be in the best kitchens in the world, cooking with the best.”

Heaven is a self-confessed ‘super competitive person’, he even battles it out with his partner on pastry in the restaurant, competing with her on who can Rocher sorbet the best.

“Having the opportunity to go up against the best from Australia and New Zealand in the Nestlé Golden Chef ’s Hat competition was no different, and to come out on top was a great honour!

I am so grateful to represent New Zealand and be a part of such a fantastic competition. Plus, it was even better for New Zealand to take out the title in the first year we were invited to participate.”

Heaven also has the honour of being the first Beef + Lamb NZ Young Ambassador Chef, joining current Ambassador Chefs Tejas Nikam, Paddock to Plate Waikato; Phil Clark, Phil’s Kitchen; Jack Crosti, Mela and Norka Mella Munoz, Mangapapa Hotel.

“I’m looking so forward to learning more about where our meat comes from and how I can better support good farming practices from a chef ’s point of view.”

Heaven enjoys industry competitions as it gives him a chance to see where he sits among chefs his own age and see where he needs to improve.

He also likes meeting like-minded people that are pushing to be the best, just like he is. Heaven’s advice to other young chefs is the same advice he is getting from his older peers: Don’t worry about money, worry about learning.

“Learn from the best and take your time, there is no rush to be head chef. Myself, I’m in no rush to get to head chef, it will come when I know I’m ready and when it does, I want to be the best and compete with the best people and restaurants out there.”

INSPIRE NZ ARTISAN AWARDS +

Celebrating the very best in the New Zealand F&B Industry ENTRIES NOW OPEN

THE 2021 NZ ARTISAN AWARDS

IS BACK!

It’s that time of year again as we update the search for the best artisanal producers in New Zealand. We believe that artisanal products are a methodology and not a size of business, so if you are a large or small manufacturer, produce your product in a small kitchen or a large industrial unit, it’s time to look at entering the Inspire+ New Zealand Artisan Awards.

ENTRIES CLOSE 30th July 2021 Have a question? Call Janet on 09 304 0142 ext 712 or email: artisan@reviewmags.com

https://supermarketnews.co.nz/nz-artisan-awards/2021-nz-artisan-awards/ April 2021

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meet the chef

Ashish Dhar was born and bred in what he describes as ‘heaven on earth’ – Kashmir.

Having always had a close relationship with nature and its miraculous contribution to the world, Ashish was lucky to have herbs and spices and their flavours right at his fingertips.

Ashish Dhar

Corporate Chef and Executive Chef Sarin Hotel Group

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“L

eft home in my late teens for a culinary journey, starting from the most vibrant city of India – Mumbai, where I graduated with my hospitality qualification and the rest is history,” he

explained.

Ashish has now been in the industry for 20 years.

After graduating, he worked for Carnival Cruise Lines, through all the ports from Costa Rica to Tampa. Ashish then moved to London where he worked for five-star restaurants across a range of cuisine from continental, to French and modern British. “Following my five-year tenure in London, I went back to India to work for top premium brands of the capital and developed an excellent fusion combination of continental, and core Indian flavours which are now known as ‘Progressive Indian cuisine’.”

It was in 2018 that the owners of the Sarin Hotel Group, who Ahish described as connoisseurs who love travelling and enjoying the local cuisines of each region they tour, headhunted him for a corporate chef position managing the head chefs of four different hotels, overseeing the menu and cross training staff. “I now spend most of my time chefing at the Lower Hutt Events Centre for large corporate and weddings as well as managing the team at the Centre’s popular Tutaki Cafe.”

Ashish’s day starts with a good cup of coffee and a peep into the world through news, blogs, and social media, he also loves to start with getting into his favourite attire: ‘the whites’.

“I love my chef ’s jacket. I do not feel complete on the kitchen floor without my chef ’s’ uniform.

It brings responsibilities on my shoulder to run the show with efficiency and high standards, it also

brings pride and joy in my heart and widens my chest a few more inches.” Ashish’s heritage gives him the perfect foundations for culinary inspiration - India has a wealth of cuisines, their flavours, and every ingredient in each cuisine plays a unique role.

“I like to give a little bit of a modern or let’s say an international touch to Indian dishes and create something which is not too complicated; it brings a ‘wow’ effect, but I make sure I do not overdo it.”

One of Ashish’s greatest career achievements has been successfully launching restaurants in multiple hotels with different international brands across India, UK, and New Zealand, which is no mean feat. “In my current position at Lower Hutt Events Centre (LHEC), I am particularly proud of the fact we have been extremely successful in positioning ourselves as a preferred cultural wedding destination,” he noted.

“We have hosted numerous Indian and Pasifika weddings which consist of large numbers of guests and we offer a one stop shop experience which is thoroughly enjoyed by our guests. We are differentiating ourselves with the quality and presentation of our food that is produced by our inhouse culinary team and offering flexible solutions to address the needs of our clients.”

Meanwhile, Tutaki café operates seven days a week in the LHEC and has matured extremely well in the market. It has a loyal following for which Ashish and his team are grateful and that base continues to grow as they endeavour to keep the menu evolving and offer monthly promotions that offer something new

to customers while they are able to enjoy the best of Tutaki’s a la carte menu at any time.

Ashish is currently exploring new sketches of culinary style on a modern canvas by focusing on simple things with big flavours so that his guests at the Lower Hutt Events Centre (conference goers, wedding guests, café diners) have an amazing experience with high quality cuisine.

“I am passionate and confident that I will be able to achieve this with the Sarin Hotel Group as they are committed to delivering a genuine and quality product. I am also excited about the opening of a new hotel in Lower Hutt called The Sebel, also owned by The Sarin Group, in September this year which I will also manage. It will be a game-changer for Lower Hutt.”

Of course, for Ashish and his teams, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic impact, but it has also brought vital learnings about how to stabilise in such as uncertain atmosphere and while it has been hard, this chef is confident that the industry will bounce back with more power, more resources, new education, and additional methodologies.

“Chefing is not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” he expressed, his advice to those just starting their culinary careers is just as relevant to those with more experience in the industry.

“Take one step at a time; build your foundation strong with knowledge and experience. And do not try to make it easy, make it good. It will become easy automatically with practice and commitment, and most of all it’s not just a career, it’s an art of living.

