Hospitality Business - June 2017

TEMPTING BAR FOOD TIPS • THEATRICAL KITCHENS • TRUFFLES FROM NZ

www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz JUNE 2017 Vol.4 No.6

Beautiful

SOFTWARE

For Your Busy Waiters PLUS WOMEN IN BREWING • ORGANIC WINEMAKING • SOUR BEER NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST HOSPITALITY AND LIQUOR AUDIENCE

contents

16

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN TRENDS

Adding colour to the kitchen

REGULARS 06 NEWS & EVENTS Keep up to date with the latest hospitality industry news 08 BEST IN SEASON Winter wonders

11 TASTY INVITING BAR FOOD

Tempting customers with tasty shared plates

09 NEW OPENINGS The latest hospitality venues!

32

FEATURES

TRUFFLING ALONG

11 TASTY INVITING BAR FOOD Tempting customers with tasty shared plates

North Canterbury farm supplies top restaurants

08

16 COMMERCIAL KITCHEN TRENDS Adding colour to the kitchen

BEST IN SEASON

Winter wonders

THE SHOUT 48 THE BUSINESS OF WOMEN IN BREWING Kiwi women in the brewing and distilling industry 52 CRAFT BEER’S TOP DOG Q&A with Black Dog’s Adrian Klemp 54 THE NATURAL WAY Organic winemaking

Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 3

editorial JUNE 2017 Vol 4. No.6

Kimberley Dixon kdixon@ intermedianz.co.nz 0274 505 502

Tipping point When the Minister for Tourism, Paula Bennett promoted the idea that we should embrace tipping for good foodservice I had an automatic, almost instinctive, reaction which said plain NO! It’s not in our culture to do so and our foodservice employees are generally, with a few notable exceptions, paid well enough not to warrant such a trend being introduced. I also thought how annoyed I could become when faced at the bill paying end of an evening with a blatant request to add 10 or 15 percent to the cost of my meal – something which I have encountered at various eating establishments over the past five years. Generally this has been when paying by credit card. Then I thought, why not reward excellent service for specific people who have gone out of their way to make the dining experience both pleasant and enjoyable, reflecting the commitment to excellence an establishment depends upon? My problem lies, however, in how the tips are dispersed. If I wish to reward a specific employee for their attentiveness, knowledge of the menu, customer service and ability, then that should be my choice and I should be able to give that person the money directly. If I have to add the tip component to the credit card or eftpos bill, how do I know that the funds are reaching the person who provided the service I wish to encourage? How many establishments split the day's tips across the floor staff evenly, therefore rewarding all, possibly for the great actions of a few?

Maybe we need to look at some left -field thinking to encourage great service? If you have a bad customer experience it is well known you warn everyone you know..while good customer service often goes unremarked. Or does it? In today’s world of social media, Facebook has the potential to promote or ruin a businesses’ reputation quite quickly. With that in mind keeping staff up to date with the role of social media is important, as our feature on page 30 contends!

Kimberley Dixon Editor

TEMPTING BAR FOOD TIPS • THEATRICAL KITCHENS • TRUFFLES FROM NZ

www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz JUNE 2017 Vol.4 No.6

Beautiful

SOFTWARE

For Your Busy Waiters PLUS WOMEN IN BREWING • ORGANIC WINEMAKING • SOUR BEER NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST HOSPITALITY AND LIQUOR AUDIENCE

ON THE COVER - WIZBANG Our cool new WizBang mobile app uses the latest tech to bang orders through to your kitchen, barista or bar quickly and effortlessly.

You’ll see your table turns increase, your staff will smile and your customers will be itching to come back because they love your fast and friendly service. Get the lowdown from WizBang, the experts in wizbang technology.

Contact us today : tel: 0800 WIZBANG Email: sales@wizbang.co.nz www.wizbang.co.nz

4 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

PUBLISHED BY The Intermedia Group Ltd 505 Rosebank Road, Avondale Auckland, 1026, New Zealand ph: 021 361 136 MANAGING DIRECTOR - PUBLISHER Dale Spencer dspencer@intermedianz.co.nz EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Paul Wootton The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd, Australia www.intermedia.com.au EDITOR Kimberley Dixon kdixon@intermedianz.co.nz ph: 0274 505 502 EDITOR - THE SHOUT Charlotte Cowan ccowan@intermedianz.co.nz ph: 021 774 080 PUBLISHING ASSISTANT Eclypse Lee elee@intermedianz.co.nz SALES DIRECTOR Wendy Steele wsteele@intermedianz.co.nz ph: 021 300 473 SALES MANAGER - THE SHOUT Angela Bowes abowes@intermedianz.co.nz ph: 021 130 6824 CONTRIBUTORS Sue Fea, Kathy Ombler, Michael Hooper, Tash McGill, Pat Pilcher GRAPHIC DESIGNER Adrian Tipper – atipper@intermedia.com.au HEAD OF CIRCULATION Chris Blacklock – cblacklock@intermedia.com.au PRODUCTION MANAGER Jacqui Cooper – jacqui@intermedia.com.au SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES Eclypse Lee – Publishing Assistant elee@intermedianz.co.nz PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

DISCLAIMER This publication is published by The Intermedia Group Ltd (the “Publisher”).

Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected

by New Zealand and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication does not indicate the Publisher’s endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Publisher, its agents, company officers or employees. Any use of the information contained in this publication is at the sole risk of the person using that information. The user should make independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information before relying on that information. All express or implied terms, conditions, warranties, statements, assurances and representations in relation to the Publisher, its publications and its services are expressly excluded. To the extent permitted by law, the Publisher will not be liable for any damages including special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of any kind arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damages. While we use our best endeavours to ensure accuracy of the materials we create, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that may appear in this publication.

Copyright © 2017 - The Intermedia Group Ltd ISSN 2382-1892

This is not a cup or a serviette It’s your clean conscience

Compostable Cup & Lid

It’s a line in the sand.

It’s a vote for change.

It’s a promise to our children.

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NEWS Serene infrared heaters adding value by creating a warm environment for your customers.

Creating

Winter Warmth Keeping customers cosy with infrared heating.

W

inter has well and truly arrived with an early polar blast throughout New Zealand catching many hospitality operators on the hop to create an inviting, warm environment for customers! Outdoor dining, however, still remains popular and keeping customers cosy requires a sharp eye on your venue’s heating efficiency.

A new range of efficient infrared heaters is almost as good as sunshine and possibly more reliable according to Serene Living, designers, manufacturers and distributors of the all metal, weatherproof electrical heaters.

“Serene Infrared heaters offer three key benefits to restaurants, rooftop bars, hotels and foodservice providers. Firstly the heating is efficient and directional – meaning the infrared warmth heats the person and not the cold air, therefore making it efficient and cost

effective. Secondly the Shadow ULG & 2000 heaters are the world’s first fully Bluetooth App controlled infrared outdoor heaters, which enables remote operation and flexibility of the heating required – up to 100 units can be controlled via one Smart phone iPad or Computer, including an on board timer, and thirdly they use an environmentally renewable resource…electricity.”

For successful comfort heating there should be reasonably even levels of heat throughout the dining area. Proper mounting heights of the individual heaters, accurate heater spacing and heat wattage are all important considerations for generating effective heating levels.

On all Serene Outdoor heaters a red or gold coating encloses the halogen heat lamp to filter out the intense white light and provide a more aesthetically pleasing warm light from new generation ULG (Ultra Low Glare) gold lamps that reduce glare by seventy percent. ■

COMMERCIAL CASE STUDY Christopher’s Wine Bar is a very popular venue for young and old wine lovers alike in Surrey, UK. “We have the advantage of a fantastic outside terrace area with seating for 80 people. Until this year we had small tables and umbrellas but we have now imported French “butterfly” awnings which cover three tables each and keep our customers dry in almost all weathers. However, we wanted to provide warmth for the cooler months as many of our customers like to sit outside more than they do inside (smokers and nonsmokers alike!). Having looked at the market we chose the 2kW Shadow 2000 heaters with Bluetooth control from Serene and have put six heaters, one in each area discretely hidden and producing low glare light because we wanted to retain the candle lit atmosphere. We can control all of the heaters from one smartphone and simply adjust the heat as needed from 100 watts steplessly to 2000 watts, depending on the weather to keep energy use to a minimum.

6 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

We are very environmentally conscious and it is good to know that these Serene Infrared heaters are extremely efficient and obviously in a different league to the old polluting gas heaters, they provide directional heat and the heat stops immediately they are turned off.

Because of their efficiency, the cost of running the heaters is minimal and they work very well indeed. Our customers are happy, our outdoor tables full most days and it means that our takings in the cooler months or on a cold evening will stay at a high level rather than dropping off dramatically as in the past these sums are significant.

The service from our Serene wholesaler both before and after sale has been excellent and we were very reassured that these Serene heaters carry a full five year replacement warranty.”

- Christopher Williams

For more information contact: 0800 437 264. www.serene-ind.com

NEWS Cordis Auckland, -a better product for customers.

Langham Eyes Auckland Waterfront

BY MICHAEL HOOPER New Zealand’s top hotel, as judged in several different awards, is shutting down its brand in New Zealand this November, however it is not the end of the Langham name here. Rebranding the five-star 411-room Auckland property to Cordis will give the Langham Hospitality Group (LHG) room to look at expansion, says Marketing Vice President Simon Manning. The wealthy, Hong Kong-based family company is casting eyes over the Auckland waterfront, and might consider towns further afield such as Blenheim, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown for Langham boutique or Cordis business brand hotels.

Key to the Langham re-branding is the growth of the country’s tourism, especially Auckland’s. “The city has become more relevant than it has ever been,” says Simon Manning. “It is now the gateway to the Pacific, and no longer the end of the line”. He believes the emergence of a larger middle income bracket “in all the Asian cities” will channel more travellers and tourists through Auckland as a springboard to the rest of the Pacific.

Manning predicts a doubling of the already eye-watering room rates in Auckland. Expect to pay $800 for a room in a new boutique Langham when it eventuates, he suggests, quoting current rates for the Langham Melbourne reaching $400, and averaging “in the mid three hundreds”.

“The accommodation market in Auckland is going to be strapped, especially in high season. The airlines have the capacity now. More businesses have expanded into New Zealand. There will be a core number of upper-scale five-star hotels to service business travel, but as room rates rise we believe, as a company, you will see the emergence of a luxury market, in a boutique format, on the

LHG Marketing Vice President, Simon Manning. waterfront. That will lead to a new market segment – rooms of 45 to 50 square metres on the water. We will do another Langham when the opportunity arises.”

The company seems unconcerned about the potential loss of brand presence in the meantime, optimistic that Cordis will have sufficient association with LHG to maintain the brand. “In our Sydney hotel, the second biggest demographic is New Zealanders; the right people who have money know us already. In Hong Kong our eighth biggest market is New Zealanders. We are the only luxury hotel operator that does a sales mission here every two years.”

It’s fair to say that the change was foreseeable; while the Langham remains unsurpassed for service, the old Sheraton Auckland building (even owned back then

by LHG’s Great Eagle Group) has become gazumped in the luxury room stakes, facing pressure from new builds such as the waterfront Park Hyatt, Sheraton and Sofitel. Even Auckland’s newly re-branded but still concussed Grand Millennium

has some closets that rival the size of the Langham’s pre-fabricated bathrooms.

“There isn’t a five-star luxury hotel in Auckland at the moment - we are as near as it comes,” says Simon Manning. “If we kept this as a Langham, we would not have the opportunity to extend it, and we know that Auckland needs rooms badly. We have the opportunity in the future to grow the size of this hotel.”

The company is “permanently sniffing” says Manning for the 100 to 150 room site that could be the next Langham in Auckland. “Is there a deal on the table at the moment? No. When the day comes, there will (again) be a Langham here.

When it comes to making a bid, there are only two or three people who have the kind of money our chairman has.”

The refurbished Cordis Auckland will immediately get higher room rates and greater market share, says the VP. “The consumer will end up with a better product, with a different badge. We want to make this bigger and more successful.”

With ownership of the adjacent carpark building, adjoining spare land and the option for at least three more floors, there is scope to make grander use of the K Road / Symonds Street corner block.

For Langham leisure and business fans, Managing Director Franz Mascarenhas, who remains with his rebranded team, assures that the same service standards will apply, even if the $35 million refurb hoovers up the classic décor and replaces it with a brighter, more contemporary style (overseen by local designers Space Studio). “It will become more casual and comfortable,” adds Manning. The famous afternoon teas will live on, in what will become the lobby lounge, but the old Langham Palm Court denizens will just have to adjust their sets - from Wedgewood to Swarovski.

Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 7

IN SEASON

Butterfish have a clean and delicate flavour, with a translucent flesh, which is tender and moist once cooked.

SEAFOOD - BUTTERFISH

Typically sold as thick, bone-in slices, lamb neck is full of flavour!

MEAT - LAMB NECK CHOPS

c A cut which is often overlooked! Neck are a real treat when cooked long and slow. Typically sold as thick, bone-in slices, lamb neck is inexpensive and full of flavour. Like oxtail, neck meat also has plenty of collagen, a natural compound in red meat that lends a silky richness to stews, braises, ragùs, and other slow-cooked dishes. www.recipes.co.nz

WINTER PRODUCE - VERSATILE & COLOURFUL

h The blanket of winter has firmly wrapped itself around the country driving diners indoors and ovens on.

Comforting carbs are on menus with versatile and colourful kumara from Northland and Northern Wairoa a stable from soups to stir-fry’s.

Bake, boil or braise – kumara need nothing more than a good scrub before cooking. Leave their skin on for roasting but make sure you store kumara in a cool, ventilated place, but not the fridge.

Cauliflower is becoming an in-vegetable this year. Clean a large head of cauliflower and cut it into bite-sized florets.

Cover in apple cider vinegar and toss. Coat in oat flour, ground pepper and sea salt before baking at a high heat for 30 minutes until crisp and golden. Serve as a side-dish alongside meat or vegetarian mains.

Cauliflower is full of Vitamin B and C plus a good dose of fibre. Combine them with bacon and leeks, instead of potatoes, for a spicy cauliflower and leek soup. Make sure you include garlic, cumin seeds, curry powder and a good stock and serve with crusty bread.

It’s hard to pass on a winter roast lamb infused with garlic and rosemary. Its powerful immune boosting benefits and wonderful aroma will keep diners healthy this winter and coming back for more. Add a side of roasted lemon garlic broccoli, roast baby carrots cooked in oil olive, balsamic vinegar, garlic, thyme and salt and pepper.

And if you’re worried your diners may leave with garlic breath, encourage them to enjoy an apple dessert before they depart.

8 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

d Butterfish are found all along New Zealand’s coast, where they feed on kelp beds over shallow rocky outcrops and because of this they are hardly seen in waters deeper than 15 metres.

Also called greenbone, because their bones have a greenish tinge, they should not be confused with the warehou family that are often called butterfish in Japanese cuisine.

Butterfish’s main fishery is centred on the Cook Strait, between Tasman Bay, Castlepoint and Kaikoura.

There is a smaller fishery located around Stewart Island.

Butterfish have a streamlined and plump body with large dorsal and anal fins. The colour of this inshore fish varies depending on the sex and age.

Young fish are a golden-bronze, adults are brown to olive green, whilst the largest fish are a dark blue-black.

Butterfish have a clean and delicate flavour, with a translucent flesh, which is tender and moist once cooked, which is where they get their “butteriness” they are named after.