I believe that if we do not compromise on the quality of ingredients used to produce a perfect dish, the result naturally falls into place and gives you immense pleasure. The same applies to life.”

April 2021

13

meet the roaster

Rene Macauley

Head Roaster, People’s Coffee, talks Fair Trade, Co-ops and Coffee Seeds While I do still love roasting after 14 years, it is the travel to meet the producers and see how our trade impacts their life that is the most inspiring part of the job.

I

have been travelling to producing countries for 12 years, visited ten producing countries, and some co-ops I have visited four or five times over the years. I don’t travel to specifically check we get the best quality for ourselves; it is not out of fear or to control the process. At People’s Coffee, we are interested in documenting the who, how and why of our coffee, we are motivated to tell the growers story for their benefit.

We visit co-ops to look in their eyes and hear the stories of how life as a coffee farmer is, how was the year, what went well, and what didn’t. We see the coffee industry and the supply chain as fundamentally broken, and many costs and burdens have been shifted on the producer. We want to understand what it took to produce

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this coffee we are selling, and for our trade to be a part of making that situation better in the ways that the community want.

Peoples Coffee has always used coffee bought with fair trade contracts and has been 100% organic from the beginning. Part of the fair-trade contracts which buy the coffee we use have an amount of money per kg set aside from the payment to the farmer, this is called the social premium.

Co-ops are organised in regions and they are democratically structured and owned by members, there is no boss or single owner, but an elected and employed board.

Each village or region meet and decide together on the projects they want to achieve with the social premium funds they have through their sale of coffee. This enables a whole village to reap the benefits of the trade, not just one rich owner. From what I have seen this unites a village, where usually they are in competition with each other to get their coffee sold.

There are many adverse effects from divisions or political differences and tribalism are common where co-ops are not operating.

With the fair trade social premium

system, I have seen so many things achieved which have an ongoing impact on many people, but I have also seen and been told of whole communities changing from division to partnership through fair trade, and youth returning from university to work in these remote villages because they now see hope and a future in coffee which they want to make real.

Of course, some trips are focused on finding new coffees and we might cup many groups of coffees in different regions in our decision.

But we will also visit them to see who they are as a group, what they have been doing and what they plan to achieve going forward. I think about many things when visiting co-ops, is the manager a community leader, do they meet the needs of the members, do they have a good technical team, do they have women’s programs and women as board members and landowners?

Coffee seeds (sorry it is not a bean) have many fruit acids in it like citrus (lemon) and malic (apple) and when it is picked ripe from the tree, and roasted in a specific way, fruit acids are the main flavour of coffee.

I like to use a toast analogy - if you have a quality bread with some pumpkin and sesame seeds, and you golden brown the toast you will highlight the flavours of these seeds, if you burn the toast, you won’t recognise specific seeds, but rather a general burnt seed flavour. This is what most people think coffee should taste like, but it is just burnt generic coffee flavour, that rich bitter flavour is not the flavour of coffee, but it is the flavour of over roasting coffee. I roast for as much sweetness as possible and to highlight the desirable fruit acids.

Interestingly organic or inorganic coffee doesn’t really affect the consumer, there is usually no chemical residue in coffee. The reason we are 100% organic is to support the producers in the recognition that this practice of monoculture farming using chemicals is destroying the

earth, water, air, animals and humans.

Farmers should not be destroying their environment and harming their children for our drug addiction.

Organic production requires coffee to be grown in a forest-like it did indigenously, which takes a lot of work. Organic farmers live high up in the mountains over 1000 meters, they make tons of compost and carry it around the steep hillside to young plants, they are expert worm farmers, and must carry around water for young plants.

Without trying to tug your heartstrings, farmers very often live with dirt floors, no mains electricity, no vehicle, no bank account but a year’s coffee income under their mattress. Power is usually supplied by an a4 sized solar panel and a motorbike battery which runs fluorescent lights and charges cell phones.

But the biggest problem for coffee producers is that they can’t directly access the market because they are in the mountains. Anyone who can drive a truck (a middleman) might drive up into the mountains to buy coffee at whatever price he wants and drive it back down to sell it to someone with an export license at the port. This is how most of the world’s coffee reaches consuming countries.

Fair trade enables producers to meet the market by combining to pool their resources to form a cooperative and build trade directly with importers. Our goal at People’s is to have long term trade relationships with these co-ops, so it is important we choose co-ops who can succeed.

Fair trade has some inadequacies if you are wanting to use it with the wrong intention, for example, it can still be used as an imbalance of power for profit with little benefit for the producer, but this is true of any trade, it’s not perfect and I’m sure there are bad examples, but we have been very pleased with how co-ops operate, and how they use the social premium is very inspiring.

L IA T N E D E R -C O R IC M W E N

IN FOOD

COSTINGS

Stretch your dollar with our new micro credential in food costings.

Learn to accurately cost food recipes and further develop your skills and knowledge related to food cost control measures in a commercial kitchen.

Throughout this course you will learn to calculate accurate food costs, apply portion and waste control measures and evaluate menu engineering data in order to improve financial efficiency.

The structure of this course means you’ll be working through sections which contain interactive activities or videos.

Some activities have practice quizzes which you can use to test your knowledge.

Duration: 50 hours to complete. (30 hours of online learning and content). Self-paced which means you can work through it at your own pace.

Register your interest today!!

Contact: Trish McLoughlin pmcloughlin@eit.ac.nz | 06 830 1133

Highlights of this course include: ▶ Theoretical Vs Actual food costs - Understanding the cost of your dish verses what your accountant tells you ▶ Maximise the profit potential of your menus ▶ Menu Engineering - manipulate menus to maximise gross profit ▶ Analyse and reduce waste

eit.ac.nz | 0800 22 55 348 |

meet the brewer

Brewing the Best for a Sustainable Future Garage Project launched its first beers in 2011, brewing on a tiny 50 litre brew kit in an abandoned petrol station in Wellington’s Aro Valley.

Pete Gillespie

T

he brewing company was started by Pete Gillespie and Jos Ruffell with help from Pete’s brother Ian. When they started, Garage Project wasn’t so much micro brewing as it was nano brewing, but what they lacked in size they more than made up for in agility and the ability to experiment.