Their flesh flakes beautifully, making it perfect for a variety of dishes however, we love it in a traditional fish pie with a pastry top.

Add greens such as celery, leaks or peas to make it another great winter warming meal.

For more recipe ideas, check out www.seafood.co.nz

A recent study published in the Journal of Food Science in the USA found that raw apples and raw lettuce can reduce the concentration of volatiles which cause bad breath by up to 50 per cent. Cooked apple is nearly as effective so make the most of our wonderful New Zealand apples and add them to a dessert or make apple butter to accompany a slow-cooked pork loin.

Winter maybe cold but it’s abundant with healthy fruit and vegetables. To find out what else is in season and available to order through T&G Global (originally Turners and Growers) visit firstpick.co.nz or email helpinghand@tandg.global

Heart warming spicy cauliflower soup!

OPENINGS ALICANTE BACKPACKERS HOSTEL

68 Auckland Street, PICTON, MARLBOROUGH Tel: (+64)03-929-3749 Mob: 027-220-992 www.alicantebackpackers.nz When Robert and Glenda Skinner set up Alicante backpackers in Marlborough’s port town of Picton, they knew they wanted the operation to have “flair”.

Six months and 2000 guests later, they are loving the opportunity to introduce guests to a slice of Spain at the gateway to the Marlborough Sounds.

Alicante, named after the Spanish port city, was once a rest home but had been empty for several years before Robert came across it on a trip to Picton, and saw potential in its strong bones and good lines.

He bought it as a surprise for Glenda, and they set about transforming it into a light- filled backpackers, enhanced with plenty of her personal touches, from chandeliers and bright artworks in the entrance hall to a collection of sparkling ball masks adorning one wall.

“We wanted something with flair,” she says. “I think a lot of backpackers tend to

be a little bit dark and dingy. We wanted something bright and airy.”

The couple painted the building’s exterior in Spanish White, in keeping with their Alicante theme, and constructed bunks for the nine dorm rooms, each of which has its own vanity and basin, thanks to the building’s previous life. They also decorated each of the two Queen and two Family rooms with its own individual style, including a four-poster bed in one deluxe room.

Throughout the renovation, Glenda’s measure of quality was the question of whether guests would immediately want to return after a night at Alicante and, indeed, whether she would want to stay there herself, if she was travelling. That meant creating rooms that looked good and were comfortable, with high quality bedding, and provided a comparatively lush stop on travellers’ journeys.

The Skinners created two comfortable common rooms and transformed the former laundry into an efficient kitchen, with ovens, gas hobs, microwaves, pots and pans and - key when you are in wine country - a cupboard full of gleaming wine glasses.

That is all part of going beyond the standard, says Glenda, who provides cereal, porridge, brown bread, muffins, and croissants for breakfast, along with tea, coffee, milk, butter, jam and marmalade. “I think it’s something that you should have for people when they come to stay, and they love it.”

They took their sense of hospitality to the extreme at Christmas, with a free festive dinner for their guests, a full house at the time. The couple roasted four big legs of lamb and the visitors dressed up for dinner, and pulled all the tables in the dining room together.

THE CHURCHILL

FORAGE KITCHEN + BAR

Level 5, Grand Mercure Wellington, 345 The Terrace, Wellington Tel : (+64)4/3859829 Email: h1991-fb1@accor.com Tackling the perennial challenge of making a hotel restaurant stand out in its own right is the new Forage Kitchen + Bar, in the just re-opened, re-branded and thoroughly refurbished/transformed Grand Mercure Wellington. Locals who saw the somewhat tired hotel restaurant in what was the former Mercure Wellington won’t recognise the new incarnation – save for the same, stunning view that gazes across the CBD to Wellington harbour. Marble with gold trims, soft greens, blacks and greys, and pot plants hanging from the ceiling generate a stylish and restful – you’re in the forest – ambience. The menu promises ‘flower to root and nose to tail’ – a foraging philosophy as the name suggests, and a celebration of the best, local produce. Try the citrus cured salmon with horseradish crème and squid ink tuile. Chef Stephen Fernando, a Wellingtonian with international Michelin restaurant experience, is in the kitchen.

132 Lambton Quay, Wellington Tel: 04 4990275 www.whg.co.nz Wellington Hospitality Group is continuing its empire-building around town, with the latest acquisition looking very British. The group describes The Churchill as a ‘modern take on a traditional English pub’. There’s even a red telephone booth, greeting patrons to the huge, three level pub with a different ambience on every floor. Formerly the Royal Alehouse & Eatery, but known best to old-timer Wellingtonians as Paris Restaurant, the new look pub serves up 14 beers on tap and two hand pulls, while the food ranges across the ‘classic’ bangers and mash, fish and chips and potted belly pork. A veranda ‘garden bar’ overlooks the street, while a leather-lounged den serves fine whiskeys and martinis, of course.

Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 9

OPENINGS

TWO GREY BAR & BRASSERIE

2 Grey Street, Wellington Phone: +64 4-495 7867 www.twogrey.co.nz

Wellingtonians will be treated to the beautiful design and luxurious fit out of the CBD’s newest Bar and Brasserie, Two Grey, now officially open. Aptly named after its address, the sophisticated Two Grey replaces Wellington’s well-loved establishment, Arizona.

The tastefully designed interior complements the carefully curated beverage menu, with a modern twist on the classics for Wellingtonians, while treating those stopping by to an array of the very best the Coolest Little Capital has to offer.

Having Louis Roederer as the ‘firstpour’ champagne (available by the glass) links straight to Two Grey’s polished and French brasserie inspired design and the wine menu is extensive, from Spanish whites to French reds, as well as wellloved Martinborough wines.

Two Grey’s speciality house cocktail, Grey’s Bramble, is a concoction of gin, fresh lemon and Crème de Mure which will be sure to please the 5pm after work crowd.

Pendant lighting, stunning black brick tiled pillars, quiet nooks and fresh white American oak flooring alongside brushed

concrete walls brings an urban feel to this new inner-city hot spot.

With a bustling lunch and after work market in the area, Two Grey fills the gap for those seeking a meal crafted from highquality ingredients at an inclusive price point, and at a highly-accessible location.

Start the morning with house-made moreish waffles or an acai smoothie bowl, and Two Grey’s single origin bottomless coffee by local favourite, Coffee Supreme.

The standout lunch and dinner dishes include their 45 day dry-aged sirloin, and don’t miss their half roasted cauliflower.

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10 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

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BAR FOOD TRENDS

Fabulous bar food

BY SUE FEA

A new more discerning breed of social drinker is looking for class and style in a bar and is happy to pay a little more for a fulfilling food offering!

F

rom spicy Spanish skewered meats and seafood platters to pork belly, chicken pate and homemade breads, charcuterie and cheeses – bar food has become a lot more sophisticated. Hot chips and preprepared pizzas no longer cut it.

Shared plates and tapas are not only increasingly popular on restaurant menus, but there’s a big demand for interesting, innovative shared tasting plates on bar menus too. Sharing has become a popular phenomenon. This new more discerning breed of social drinker is looking for class and style in a bar and they’re happy to pay a little more for a fulfilling food offering that adds to that experience. In fact the food plays a major role in attracting them.

In Queenstown, newly-launched Attiqa, run by staff from Italy, Spain and France, has gone all out to woo late night customers in the resort’s oversaturated bar market, where competition is rife.

Tuscany-raised, bar manager Alessandro Martini, says customers now expect more than just “a drinking experience”. Attiqa is a Mediterranean-style restaurant, as well as a late night bar, with a

Noble Rot

Banquet Platter Spanish-style pinchos are proving popular at Attiqa

Prawn Hargow

Rooftop Bar overhead commanding a stunning view of the mountains and Lake Wakatipu just across the street. Spanish-style pinchos – spicy skewered meats like Moroccan Lamb and Dzatiki Chicken – are proving extremely popular here and all come with a range of homemade dipping sauces.