The choice to start on such a tiny scale was partly out of necessity and a shoestring budget, but it was also a conscious decision allowing a prolific and creative approach to brewing. Garage Project launched with what they called the 24/24, brewing twenty-four new beers in twenty-four weeks, serving each week’s precious 50 litre keg of beer at a local craft beer bar to a growing group of fans.

“From the very beginning we tried to take a new and fresh approach to beer and brewing,” noted Pete Gillespie, founder, and head brewer. A good few years have passed and while the company has grown, their ethos has remained the same, particularly when it comes to environmental sustainability.

The brewing industry has a significant impact on the environment for several reasons: as a manufacturing process it requires considerable use of natural resources like water and energy; the transport of raw materials and finished goods presents a challenge for finding efficiencies and opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint; waste is produced throughout the brewing process, and at the end of the products use.

“We feel it is our responsibility to reduce Garage Project’s environmental impact as much as we can,” noted Steve Almond, Garage Project’s sustainability manager. For Garage Project, sustainability has three pillars: Community, People, and the Environment.

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Jos Ruffell

Each pillar is important to the ongoing sustainability journey the brand has been on since their inception.

“We provide ongoing support for a wide range of local causes and organisations, both in New Zealand and Australia. We’re proud to support the SPCA, Kaibosh Food Rescue, Sustainable Business Network, the Wellington NZ Fringe Festival, OzHarvest, and many more,” noted Almond.

“Brewing has a large environmental impact, so the bulk of the sustainability ambassador role is focussed on reducing this. We have done a lot of work to reduce waste to landfill at our production sites, such as swapping to reusable and recyclable packaging options, and moving to bulk malt shipments to largely avoid using smaller individual sacks of malt.” Garage Project has used only renewable electricity since 2017 and last year the company achieved Certified Zero Carbon Business Operations through Ekos.

“Though the ultimate goal is to reduce our carbon footprint, not just offset it. There has already been significant change from our staff based in different locations meeting online rather than taking a domestic flight and avoiding air freighting goods as much as possible. The carbon audit really helped us to focus our reduction efforts.”

Sustainability is increasingly something Garage Project considers across the entire business. The brand is constantly looking for new ways to do things, new materials, and technologies.

“Often, we find there are barriers to making immediate change, due to availability, cost, and suitability, but this is constantly evolving and improving so we are going in the right direction.”

The sustainability of the brand’s packaging is also

crucial as it’s important that everything customer facing reflects the bigger sustainability goals at Garage Project. “It’s our responsibility to give our customers products which are easy to recycle throughout New Zealand,” explained Almond.

Which is why Garage Project have been careful when selecting their packaging partners.

“When we are looking for suppliers, we try to reach out to businesses who share our values.

Thankfully, we have suppliers in New Zealand who share our environmental goals.” Of course, one of the aspects of the Garage Project brand that helps it stand out among all the amazing craft breweries we have in New Zealand is the distinctive and catchy artwork that adorns its cans and bottles.

“Great beer art only elevates the experience of drinking a beer,” noted Gillespie.

“I’m a strong believer that every beer should tell a story. When you engage with a beer, the experience begins well before you open the can or bottle. The art draws you in, you want to pick it up and look more closely. A lot of our art rewards close attention with little ‘Easter eggs’ and fun hidden treats. Read the blurb on the label and it draws you in further, then finally, crack it open and pour it out (or drink it straight from the can). For us, it’s a holistic experience we take pride in.”

At Garage Project we often say, ‘the beer is the star’, the artwork is really to complement the character of the beer. Ever since Garage Project started, we have engaged with local independent artists to create unique pieces for our beers. It’s important to us that the beers each have their own personality, rather than fitting them into a uniform brand.”

Ian Gillespie

TURN YOUR ART INTO

5000

$

To enter Vitasoy Espress Yourself, simply take a photo of your latte art and upload to Instagram using the hashtag #espressyourselfnz and tag @restaurantandcafenz.

Alternatively, you can email your submission to hello@reviewmags.com.

FOOD. IT’S yOUR BUSINESS.

Reinvigorate your passion.

Receive expert knowledge.

Reconnect with the industry.

Recover your business.

It’s been three years since the last Fine Food New Zealand and more than ever, the event is critical to attend. It’s where we will unite as an industry, share knowledge, discover new ideas and the latest trends, learn from the experts, create new business contacts, network with peers and so much more.

13 -15 June 2021 ASB Showgrounds, Auckland finefoodnz.co.nz Strictly trade only.

Enter the promo code RESTAURANTCAFE for free entry Register before 12 June to avoid the $25 gate fee.

over 200 Exhibitors

Skills workshops

ARTISAN ALLEY

Proudly sponsored by:

INNOVATION

SHOWCASE

finefoods

Helping the industry on the road to recovery Fine Food New Zealand is where we will unite as an industry, share knowledge, discover new ideas and the latest trends from over 200 exhibitors, learn from the experts, create new business contacts, network and so much more.

T

he landscape of our industry has changed drastically since the last edition of Fine Food New Zealand, and this trade event has evolved and grown to reflect the current environment and issues.

Pivotal to the event, are the SilverChef Seminar Series, where industry experts will discuss key topics.

You can expect to find essential information on how to diversify and future-proof your business, lower

food kitchen costs, get your products into Countdown, aid wellness in the workplace and more.

Attendees can expect a packed schedule full of content to help their businesses get back on track.

With a shortage in skills, the expo is hosting hands-on workshops in conjunction with the NZ Chefs Association.

Chefs of all levels will be able to attend sessions to increase their repertoire of knowledge in bakery, butchery, and seafood.

For the first time, Fine Food New Zealand will introduce Vitasoy Plant Base. With the growing popularity of responsible food choices, Vitasoy Plant Base focuses on vegan options, fresh produce, meat alternatives and plenty more.

OTHER FEATURES INCLUDE

New Product Showcase The Fine Food New Zealand New Product Showcase is designed to recognise real innovation by companies in the food, beverage, packaging, equipment, and other relevant sectors.

Discover the latest advancements in food, packaging, equipment and more. continued on page 20.