A free one of these with a customer’s first drink usually has them hooked. Attiqa’s Mediterranean Kitchen also offers a selection of aioli – basil, paprika and standard garlic. “We do a beautiful little bruschetta with pork belly pate, and the lamb rib is pan-fried in Moroccan spice with a sprinkle of amarinth and pesto – it is really refreshing,” says Alessandro.

“Every day we’re playing with flavours using seafood, vegetables and meat.” Seafood platters of prawns, scallops, clams, calamari and salmon all slide down brilliantly accompanied by freshly-baked ciabatta, dipping sauces and gourmet oils.

The Italian salsa verde is packed with parsley and herbs. Prosciutto wrapped ciabatta comes with grissini, truffle oil, aged Balsamic and sea salt and the Sicilian meatballs, with smoked tomato sauce, are almost as good as Alessandro’s mother makes back home. Presentation, sauces and garnishes are vital, he says. “Every plate has to look astonishing.”

The internationally-experienced chef may be about the only one on staff who isn’t Italian, but he turns out a mean tiramisu, affogato, and chocolate Panna Cotta, topped with Grand Marnier sauce. “People who come later at night often want to enjoy a nice dessert with a dessert wine or cocktail,” says Alessandro. It all bodes well amid dim lighting around a massive gas fire.

“People are after a more classy experience,” says Alessandro. “Back home in Italy we go out during the late afternoon for a drink and expect a great little bite. We’re from a big eating and drinking culture, but it’s about spending quality time together and sharing something nice, rather than going out for a big session and getting hammered.” > Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 11

BAR FOOD TRENDS UPMARKET CLASSY EXPERIENCE At Nobel Rot Wine Bar in Wellington the classy experience is certainly appealing as well, with upmarket style bar food offerings complementing first class wines from around the world. Here there’s also an interchange between the main restaurant area and bar when it comes to food, says co-owner and former New Zealand Sommelier of the Year Maciej Zimny. “We offer a full a la carte menu and degustation and people often order from that in the bar,” says Maciej.

Freshly shucked oysters, served with black paper sherry vinegar and horseradish-lime dressing, are a big seller, with charcuterie and cheese boards taking over heading into winter. “We serve five or six soft and hard cheeses, including an Italian pecorino, and local New Zealand cheeses from the Wellington region’s Cwmglyn Farm,” says Maciej.

They’re served with picked vegetables, butter, rock salt, roasted almonds, chorizo and grapes. “We make most of our own cured meats on site.”

Samosas

Customers are definitely becoming more sophisticated and seeking something different, that’s full of flavour, and good for them, he says. Parfait, like Nobel Rot’s smoked chicken liver parfait with brioche, almond, honey, pickled pear and Sauterne jelly, are very well received. “People are treating themselves. If they’re drinking a classy wine they don’t want a bowl of hot chips. Food has to match the character of the venue,” says Maciej.

Award-winning chef and former MasterChef guest chef, Andrew Brown is now marketing and production development manager for family-owned United Fisheries. With the increasing need for innovative, quick fix solutions to bar food, that don’t compromise quality, Andrew’s been using his extensive culinary experience to create and promote some delicious, easy care options. “Small bites and tapas are very much on trend, and we’ve been focusing on the >

Noble Rot

Contact your preferred distributor to order

12 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

BAR FOOD TRENDS street-food style, attending trade shows around the Ginger Prawn Dumpling country to showcase our products,” says Andrew. United also won ‘Top Chop Sticks’ at the recent Queenstown Night Noodle Markets.

He’s spent years as executive chef in five-star hotels and cafes, and as the owner of a cocktail lounge and two gourmet burger bars. This experience has given Andrew a unique insight. “We’re mindful of how people are eating and food service, so we’re creating a product that fits,” he says. “With the skill set becoming a bit depleted it’s essential that we provide these value-added, easy-fit, small bite-sized products,” says Andrew. “They’re ready to work with straight from the freezer. We’re giving a few suggestions to operators with that core product.”

Spiced squid tentacles – lightly dusted with spices– and salt and pepper prawns slide down beautifully with soft, steamed Asian bao buns. United Fish Co is also set to add prawn croquettes, tuna croquettes, crab cakes, empanadas and salt and pepper fish bites to its already extensive range of convenient-to-use products. Andrew’s expecting these to be very popular.

“People are still going out for drinks, but they now like to gather around a bar leaner and order different plates to share,” he says. “We want to cater to that and free up the chef ’s time to create their own special sauce, or accompaniment.”

In Nelson at Harry’s Bar and Restaurant there’s a big emphasis on Asian bar food. Owner Harry Morris says his small shared style bar Bao Buns food plates have been popular for years. Harry’s serves the likes of steamed dumplings, chilli salt squid and the hot, sour bite of an Asianstyle beef salad with Nuoc Cham dressing. Increasingly, there’s an interchange between his restaurant and bar with bar patrons sometimes ordering more substantial restaurant dishes to share. Every dish has its day, says Harry, but there’d be a loud protest if he tried to take the squid off the menu, or prawn toast – a mixture of pureed, chopped prawns with garlic and ginger, spread onto thick toast and fried.

It’s all about constantly keeping on top of international trends. “People are so much more travelled these days, and they’re seeing things instantly all over the world because of social media,” says Harry. “They expect us to keep up with trends and change comes more quickly.” ■ Quick and tasty - bar food at Attiqa

“If they’re drinking a classy wine they don’t want a bowl of hot chips. Food has to match the character of the venue” 14 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

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COMMERCIAL KITCHENS

16 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

COMMERCIAL KITCHENS

Theatrical Kitchens Adding Colour to Cuisine

O

pen-plan, showcase, theatre-style kitchens are firmly ‘in’ and it looks like they are here to stay, thanks partly to the increasingly popular food television and celebrity shows, which have sparked a renewed interest in all things culinary.

Chefs, their skills and talents, are now required to be on show, set centre stage, as this new breed of discerning diner wants to watch the colourful art of cooking in action. Gone are the days when sweaty chefs in filthy white jackets slogged over a hot stove ‘out the back’, away from the sight of oblivious diners.

It’s a concept that has been evolving in recent years, but with it has come the need for restaurant designers to be more adventurous with their design concepts, says Brian Davies, of Christchurchbased Moffat.

As National Sales Manager for New Zealand’s leading manufacturer and supplier of kitchens and baking equipment, Brian

Davies says there’s a fresh, new boldness emerging in restaurant kitchen designs.

“With the new format of theatre-style kitchens on display as they work, still very much alive, operators are going for more of an interior lounge design, and opting away from the traditional white-ware kitchen.”

Moffat was part of the recently-completed kitchen fit-out at QT Hotels and Resort’s new multi-million dollar Bazaar Interactive Marketplace and Red’s Bar redevelopment, replacing the old Rydges Queenstown food and beverage space. “They’re very much open plan and interactive there. The kitchen area is part of the show, and they went all out to ensure the appliances blended in with the restaurant,” says Brian. “We offer our Waldorf range of equipment in four colours, which is especially modelled for front of house cooking – stainless steel, black, burgundy or chilli red. They went for the bold black. Even their refrigeration was covered in a laminated black tiled effect.” > Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 17

COMMERCIAL KITCHENS

The ability to watch the plating up of delicious seafood at Harbourside restaurant in the historical Auckland Ferry Building adds to the overall experience for diners.

HARBOURSIDE STYLE Leading the vision of renovating older buildings into great dining venues would have to be Auckland’s iconic Harbourside restaurant, housed in the historic Ferry Building beside Queen’s Wharf.

Renovated three years ago at an estimated cost of over $3 million, the restaurant‘s owners, Good Group, went through major hoops to accommodate the stringent structural requirements of a historically listed building. Despite this the restaurant remained on trend,

introduced a stunning bar and al fresco dining area, while introducing a working kitchen in full view of patrons.