Visit us at stand J44

Food Packaging Confoil not only offers a comprehensive array of aluminium foil trays but also a range of Dual Ovenable Paperboard containers to suit almost all applications.

Combine this with a range of sealing machines and film, and we can provide the whole package! We have an extensive range of parchment muffin wraps and decorative paper baking moulds, along with our eco parchment flan and loaf trays. Confoil can provide takeaway containers designed to be easily stored, stacked and handled- from single serve to catering size.

For the pastry cook everything from small tart pans to individual or family size pies, flans or pizzas, we are your packaging perfectionists.

Freephone: 0800 107 620 | Email: info@confoil.co.nz

“your packaging perfectionists”

www.confoil.co.nz April 2021

19

finefoods

continued from page 19.

Best Cellar The Best Cellar is a trade liquor area dedicated to wine, beer, spirits, craft drinks and associated suppliers.

It will combine some of the best local and international brands exhibiting in one place along with the newly introduced Interactive Bar Feature.

Artisan Alley Handmade, small-batch, traditional, and super-high-quality goods all gathered in one place.

With the support of Goodman Fielder, Fine Food New Zealand’s

Our famous Gourmet Beef Patties have been a hit around the globe for over 20 years - now it’s time for the next generation - the brand new Homestyle Beef Burger Patty.

• Succulent New Zealand beef • Rounder for better bun fit • Thinner for faster cook time • Rustic handmade look • Part-cooked and individually frozen • 22 patties per sleeve, 3 sleeves per carton.

To order now contact your distributor or Angel Bay rep, or go to: www.angelbay.co.nz.

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Café Hub is a must visit, showcasing premium café products to new and existing operators.

Networking Lounge Connect, do business, and grab a beverage and a bite to eat at the central hub.

Gilmours Your One Stop Shop Gilmours is your one stop Foodservice shop providing you with food galore to beverages and more.

Visit their stand over the three days for interactive chef demonstrations and food sampling,

showcasing how they can help your business with easy food solutions.

Fine Food New Zealand takes place at ASB Showgrounds on 13 – 15 June 2021. Attendance is free for all who register before midnight 12 June. Registrations after this date will incur a $25 gate fee.

ENTER THE PROMO CODE RESTAURANTCAFE FOR FREE ENTRY. www.finefoodnz.co.nz

finefoods

2021

WHAT TO WATCH IN

VISIBLE SANITATION

Safety will continue to dominate as the pandemic continues to throw up challenges. Safety standards are crucial to maintaining consumer trust.

Ensuring the safety of the food consumers buy and consume and the safety of people who make it. Communicating this as a vital brand message continues to impact packaging and branding.

Showing a differentiating factor as consumers want to know details they never cared about before.

Perspex screens may never leave us.

Maybe that’s a good thing because not only does it help prevent the spread of Coronavirus, it has also helped prevent the spread of more common viruses.

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability is still at the forefront, with consumers driving change.

Progress on eliminating plastics and recycling continues with some packaging innovation in 2020 coming through now in 2021.

COVID-19 gave plastics a small comeback as consumers worried

T SA

ES

M CO

05NT BASE Q D LA

U EE

N P STAVITASOY

IN

FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS CATERED TO YOUR BUSINESS There’s no look in a restaurant more re-assuring to a patron than the appearance of clean and fresh table linen, professional hospitality workwear and cutting edge chef wear. Alsco offer professional managed rental and laundry services for linen, tea towels, food and class wipes, workwear, floor mats, first aid and washroom services.

E

TH

SIMPLE MADE SPECIAL As a humble kiwi owned business, we don’t follow passing trends and we don’t believe in mass production. We simply craft nourishing food the way nature intended – unrefined and full of energy. Food that fuels your body, delights the taste buds and supports wellbeing. Certified gluten free and 100% delicious.

GOURMET GRANOLAS

•

VITALITY BARS

•

FROM THE PANTRY

WE WOULD LOVE TO CHAT WITH YOU ABOUT HOW OUR PRODUCTS COULD FIT WITHIN YOUR BUSINESS. WE OFFER BOTH RETAIL & FOODSERVICE PACKS.

CONTACT US 0800 4 ALSCO · alsco.co.nz

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sales@wellandtruly.nz www.wellandtruly.nz

about contamination, and naked products are now back in plastic.

WELLBEING

From plant-based to superfoods, consumers looked in 2020 to support their wellbeing with foods and beverages that tick the box.

This trend will continue in 2021, so watch for new formulations (low salt, gluten-free, protein boost, gut boosters, vegan) rather than new launches.

ARTISANAL PRODUCERS

It’s your time to shine, as consumers

with little travel opportunities on the horizon look to their plates to liven up their lives. Forget the pandemic pantry consumers are looking for authentic artisanal products. These products will be seen more and more in food delivery services as consumers push back at home delivery kits for more inspirational hand-crafted meals.

ACCELERATED TIMELINES

The need for speed will firm up collaborations as a way forward for brands. Business can’t wait as

NEW ZEALAND'S

FAVOURITE HOTDOGS*

consumers push faster than ever for more and better options.

Start-ups are partnering up with established companies to bring the product to market quicker.

FOOD WASTE

Food waste became very apparent during 2020, with vast amounts of food being purchased but not eaten as consumers stocked up under the threat of lockdowns. Last year, a few innovative brands addressed food waste, making it part of the product.

HIGH SPEED COOKING SIMPLIFIED

* Based on IRI MAT Data to 3 Jan 2021

Check us out on Stand G38

Now available in convenient 1kg catering packs See us at Fine FOODS, stand M22 Jo Williamson 021 2266469 topdog@howlerhotdogs.co.nz

Searchfield – Providing the FULL range of Menumaster since 1992 Call Alan or Vaughn 09 444 9078 or mob: 027 492 2287 www.searchfield.co.nz April 2021

23

U.S. PORK: THE ART OF GRILLING

Ribeye Chops

Porterhouse Chops

Derived from the rib section, from the shoulder to the middle of the loin.

sniol krop

These chops cut to the centre of the loin. The distinct Tshaped bone has loin on one side and tenderloin on the other.

Sirloin Chops New York Chops

also known as centre-cut chops, or America's Cut. The cut is usually lean without any connective tissue.