Recently voted the seafood restaurant of choice in the viaduct area, its array of seafood dishes continually stuns diners. Executive chef , Good Group Hospitality, is Stuart Rogan. Classically trained in England, he is passionate about all aspects of cooking and restaurant business. In 2016 Stuart won the Silver Farms Premier Master of Fine Cuisine award

Introducing colour to the commercial kitchen

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COMMERCIAL KITCHENS IMPORTANT KITCHEN COMPONENTS Smoking is also emerging as a popular new trend. “It just gives them that point of difference – the ability to smoke all manner of foods. Moffat’s Convotherm Combi Steamer with its smoker feature is proving very popular with operators wanting to personalise their menus with specialist smoked product, says Brian. “They can control the level of the flavour of the smoke and we’re seeing chefs create all manner of delicious infusions using this technique.”

Wood chips or sawdust of any kind, whether it be pine or Manuka, can be soaked in the likes of brandy, bourbon and red wine, and also infused with tea flavours. “These give off a delightful aroma and flavour the smoke, infusing the food.”

Chefs are becoming adventurous with this method, personalising the flavours of everything from duck, pork belly, beef, salmon and mussels to salt and butter.Venison is also delicious smoked over raspberry leaf tea.

Operators are also going for solid fuel open grills, which require them to invest in separate extraction systems, says Brian.

For top Kiwi chef Nick Honeyman there are a few essential ‘must haves’ that he just can’t do without in his restaurant kitchens, but size and flow are the most important components. Nick, who also owns Le Petit Leon in Bordeaux, France, opened his first Kiwi restaurant Paris Butter last year in the former Vinnies. “The most important thing we changed was the flow of the kitchen,” says Nick. “You write your menu based on the size of your kitchen.Your menu needs to be balanced so that all areas of your kitchen are working as hard as each other.”

Nick says his best advice is, ‘don’t make your restaurant kitchen too big’. “The worst mistake you can make is to build your dream kitchen, then find it doesn’t have that functionality and flow,” says Nick. “Size is vital. It’s a control thing. If chefs are working together in a small space, they’re more efficient at managing, and seeing, what’s going on around them,” he says. “I like to have my chefs operating as a tight knit team together. The more spread out you are the harder it is to communicate. It’s a symphony of food and it all has to come together from different places.”

Nick did a week-long trial run at Paris Butter, initially inviting only family and friends. “If someone needed an item in the kitchen, one of us would take the credit card and go out and buy it on the spot. That way we saved heaps of money on tools and equipment that we would one day find we didn’t actually need,” says Nick. >

Make a bold impression.

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COMMERCIAL KITCHENS HERO ELEMENT IN KITCHENS “Minimalist is best. It keeps things real and uncomplicated.” He advises it’s best to set up any new restaurant kitchen with flexibility, work in it for a year, and then alter things if it doesn’t work efficiently.

With increasing commercial rentals in main centres, and the expense of equipment, space is a huge factor, says Nick. He wouldn’t be without his Target Top – a large flat plate on which you can do multiple cooking. “The massive gas element in the middle can be blistering hot while the outskirts of the element are cooler, so chefs can be working on it together, on different tasks, all at the same time.” Nick’s other ‘must have’ is his Paco Jet ice cream maker from Moffat.

With the new smoked foods phenomenon in full swing, commercial kitchen design director for Project Design International, Phil Llewellyn, is right behind calls for safe, and regularly cleaned, extraction systems. Open-plan, showcase kitchens are still very on trend and if you factor that in as well, then there’s other operational aspects to consider, such as separately flued systems for solid fuel and influence of cross drafts,” says Philip.

Designers are having to be more innovative and ‘dress up’ all corners of the kitchen, which are now highly visible, offering more attractive and aesthetic options. “We’re seeing more of that hero element in kitchens, like a chargrill, for example. It’s very much about seeing that theatre in action, otherwise a restaurant kitchen can be a bit sterile.”

Even fine dining kitchens are becoming more visible, behind controlled glass walls, using temperature and atmosphere to control the environment so diners can appreciate the effort going into their food. “We’re seeing more elements of highly-skilled preparation of the likes of pastries and desserts being showcased like a shopfront in this manner.”

“The hero is the way the food is prepared. The whole thing is about the customer experience, involvement and anticipation,” says Philip.

Deconstructed, industrial-style fit-outs that allow operators to re-use and recycle various aspects of old buildings, as with Britomart and Ponsonby Central in Auckland, are also becoming increasingly appealing to customers. “They can see the old brick and iron work, and original beams.

It helps create a more fulfilling experience, which is what customers are now looking for.” ■

A natural selection.

When it comes to selecting heavy duty equipment, the Blue Seal Evolution Series offers a level of choice not seen before. With a bigger range of equipment, you have even more flexibility to configure your kitchen exactly the way you want it.

For more information on our brands and products - please visit www.moffat.co.nz – and refer to our brochures, specification sheets and Connection publication.

moffat.co.nz sales@moffat.co.nz

COMMERCIAL KITCHENS

“We’re seeing more of that hero element in kitchens, like a chargrill, for example. It’s very much about seeing that theatre in action, otherwise a restaurant kitchen can be a bit sterile.”

Take control.

The NEW Turbofan series is easier to use with 3 control panel options - manual, digital and the new touch screen option. Kitchens now have even greater choice when baking and roasting with an optional core temperature probe and 5 levels of continuous moisture in selected models.

For more information on our brands and products - please visit www.moffat.co.nz – and refer to our brochures, specification sheets and Connection publication.

moffat.co.nz sales@moffat.co.nz

COMMERCIAL KITCHENS

Colour

New marketing strategies breathe choice into commercial kitchens!

Adds To Vital Kitchen Ingredients

A

splash of bright colour, tailor tinted or even “wallpapered” for dramatic effect, is the latest trend in today’s commercial kitchen design reports Tony Broome, Chief Executive of Burns & Ferrall. With restaurants and hotels opting to have their kitchens on full public display, many are looking for a point of difference from the standard look of stainless steel refrigeration.

“We can turn around a colour of choice of refrigeration in just three days…be it camouflage green & brown for a full army kitchen, bright red for a restaurant’s refrigeration or a specific “wallpaper’’ effect for a car company’s customer waiting room refreshment refrigerator.”

Approaching 70 years in the New Zealand commercial and domestic kitchen supply industry, Burns & Ferrall is continually evolving its offering to the hospitality market. Over the past twelve months the company has embarked on a new marketing strategy which has included new show rooms opening to display their extensive range rather than simply relying on travelling sales representatives.

Today show rooms are located in Penrose, Albany, Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch and the company even has display suites in Fiji; Nadi and Suva. According to Tony Broome, this new business to business approach enables customers to visually inspect the company’s range of hospitality supplies first hand. “And we have the ability to discuss budget, design, specifications, product performance and capability along with the very latest technologies.”

Keeping up to date with international trends is a key component of the companies’ success, Tony and General Manager – Sales, Paul Boia, have travelled along with clients to trade shows in China, and more recently the Restaurant Association show in Chicago (May) to ensure they bring the very latest information to the New Zealand market.

“We provide an end to end solution for our customers. Backed by many of the world’s most trusted brands we vertically integrate to > 22 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

Keeping up to date with the latest international trends is all part of the service from Burns & Ferrall, says CEO Tony Broome, pictured (right )with Craig Hider - Domestic & Export Manager at the National Restaurant Association trade fair in Chicago late May.

Brain food.

For over 50 years we’ve led New Zealand commercial kitchens with an unwavering commitment to evolution and improvement.

Now, with the creation of Moffat IQ, we’re taking it to the next level for our customers.

Professional kitchen and bakery advice.

If you've got questions, we've got answers.

We're here to solve problems: from the smallest cafe to the largest of restaurants, we help make food service businesses, bakeries and commercial kitchens more effective and more efficient.

It works like this. Depending on what you need, we'll put you in touch with an IQ Pro - a food service professional, an executive chef, a baker or an application specialist that has the expertise to help.

Your Moffat IQ Pro is a food service expert, and they're there just to help. Then, when you’re ready to buy, our sales team will work in concert with your preferred dealer or contractor.

We're dedicated to understanding and supporting our clients with an unmatched capability that includes culinary support, research and development, and strong supply partnerships.

It’s a service that’s useful, effectual and, quite helpfully, entirely free. To speak with an IQ Pro or book a consultation, call us on 0800 MOFFAT (663328).

moffat.co.nz

COMMERCIAL KITCHENS OBITUARY

MR BOB PATON - CHAIRMAN, BURNS & FERRALL Hospitality industry colleagues and friends were saddened to learn that Mr Bob Paton, Chairman of leading commercial and kitchen supply company, Burns & Ferrall passed away at the age of eighty last month.

According to company Chief Executive Officer, Tony Broome, Mr Paton was simply unable to keep up his valiant fight against cancer.

“We are deeply saddened at Bob’s passing.

Although not involved at a management level, he was passionate about developing the business and provided valuable support to the company behind the scenes and he will be dearly missed.”

brother will continue as director and that the family will continue to be involved in the family business. “It was very important to Bob that Burns & Ferrall remained in the family, and like Bob, Geoff has been involved in the company since the mid 1980s, a role that will continue as the company continues to redevelop its’ presence in the New Zealand market.

Mr Bob Paton.

Originally from Opunake, a small town on the south west coast of Taranaki, Bob was always business minded. He started and successfully ran a furniture business before investing in Burns & Ferrall in the 1980s when he purchased a majority share in John Burns & Co, Burns & Ferralls’ parent company. Bob also owned a hotel in New Plymouth along with a vineyard in Marlborough and properties in both New Zealand and Australia.

Tableware to complement the overall ambiance of a restaurant or hotel to match their kitchens.

Tony Broome added that Geoff Paton, Bob’s

crocker y

nt e m e t a st a s e k a m t a h t

neofusion

seasons

Available in Sand (featured), Terra, Stone or Volcano

Available in Sea Spray (featured), Stone or Graphite

Neofusion shows great contrasts between its raw appearance and the dishes’ refined ingredients, providing a spectacular culinary experience. Each and every piece has the strength of porcelain and the look of ceramic due to a highly durable, hand-sprayed, non-porous glaze.

"Eating with your eyes first tableware adds to this experience"

Seasons is a range of vibrant new crockery that comes in a range of matching colours, all hand decorated that results in a speckled effect that is unique to each piece. Coupled with a contrasting ‘reactive’ glaze band to give a unique look. * 5 year chip warranty on selected flatware

established

beachcomber Inspired by the sea and the NZ love of outdoor dining, Beachcomber’s soft organic shapes add interest to the table and encourage new and inventive food presentation styles.

Available in Stone (featured), Terra or Volcano.

Visit www.burnsferrall.co.nz to find a showroom near you

COMMERCIAL KITCHENS

achieve the most effective solutions for our customers. – manufacturing, import and supply and equipment servicing.”

In April this year the new idyllic Marriott Resort, Momi Bay built by Fletcher Construction opened in Fiji – a project Burns & Ferrall supplied the complete production kitchen fit out for, along with the sunset bar and pool bar facilities. Equipment included everything from state of the art ovens and bakery mixers to the latest warewashing cleaning equipment from top brands which include Winterhalter, RATIONAL, Garland, Skope, & Ferneto. The company is currently fitting out the new CrownePlaza Christchurch’s kitchen and back of house facilities.

Burns & Ferrall has an extensive range of key clients including Marriott, Compass, Caterplus, McDonald’s Burger King, Carl’s Junior, Pizza Hut, Dilworth College, Jet Park Hotel, Soul Bar & Bistro, and Jefferson, to name just a few.

“We are also currently working with Cobb & Co – a company which we share history with in terms of our commitment to the New Zealand restaurant scene, who are planning to bring back the family favourite restaurant throughout New Zealand,” says Tony.

Founded in 1948 Burns & Ferrall is renowned as New Zealand’s premier commercial and domestic kitchen company and employs more than 70 people across a diverse range of skills, from supply chain management, to technical support, electricians, kitchen designers and sales managers.

“And it doesn’t end there. Our range of crockery from RAK Porcelain gives hoteliers and restaurants a selection of sturdy and colourful designer tableware to serve their culinary delights on that adds to the dining experience and the premise of “eating with your eyes” first.

The RAK Porcelite range includes: Neofusion – this provides contrasts between its raw appearance and the dishes’ ingredients.

Each and every piece has the strength of porcelain and the look of ceramic due to the highly durable hand-sprayed non-porous glaze.

Seasons - this is a range of vibrant new crockery that comes in a range of matching colours, all hand decorated, resulting in a speckled effect. This is coupled with a contrasting reactive glaze band and comes with a five year warranty on selected flatware.

Beachcomber – inspired by the sea and alfresco dining, Beachcomber’s soft organic shapes add interest to the table and encourage new and inventive food presentation. ■

Our webstore is live.

Buy genuine Moffat spare parts online and enjoy a quick and simple process to view parts pricing and order online.

Secure and quick credit card payment facility.Track order and shipping status online.

Visit our new webstore on http:// spares.moffat.co.nz and set up an account today!

For more information on our brands and products - please visit www.moffat.co.nz – and refer to our brochures, specification sheets and Connection publication.

moffat.co.nz sales@moffat.co.nz

Coming to NZ this June

Polish free glasswashing that reduces your operating costs, and unique wash technology all from the world’s leading warewashing specialists. Landing soon.

Contact Our New Zealand Office on 09 836 6678 & 021 772 369 www.winterhalter.co.nz

ADVERTORIAL

Winterhalter

– world-class warewashing, Kiwi style

I

n an exciting move for specialist warewashing experts Winterhalter, the company is expanding its renowned global operation into New Zealand, launching in Auckland early this month.

“Our friends in ‘The Land of the Long White Cloud’ are no strangers to Winterhalter’s world-class range of warewashers and glass polishers,” says Australia-New Zealand managing director for Winterhalter, Andrew Brett. “Winterhalter currently enjoys a strong presence in New Zealand, thanks to our master distributors, Burns and Ferrall.” This relationship will continue to grow, says Andrew.

Winterhalter has been characterised for its commercial warewashing and glass polishing innovation for decades, turning out efficient, easy-to-use dishwashers, cleaning products, water treatment devices and racks.

Andrew says the Winterhalter team is excited to announce the appointment of Phil Neverman – a Kiwi industry professional with more than 30 years of experience, as its New Zealand business development manager. “As a dedicated Winterhalter staff member, Phil will be available to offer professional support to both the Classeq and Winterhalter brands throughout New Zealand,” says Andrew. “This will add to the successful growth of our brand on the world stage.

With a well-established sales career spanning many years, Phil is well known throughout the hospitality industry and is also actively involved with the New Zealand Culinary Fare as chief judge. More recently he’s been involved with the prestigious Lewisham Awards.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Winterhalter team in New Zealand and will continue to bring this fantastic range to my fellow Kiwis,” says Phil.

“Having Phil join our team is a great coup for Winterhalter,” says Andrew.

“He brings a wealth of experience with him and is highly regarded in the New Zealand hospitality industry. I think New Zealand is going to enjoy our exciting range of warewashers and polish free glass washers, and we can’t wait to get going.”

Winterhalter, and Burns and Ferrall, are looking forward to showcasing their ranges of innovative award-winning glass polishers and dishwashers to the New Zealand market, says Andrew. ■

Phil Neverman

Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 27

COMMERCIAL KITCHENS

Sink Or Swim

- meticulous dish pits

Rene Redzepi warmed hearts around the world when he announced that his 62 year old kitchen-hand had been promoted to co-owner of the highly acclaimed Noma restaurant. Sure, stories like this are few and far between, but there are steps you can take to get added value from this vital back of house role. By Danielle Bowling.