Tenderloin Medallions

The tenderloin is the leanest, most tender boneless cut of pulled from the pork loins.

Grill Bone-in Loin Chops (3/4-inch) to an internal temperature of 155°F (68.3°C) for 8 - 12 minutes, followed by 3 minutes rest.

Grill Boneless Loin Chops (3/4-inch) to an internal temperature 145°F (62.7°C) for 8 - 12 minutes, followed by 3 minutes rest.

This cut is from the hip area toward the back of the loin. The meat is composed of a number of muscle groups and has more bone as compared to other cuts.

DO NOT!

Avoid using sharp utensils to pierce the meat whilst grilling, else valuable juices will escape!

smoke on the coast 2021 is back !

Join us as we fire up another round of the grill, TO deliver only the best barbeque to you.

Date: 24-25 April 2021 venue: Whangateau Holiday Park, auckland check us out at @Smoke on the coast 2021 Content Courtesy of the National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa & the North American Meat Institute (NAMI).

who’swhofinefoods

THE TRADE EVENT FOR THE FOODSERVICE, HOSPITALITY, AND RETAIL INDUSTRIES See cutting-edge food, drink, and equipment from leading producers, learn the latest industry trends, make vital new contacts, and network with your peers at this high-quality, trade-only event.

There is always lots to discover at Fine Food New Zealand, see new products, new services, and new technology, and catch up with the latest ideas that will shape the future of your industry.

Network with potential new business partners, find new suppliers and negotiate the best

deals for your business.

FOODSERVICE

If you’re in the business of preparing or serving food, this is the only trade show to attend. Source top quality food and drink ingredients and check out the latest kitchen, packaging, and front-of-house equipment.

HOSPITALITY

Your customers deserve the latest and best accommodation, hospitality and entertainment products and services.

Choose from tableware, furniture, interiors, POS systems, uniforms, and more.

THE TASTE OF THE BLUE PACIFIC COMES TO AOTEAROA For more than thirty years Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) NZ has represented the best products the Pacific Islands have to offer.

Covering sixteen island states – across the three sub-regions of the Blue Pacific – Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia, Pacific Trade Invest New Zealand contributes to their economic development through employment and exports. The organisation is an agency of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva, Fiji “We’re connectors,” said Trade Commissioner Glynis Miller.

“We don’t sell the products ourselves; we work with Pacific producers to help them understand the process of exporting into the New Zealand market, and to connect them with food service providers, wholesalers, stockists and distributors in New Zealand.”

PTI NZ works with a wide variety of niche products from organic spices to giant freshwater prawns to exotic fruit pulp. In addition, they also cater

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to the New Zealand market for island root crops such as taro.

Trade Commissioner Miller said the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the Pacific’s need to diversify away from sole reliance on tourism.

“The Pacific has much to offer Kiwi tastebuds. Their climate, and approach to keeping their products as natural as possible means New Zealanders can feel greater confidence when consuming, knowing that the production process is helping island communities improve their livelihoods,” she noted.

“Aotearoa, and in particular Auckland has the highest Pacific Island population in the world, there’s already a strong market here, and more and more Kiwis are diversifying their palates to include a wider taste range. We’re excited to showcase three great companies at the Fine Foods show this year.”

Nishi Foods is one of Tonga’s largest exporters supplying top quality frozen taro, cassava, and breadfruit. A must try is their breadfruit flour which, thanks to its high nutritional value and gluten free status is a great wheat flour alternative.

They will also be sampling their freshly pressed moringa powder which has medicinal properties and contains many healthy nutrients such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Operating out of Auckland, Ashon Ventures is a competitive distribution company in New Zealand with a wide network of suppliers. In recent years they have diversified into food

RETAIL

If you sell food and drink products, at Fine Food NZ. You’ll find the best local and international products and services on display, meet potential new suppliers face-to-face, and clinch the best deals.

SUPPORTED BY YOUR INDUSTRY

The show is supported by major industry associations, including BIANZ, NZ Chefs Association, Hospitality NZ, Restaurant Association and more.

Link to video (what attendees said about Fine Food 2018): https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=aqpdrN_kKUY

product development, such as their well-known brand Taste of India which uses fresh Fijian spices. ‘’Let food be thy medicine’’ is the mantra of Fine Foods Ltd. The Ni-Vanuatu company practice what they preach by only using natural products. Based in Port Vila they produce their signature ‘’Supa’MAN Fries’’ made cassava and which make a popular potato alternative.

Pacific Trade Invest NZ will be at Fine Food NZ – Stand S4.

Connect with them on Facebook @pacifictradeinvestnz, Instagram @pti_nz or email info@ pacifictradeinvest.co.nz

ALSCO

ALPRO

The Alpro ‘Professional’ range has been crafted for espresso and is available in soy, coconut, almond and oat. It is easy to froth and can be steamed to provide a shiny, thick micro foam that is perfect for latte’ art. The flavours have been developed to compliment the coffee and never to dominate the coffee experience.

The Alpro range is 100% plant based and is dairy, gluten and wheat free and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Visit us at stand A24. For more information, visit www.realfoods.co.nz

Hygienic, Smart, Simple…

There is no compromise with workplace hygiene in the food preparation industry.

Alsco helps you maintain superb levels of hygiene by supplying industrially washed and perfectly sanitary linen, wipes and catering workwear delivered to your business. We also offer floor mats, washroom and first aid services to support the hygiene and safety requirements of restaurant and catering industry across New Zealand.

• Linen – Tablecloths, Overlays, Napkins, Tea Towels, Cotton Striped Wipes and HAACP wipes • Uniforms – Chefs (Jackets and Trousers – all styles), Wait staff, Aprons. Can be customised to your brand • Floorcare – Entrance and Welcome Mats, Anti- Fatigue, Wet Area Mats • First Aid – First Aid kits (food grade), Eyewash stations, Portable Defibrillators • Washroom – Hygiene, Hand care, Hand Drying, Odour control, Deep cleaning Whether you’re in Hospitality, Catering, Restaurants or Bars, Alsco can help.

We have been supporting the industry for over 100 years and have mastered our product range to fit the needs of New Zealand businesses. You’ll get what you need, keeping your business and people clean and professional.

Visit us at B28. Contact our Customer Services & Support Team for more information and to arrange a Client Manager to visit; 0800 4 ALSCO (25726), feedback@alsco.co.nz, www.alsco.co.nz

BARKER’S PROFESSIONAL

ANGEL FOOD

Dairy-free is one of the hottest food trends around the world, and Angel Food’s delicious products make delicious dairy-free and vegan meals easy! Updating your customers’ old favourites is a snap with Angel Food’s dairy-free (and gluten- free) alternatives. Try our cheese sauce mix for macaroni cheese, our cheddar in toasted sandwiches, our mozzarella on pizza, our feta in salads, and our parmesan on top of everything savoury! Proudly made in New Zealand.

Visit us at Stand V18. For more information contact us on info@angelfood.co.nz, phone 09 3764623 www.angelfood.co.nz

Barker’s Professional is your local Food Service and Bakery partner to help create inspiring solutions for professional kitchens and bakeries.

Barker’s promise is to add flavour, flair, and ease to our customers' businesses by understanding their needs in this dynamic market.

We focus on delivering innovation, inspiration, consistent quality, underpinned by strong relationships. We are a proud New Zealand business 50 years young with a rich heritage and strong values.

Our success lies in the success of our customers.

Come and see us at stands B41 and L14 to see how we can help you with your food and drink solutions.

For more information contact shelley.king@barkers.co.nz or visit www.barkersprofessional.nz

April 2021

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who’swhofinefoods

BE NOURISHED

BAXTER’S ORIGINAL

‘Get on the Sauce’ with the Baxter’s Original range of award-winning flavoursome sauces!

The BBQ, Teriyaki and hot sauces are all 100% gluten free and made in New Zealand with all-natural ingredients. We have the manufacturing and distribution capacity to meet any order and wholesale to retail and bulk catering units for the food service sector.

From ‘Sweet and Smoky’ BBQ sauce a mild delicious family favourite and best seller, through to the spicier ‘Dragons Breath’ BBQ sauce which earned World Champion Status at the 2017 World Hot Sauce Awards in the USA. Baxter’s Original delivers that extra zest to your favourite food!

Be Nourished started just over 10 years ago and the focus was and still is on good gut health. Be Nourished Organic products are loaded with beneficial live cultures to nourish you from the inside out. A tablespoon of our delicious Kraut or Kimchi is the perfect complement to any meal.

We will be showcasing Be Nourished Kimchi and a selection of quality flavoured Sauerkrauts. Matched with Farmland Foods premium quality smallgoods, including bacon, ham, cooked meats, and speciality goods.

Come and meet Brenda and Steve at stand L21.

For more information, visit www.benourished.nz

Come and ‘Get on th Sauce’ with us at stand K08.

Contact Berrin: +64 21 474 402 or email saucy@baxtersoriginal.co.nz www.baxtersoriginal.co.nz

EUROTEC LTD

BURNS & FERRALL Established in 1948, Burns & Ferrall are The Innovative Heart of Hospitality and supply world leading brands to clubs, restaurants, bars, hotels and institutions across New Zealand and the Pacific.

Joining forces with E.CF Asia Pacific in 2019, your one-stopshop for project design, kitchenware and equipment now offers a hugely expanded inventory plus New Zealand’s largest hospitality showroom.

Visit us at stand D4

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The demand for efficient, high quality and most importantly time-saving food safety equipment is increasing. Temperature control in the food industry is as crucial to product quality as it is to the fulfilment of hygiene requirements and the maintenance of ambient conditions when shipping or storing foodstuffs.

At Fine Food New Zealand 2021, Eurotec Ltd will be showcasing the Testo range of HACCP Certified Food Safety instruments, ranging from simple probe thermometers to complete data logging systems that provide the accurate measuring results needed for compliance with the relevant regulations.

Testo are market leaders in thermometers, pH testers, data loggers and oil testers for food safety that can be used across a variety of applications including restaurants and catering, food production, supermarkets, fast food restaurants, confectionery, logistics, food auditing and more.

Testo has been in business for a milestone 64 years. This longevity in the industry is a testament to the success and quality of Testo and their products. Eurotec are proud to be the distributor of Testo products here in New Zealand for over 30 years, providing high quality food safety equipment to the food sector.

Find Eurotec and Testo products at Stand E46.

Eurotec Ltd 09 579 1990, sales@eurotec.co.nz, www.eurotec.co.nz www.testo.nz (Testo NZ online store)

HOWLER HOTDOGS

FARMLAND FOODS LTD

Farmland Foods started in a family butcher shop over 50 years ago and now, three generations later, it is one of New Zealand’s leading smallgoods producers. Still passionately family run in Bulls in the Rangitikei district.

Farmland Foods employs over 100 local staff and has invested in stateof-the-art manufacturing and equipment to produce quality meats. From humble beginnings to today and beyond, Farmland Foods has always been committed to quality and innovation.

Proudly New Zealand owned with many years of passion for quality meats and superior service.

We will be showcasing Farmland Foods premium quality smallgoods, including bacon, ham, cooked meats and speciality goods matched with quality Be Nourished Kimchi and a selection of quality flavoured Sauerkrauts.

When it comes to fun finger food you can’t beat a hotdog!

Howler Hotdogs has a range of mini and regular sized hotdogs that caters for your customers dietary needs whether they’re a regular carnivore, flexitarian, vegan or gluten free.

We look forward to seeing you at Fine Food to sample these so you can see our commitment to having like for like products. If you’re looking for an attention grabber, you might like to check out our foot long Hound Dogs while you’re there.

Come and meet us at stand M22. For more information, contact Jo Williamson topdog@howlerhotdogs.co.nz, 021 226 6469

Come and see Brenda and Steve at stand L21 and for more information visit www.farmlandfoods.nz

GLORY GLOBAL

As a global leader in cash technology solutions, we provide the retail, food and beverage, financial, cash centre and gaming industries with confidence that their cash is protected and always working to help build a stronger business.

Our cash automation solutions help businesses in more than 100 countries optimise the handling, movement, and management of cash.

While we span the globe, we personally engage with every New Zealand customer to address their unique challenges and goals — enhancing staff efficiency, reducing operating costs and enhancing the customer experience.

We offer peace of mind. We enable transformation. We empower people.