T

he kitchen-hand is an unsung hero of the hospitality industry.

They can make or break a service, they know the kitchen like the back of their hand and they have eyes and ears everywhere. Sure, turnover is usually quite high and finding motivated and reliable workers can sometimes be tough, but when a restaurant strikes gold, the impact can be enormous.

Rene Redzepi, part-owner of Noma in Copenhagen rewarded his kitchen-hand of some 14 years recently by giving him a share of the business. Ali Sonko, a 62 year old former farmer from Gambia, says that despite his promotion he’ll still be manning the dishwasher – at least some of the time – when the acclaimed restaurant relaunches in a new location at the end of the year.

No doubt there are plenty of other stories like Sonko’s.They might not be as high profile, but they send the same message that when nurtured and respected, the kitchen-hand can bring real value to a restaurant.

“For instance, we currently have a chef in the restaurant who has been with us for six years, initially as a cleaner, then as our part-time kitchenhand,” said Patty Streckfuss, head chef at Andre’s Cucina & Polenta Bar in Adelaide. “We sponsored his immigration and over the past three years his skills have developed. Now he plays a crucial role in our team as a chef de partie and capably cooks for 200 people every weekend.The same can be said about our junior sous chef; he has been with our team for almost three years and he too began his journey with us as a kitchen-hand.”

Warren Flanagan, head chef at Gemelli Café and Grill in Point Cook, Melbourne, admits that it doesn’t happen often, but when restaurants are able to find a kitchen-hand willing to upskill the long terms benefits can be huge.

“These people have a far deeper respect for the entirety of the kitchen.

Every single rank, they’ve worked through,” he said. “It’s really good to hear these stories where people grow organically through the ranks and don’t just go to chefs’ school, do an apprenticeship and get a head chef job, which in this day and age you can do because chefs are in such high demand.”

The first and most important thing for a head chef to do when welcoming a new kitchen-hand, Flanagan said, is to ask questions.

“Some of them are just there for a job while they’re busy studying – it’s always interesting to find out what they do. I’ve worked with a kitchen-hand who was studying to be a rocket scientist.You never know unless you really ask questions, because they’re generally quite quiet and they just get on with their work, come in when they’re supposed to and leave when they’re supposed to … [but] you can really build someone up who wants to be built up.”

28 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

SINK OR SWIM Once you’ve established how willing your kitchen-hand is to listen and learn, you can then diversify the role as much or as little as you like.

“Depending on the set-up, layout and dynamic of your kitchen, the kitchen-hand can evolve to be much more than someone who stands in the corner doing dishes,” said Streckfuss. “He becomes someone you rely on, grabbing back-up prep in the middle of service, or assisting with prep – peeling potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots; grating cheese; cleaning mussels – all the staples of the kitchen that we require on a daily basis. Breaking down boxes, taking the bins out – all things that can easily be taken for granted.”

Flanagan adds that kitchen-hands can weigh out recipes, pick and prep herbs and make spice mixes. “The role is as diverse as the chef wants to make it,” he told Hospitality. “The position is a jack of all trades. As long as the chef can trust him, the chef can give him jobs to do.”

Like most back of house roles, Flanagan said organisation and cleanliness are indications of a kitchen-hand worth holding on to.

“If they’re quick, organised and on time then you can automatically assume that they would make good hands in the kitchen. If they can organise a dish pit then they can organise a section.

“If you give them pasta or something to weigh out and there’s just containers everywhere and it’s a mess, you know that guy is not going to be good in the kitchen. But then if you get a guy who's just meticulous; they start on one side and they finish on the other side and everything’s nice and neat, then that’s someone you can really utilise.”

A COG IN THE WHEEL The kitchen-hand role is probably the easiest one in the kitchen to fill, Flanagan said.

“What I’ve found in the past is that you can pretty much get kitchen-hands to organise their friends if they can’t make it. I remember when I was at Fifteen Melbourne, our kitchen-hands were Korean guys and we used to have lots of new faces because they’d come in, they’d work for three months and then they’d just replace themselves. It was like a never-ending pod of kitchen-hands – when one finished another one started.

“Gumtree is also a fantastic way to get kitchen-hands. If I put up an advertisement today saying that I need a kitchen-hand, and I put in the hours and the rate of pay, by the end of the day I could have one.

It’s very, very easy.”

COMMERCIAL KITCHENS It may be an easy role to fill ... but it’s also the first one to get the chop when the purse strings need to be tightened.

“It’s the easiest to make dispensable,” Flanagan said. “You can cut the hours of a kitchen porter because they all work with hourly rates – it’s very rare that you get a kitchen porter on a salary … If you want to cut your labour costs then you send the dishies home early, or get them to come in an hour later, so you save 10 or 20 hours a week. Chefs are a bit more difficult to make dispensable – once you finish cooking then you’ve got the whole kitchen to clean.”

Regardless of the hours they’re allocating to kitchen-hands, every head chef wants to minimise turnover in his or her kitchen. It’s not a simple task, but one thing guaranteed to have an impact is ensuring each team

member feels that they’re making a genuine contribution to the business, Streckfuss said.

“Staff turnover exists – for some establishments more than others. But I think part of the [solution] is acknowledging the kitchen-hand and their contribution as a cog in the machine,” she said. “The kitchen-hand observes. He sees the high turnover of food.

He knows when the potatoes are good to go.

He knows which bowl they go in. He knows when they need to go in the bin – when you need to start again. I mean, he couldn’t hold a section solo, run the pass or lead the team but he plays a role. He’s part of the team and he deserves respect. With that, he can evolve, develop and progress.” ■ Article courtesy of Hospitality Australia

APP SPINS NEW SERVICE INTO COFFEE ORDERING

Spinning Stars Ltd was established in November 2015 when Reece & Christine Lewis found a gap in the café market, with customers telephoning their Caltex Stokes Valley Service Station for their coffee orders.

“We decided there must be a quicker and easier way for people to order their coffee’ “ says Reece.

“We spoke to Little Monkey about developing an ordering app allowing customers to order their hot beverages before leaving home. They also wanted their customers to be able to store their loyalty card on their phones, as a lot of customers would forget their cards.”

Once the app went live and seeing an increase in coffee sales, Reece had the idea that other Service Stations and café owners may benefit from such an app. Talking to LittleMonkey, two versions of the app were developed (branded Ordering Loyalty & Generic Ordering Loyalty). Reece and Christine also thought that business owners may want an easy way for customers to be able to store loyalty cards on their phone so My Loyalty was developed for businesses to be able to run their own loyalty promotions.

Other key features of the app include: Tablet app – employees at your business can be notified, with sound, when an order comes through. The app will notify customers when their orders are ready and also notify them if there is going to be a delay with the order ( only on Androd devices).

E- commerce – This prepay function allows customers to load credit and pay for their orders all with the app.

Branding – the app has the ability to be customised with a café or businesses’ branding, marketing and promoting tto the customer directly.

For further information go to : www.spinningstars.me

Designed around you.

Because we listen to you, the new Convotherm 4 range has been developed around your needs in the kitchen. With two control-panel designs – easyTouch and easyDial - 7 capacity options, and 28 models to choose from, you will have the degree of control you need.

For more information on our brands and products - please visit www.moffat.co.nz – and refer to our brochures, specification sheets and Connection publication.

moffat.co.nz sales@moffat.co.nz

HOTEL TECH

Is Your

Social Media Most properties have a Facebook page and an Instagram account but is this enough? And how can hoteliers better leverage these assets? EMMA CASTLE asks the experts.

H

olly Galbraith, founder and director of Go Future Media, a business specialising in social marketing for tourism products, has a simple social media message – don’t forget the big sites.