We do all this by releasing companies from the burden of cash management, putting cash to work, helping customers enhance the value that their staff and facilities add to their business.

We are Glory. We secure the future. Visit us at stand E48.

For more information, please email us on sales@nz.glory-global.com

MONIN AND TABASCO

We will offer you a world of flavour with products from two iconic brands on showcase at this year’s Fine Food Show.

MONIN will be featuring its newest addition - the Le Mixeur de MONIN range. The sweet, juicy Strawberry Daiquiri will add another dimension to your cocktails, lemonades, iced teas, and smoothies. We will also have our 80+ flavours on show. Come and talk to our Beverage Innovation Manager on site to get new ideas and explore all possibilities!

TABASCO will be featuring its well-received new addition - Sriracha, a preservative free hot sauce made from sweet chillies, Thai spices and signature Tabasco aged red peppers. We will have tasting on site to showcase how you can use Tabasco sauce to enrich and enhance your dishes.

Come and visit us at stand J3 in Artisan Alley, we look forward to welcoming you. See you there!

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NEUDORF BLACK

Neudorf Black captures flavour and goodness with its all-natural range of gourmet black garlic condiments that are ready to use.

Black Garlic with no additives. Prized for its distinctive flavour as well as its nutrients, 100% Black Garlic Puree is ready-touse. Neudorf Black use only New Zealand garlic and make premium Black Garlic Puree, Black Garlic Essence and more.

Taste and see it for yourself.

Come and meet us at stand N7.

You can also contact Teena & Noël Jelsma on sales@neudorfblack.co.nz, Ph. 021 0806 0150. www.neudorfblack.co.nz

INVENTIVE SIMPLIFICATION

UNOX AT FINE FOOD NEW ZEALAND 13-15 JUNE 2021 ASB SHOWGROUNDS, AUCKLAND UNOX STAND #C16 UNOX have developed a range of ovens to suit almost every application. Starting from a 3 tray programable convection oven to a 40 tray combination oven and every-thing in between.

The UNOX MIND.Maps™ technology ensures high standard cooking results with maximum return on investment.

Our ovens have 30% less components than those of our competitors, meaning they are both easy to use and maintain.

As a Chef or Business Owner you focus on uncompromised quality, innovative choices, measurable efficiency and reliability.

For you, this means maximum performance, ease of use and savings.

For UNOX, it is Inventive Simplification.

CONTACT US Unox New Zealand Ltd P. 0273 400 404 E. info@unox.co.nz ww.unox.com/en_nz/

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REMEDY

When Sarah and Emmet Condon started Remedy, they wanted to do something good, shake things up and make it right. They knew that healthy could also be tasty and easy. While they’ve moved on from the kitchen bench where they started, Remedy is still made the old-school way: in small batches, long-aged brewed for 30 days.

When kombucha is fermented naturally and kept raw, unpasteurised, and unfiltered, like they do at Remedy, it contains healthy, living, good bacteria, or live cultures. Every bottle of Remedy Kombucha contains literally billions of these microorganisms.

The result is the tastiest and healthiest kombucha going around: it contains no sugar, naturally, and is chock-full of all the right stuff: live cultures, organic acids, and antioxidants.

Visit Remedy at stand J18. For more information visit www.remedydrinks.com

practicerecipes SAFE FOOD PRO

Safe Food Pro is excited to be back at the Auckland Fine Food Show. We launched Safe Food Pro at the 2018 Fine Food Show and have since grown our business to over 1200 customers across New Zealand and Australia.

Safe Food Pro is being used across a wide range of food business both large and small, including: Restaurants, Cafes, Caterers, Takeaways, Butchers, Bakers, Aged care, Bars & Pubs, Clubs, Education, Manufacturers, Convenience Stores & Supermarkets. Safe Food Pro is perfect for small single site businesses through to multi-site and group businesses.

Not only are we New Zealand’s most popular Food Safety App, but we also offer automated wireless temperature monitoring and Bluetooth digital thermometer integration. At the show we will be giving live demos of our software and temperature monitoring solutions.

Food safety and compliance has never been more important and safe Food Pro makes food safety management easy. Easy to setup and easy for your staff to use. Not only will your verifications be fast and efficient you will also get real-time visibility of food safety across your business.

SEARCHFIELD

We are back on our usual stand for Fine Food this year. We will have the full range of Menumaster product on show and operating.

Come and see us with your speed cooking requirements. We will also have our range of JTech table and staff paging options. Thinking of Drive-Thru to speed up your service? We will have our range of HME wireless systems. We are also planning to have a cool new All-In-One-Kiosk solution and some other cool new tech if we can get it here in time!

Check us out on stand G38. For more information visit www.searchfield.co.nz

Come and see us at stand J32 and let our team show you how we can make your compliance easy. www.safefoodpro.co.nz

SERVICE FOODS

Service Foods’ customers aim to be the best, but they can only be the best at what they do if we aim to be the best at what we do too. Delivering food is just the first part; we also must deliver quality, innovation, sustainability, and differentiation while we’re at it. So, that’s what we aim to do, and that’s why we’re known as the company behind every great chef.

As one of New Zealand’s largest, privately, family-owned, and operated foodservice businesses, we specialise in the procurement and distribution of premium quality food products. We directly import more than 4000 products and supplement this with 8000+ locally produced products. Our wide range consists of everything from fresh produce to sustainably caught seafood; premium spices to specialist meat cuts, which come to you directly from one of our 11 branches across the country.

We’ll be at the Fine Food Show in 2021 showcasing a range of our products and giving you a chance to meet our Auckland team. Stop by to say hello at stand T1, try a changing selection of tempting goodies, and don’t forget to pick up a Service Foods show bag on your way in too.

For more information, contact info@servicefoods.co.nz or visit www.servicefoods.co.nz

UNITED FOOD CO

United Fisheries is located in Christchurch and has grown since 1974 from modest beginnings to become one of the top ten seafood companies in New Zealand.

We produce top quality products from our purpose built, temperature-controlled export factory supplying throughout New Zealand and exporting around the globe. These processing facilities are equal to any in its class in the world incorporating the latest technology to meet the ever-increasing international standards and conditions for many years to come.

United Fisheries is very passionate about their products and has created highly regarded market brands to service both the retail and foodservice sectors with Sea Cuisine, United Fish Co & United Food Co delivering quality fresh, frozen, and gourmet value added seafood product.

Come and visit us at stand L32. For more information, visit www.unitedfisheries.co.nz April 2021

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UNOX

We will be showcasing the latest technology for combi ovens, SPEED.Pro™ and for the first time ever in New Zealand “The Hot Fridge” - EVEREO® in conjunction with the patented MULTI. Day hot vacuum system. UNOX have developed a range of ovens to suit almost every application. Starting from a three tray programable convection oven to a 40 tray combination oven and every-thing in between. The UNOX MIND.Maps™ technology ensures high standard cooking results with maximum return on investment. Our ovens have 30% less components than those of our competitors, meaning they are both easy to use and maintain.

As a Chef or Business Owner you focus on uncompromised quality, innovative choices, measurable efficiency, and reliability.

For you, this means maximum performance, ease of use and savings. For UNOX, it is Inventive Simplification.

This is a must-see opportunity, be sure to visit us at stand C16 to experience the latest in innovative technology and to meet the team of passionate people who will continue to help those who challenge themselves every day.

For more information, contact info@unox.co.nz, 0273 400 404, or visit www.unox.com/en_nz/

VITASOY CAFÉ FOR BARISTAS

Vitasoy Café for Baristas range is made exclusively for the trade and has been specifically formulated to complement your barista skills and deliver the perfect plant-based coffee every time. At Vitasoy, we make our plant milk using only the best ingredients, through a process we’ve refined to be as simple as possible. We believe in supporting local Aussie farmers, proudly manufacturing our Café for Baristas products in regional Victoria, Australia.

The range features Soy, Almond and our newest member of the range, Oat milk. Our original plant milk for coffee is crafted using the humble soybean.

Vitasoy Café for Baristas Soy has been specially formulated to complement your barista skills and deliver the perfect soy coffee every time.

Vitasoy Café for Baristas oat milk has been specially formulated to deliver a perfect plant-based coffee. Made from 100% Australian grown whole oats, it has a mild and balanced flavour that lets the beans speak for themselves.

Pop down to our stand C34 for an exclusive taste of our newly formulated, creamy, and delicious Almond Milk before it’s officially launched to trade!

Visit www.vitasoycafe.com.au

WELL & TRULY ARTISAN PANTRY

WILD CHEF

Come and meet us at Stand Q5, and for more information contact Sue or Matt Loder, 022 1932 902 or email sales@wellandtruly.nz or visit www.wellandtruly.nz

Visit the Wild Chef team on Stand L39 in Hall 2 (right next to the Networking Lounge) or visit www.wildchef.co.nz if you cannot be there.

We are a humble, Kiwi family-owned company located in the beautiful setting of rural Cambridge, New Zealand. Everything we produce, we do with well-ness in mind, just whole nutritious food how nature intended, simply made special. No cutting corners, no fillers, no artificial stuff.

Gourmet,100% certified gluten-free always!

Why the name Well & Truly? It’s about who we are. An awareness of what we contribute and the legacy we leave behind. It’s about supporting others through this business to enable well-ness. From the products we make to the everyday encounters we have; it’s about being truthful to ourselves and others. We are real, authentic, and always a work in progress. It’s about the honesty of what we create, and how we as contributors treat our planet and the people who cross our path. It’s our compass, I guess.

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WILD CHEF is a New Zealand Gourmet Food Manufacturer, producing Chef Quality meal components, canape bases and sticks that are minimally processed. We are continually creating innovative Kiwi products that are quick and cost-effective menu solutions. Products that are consistent quality & saves on prep-time but also ticking the dietary boxes. These include variations of Rosti, Polenta Chips, Hash Browns & Sticks, Falafels, Potato Gratin and Veggie Patties allowing Chefs to use these bases around their creativity & budgets. Meet the owners of Wild Chef, Jeremy and Jennifer Lang, alongside their fabulous Wild Chef team to share some new ideas and inspiration around the Wild Chef product range. Plus, taste our NEW Hash Sticks and Parmesan Hash Sticks part of our “Stick Family” concept!

CR SS SECTOR INSIGHTS Tuesday, 11th May, 9am-5pm REGISTER NOW to access the virtual summit bringing you the real talk about how the hotels and foodservice industry can move through its current challenges, from experts that are on the ground.

SPONSORED BY:

REGISTER NOW

Reimagining the business of Hotels and foodservice

W

hether you’ve been hit hard from day one and had to mothball your premises, or are still hanging in there – this summit is for you.

Expect to get a clear idea on: how your hotel / group can reduce costs while increasing effectiveness during this difficult time; how to use your #1 status as Covid-

David Thompson

free to attract customers and what are the steps to being the best; how to step up when everything is crumbling around you plus a blow by blow list of how to get up each day and fight again – plus no-bullshit panel discussions and commentary from experts in the field.

Ben Harris

Les Morgan

Hotel and AI Expert

Medical Microbiologist

Living with Covid-19 Attracting, retaining and communicatiing with customers.

Differentiating your business How to be the ‘the safest break in Australasia’ & Industry best at keeping customers safe.

Michael Johnson

CEO – NSW & National at Tourism Accommodation Australia The Australian market recovery and how the current environment is impacting Australasian business

Operations Executive, MIQ Facility Expert Leadership during a crisis What we can all do to benefit during times of stress

Julie White

Chief Executive Hospitality NZ Looking under the hood How New Zealand’s hospitality industry is really doing, and what we can do from here . . . more speakers to be announced.

• 9am – 1:10pm Introduction and Individual Speaker Sessions 20 minutes talk, followed by 10 mins Q&As each (allowing 5mins between each speaker) • Lunch break 1:10-2pm • Panel discussion 2-3pm • Open networking 3-5pm.

Partners in the road to recovery

TARGET YOUR MARKETING, DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE, HONE YOUR STRATEGY WITH US. Want to talk to CUSTOMERS? ! t s r i f s u o Talk t

(09) 304 0142 ext 703 caroline@reviewmags.com

A Christchurch Based Point of Sale Company, Servicing New Zealand Hospitality. menumate has rebranded to . ®

Taking 15 years of history and focusing on the future.