“As much as Instagram is a great fit for travel and hotels, Facebook is still the star - and so it should be,” she said.

“The ability to engage via a variety of content types like video, photo albums and blog posts - plus the way this content can be targeted to your ideal guest, not to mention the functionality of the ad manager tool – means that Facebook remains the top of the pops for hotel social media for good reason.”

Kim McKay, founder and director of Klick Communications, seconds this statement, saying, “Instagram and Facebook are the strongest performing platforms for hotels. Broadly speaking, we use Instagram to inspire and Facebook to drive bookings. Instagram is the perfect platform for hotels to showcase beautiful images of their premises and the destination.

“The hashtag for ‘travel’ has over 155 million tags alone, presenting a huge opportunity for hotels to engage in the conversation and attract potential new audiences. Facebook is still the powerhouse with its huge user base and hyper-targeting ability.

“This channel is great at driving people down the funnel from awareness through to conversion. We have seen great success using this platform to drive actual bookings direct from Facebook.”

So who is doing it well? And how can we learn from them?

Galbraith says, “Hotels doing social media well are those tapping into the mood of the moment. This means not just planning and scheduling generic content and stock images, but having content flexibility. The best piece of advice is from Facebook itself: ‘The goal of the Facebook newsfeed is to deliver the right content to the right people at the right time so they don’t miss the stories that are important to them’.”

McKay said that doing the basics well will stand you in good stead.

“Quality over quantity and outstanding community management are the two things you need to focus on. 21 per cent of Australians use social media platforms to research travel and accommodation. Often a hotel’s Facebook page is the first interaction between a potential customer and your brand and first impressions count. It’s really important to ensure that everything is up-to-date i.e. website links, telephone numbers, response times for private messages.

“Community management is essentially the online version of customer service. Therefore it is imperative that every enquiry is responded to, otherwise hotels risk losing customers to competitors. One of the biggest questions we are asked is how often should I post? Unfortunately there is no one size fits all, it really depends on the resources you have available, the main factor to keep in mind is quality over quantity,” said McKay. Not convinced yet? McKay said that 52 per cent of Australians unfollowed brands because the content was irrelevant or unappealing and 32 per cent unfollowed because the brand posted too much content. With this in mind, it is better to post high quality content once a week, than posting mediocre content seven times a week that earns very little interaction from your community.

30 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

On Track?

A further word of caution. Don’t let just anyone loose on your social media accounts. There have been enough PR disasters that hoteliers have gotten wise to the need for training.

Galbraith said, “One of the biggest challenges for hotels and social media is staff training and staff turnover. We are seeing an increasing focus to get staff trained and social media ready. Hotels are realising the importance of real content and creating training programs that can be rolled outconsistently, rather than a one-off, and across multiple sites. ■

Social media star: Holly Galbraith

Kim McKay says Facebook is the best way to drive bookings

HOTEL TECH

CASE STUDY: TFE'S CHECKED IN LAUNCH Sydney-based hotel group TFE Hotels launched its own dedicated content hub in June 2016 which has grown to attract healthy audiences of engaged customers who enjoy its mix of fun and entertaining travel inspiration articles, videos and influencer interviews. These are created and curated in-house, then posted on the site and pushed out via Facebook for further reach and engagement.

THREE TIPS TO ACE SOCIAL MEDIA 1. TRACK YOUR GUESTS

TFE Hotels CEO Rachel Argaman

The online platform allows the team at TFE Hotels to retarget users who demonstrate a high intent for a specific destination. The digital team then designs relevant and targeted Facebook ads which have the ability to sell a room in Sydney on a particular date because they showed interest in the upcoming Guns N’ Roses concert, for example.

Checked In articles are syndicated across Facebook and receive a 15 per cent higher ad recall lift than generic location photographs. A click through to the article also indicates a greater intent and engagement metric than a simple post like or comment.

TFE Hotels CEO Rachel Argaman said the site was about capturing new audiences, inspiring them to travel around Australia and New Zealand, and to engage with them at key points along the customer journey to inspire them to book hotel nights.

“We like to think Checked In is like having a best friend in every Australian city,” she said. “We share everything you want to know about exploring a destination, from Not Quite Nigella’s top travel tips and foodie guides in Canberra, Melbourne and Yarra Valley, to where Bondi Surfing Icon Eugene Tan would take Mick Fanning for breakfast. Our audience enjoys hearing about destinations from a local’s perspective, a seasoned professional on where to eat, see and play.”

The site’s monthly top 10 guides by city have also been popular, sharing the major events and exhibitions you must see while you’re in town. Coming soon will be a series of videos created with international model Claire Parker and the Beer Pilgrim, around the Travelodge Hotel locations in Sydney and beyond.

Track notifications, hashtags and location tags to ensure that you capture all content posted by guests, even if they forget to use the dedicated hashtag. Along with liking these posts, start commenting on them to forge a deeper level of engagement.

2. LEVERAGE YOUR STAFF ON PROPERTY They are best placed to capture authentic content and beautiful moments. This content should be sent to the property’s social media gatekeeper who will then control which images are published to ensure the content is aligned with the brand look/feel and tone of voice.

3. ENGAGE WITH INFLUENCERS Influencer marketing is extremely powerful. The beauty of engaging an influencer is that you can leverage their existing audience, while also gaining beautiful content. For hotels with limited resources this approach is extremely valuable.

Hotels need to master social media to attract more guests

Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 31

FINE BUT FICKLE FUNGUS

From Truffle To Table

BY SUE FEA

G

avin Hulley not only has his nose to the grindstone, but to the ground, in a long-suffering attempt to bring the Kiwi version of the highly-sought after French truffle delicacy to restaurant tables.

South African immigrants, Gavin and wife Anne Hulley planted their first truffle trees in North Canterbury in 1997, several years after arriving in the country.

It’s taken years to master the harvest, if there is one, and Gavin’s keen sense of smell is vital in identifying that crucial moment. The family sniffer dog spoodle, Sophie, also plays a key role. “She’s instantly drawn to the strong smell, but they often grow like little volcanoes under the earth, so we had little boots made for her to stop her claws from cutting into them when she digs,” says Anne. Sophie’s a natural, sniffing out her first truffle, at eight months.

Truffles thrive in limestone-rich soils like Amuri Truffiere’s in Waikari. They’re harvested during winter, and depending on summer rains, they start forming underground about February, with the harvest usually from June to August.

The Hulleys and their business partners in Amuri Truffiere, Georgette Wang and Chris Pratt, have now been in the game for 19 years. Amuri grows the French-style Perigord black truffles – the second most valuable in the world. Surprisingly enough something so smelly can be extremely valuable in the hands of a good chef with the highest price ever paid for a New Zealand-grown Perigord clocking in at about $9000 per kg. The Perigord back truffle usually sells for between $3 and $3.50 per gram in New Zealand. “While this may seem like a lot, it can take as little as one to two grams of truffle per serving to turn an ordinary dish into a heady aromatic experience,” says Anne. Truffle farming has no guarantees and the harvest is never enough to meet demand.

“It sits there once it’s formed and takes up to three months to mature. We have to completely restrain ourselves and wait, hoping and praying that the insects and mice don’t get them. We then go in with Sophie about mid-June.” Sophie’s been trained to mark the ground around the truffle. “Gavin gets down on his hands and knees and smells the earth to decide whether they’re fully mature.” Sometimes that can take another four to 10 days,” says Anne. The fun then begins and the truffles are nicked to check that they’re perfectly black inside.

Truffles are very much about aroma and they have an amazing ability to change the flavour of the food around them, she says. “You

32 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

can put eggs, still in the shell, in a glass jar with some truffle for 24 hours and the flavour of the egg completely changes to a musky, almost mussel-like flavour,” she says. “They also do that to cream, butter, creamy cheeses like camembert, and fruit. We get amazing results with pear and apple.” Some chefs lift the skin of a chicken and insert thin slices of truffle, which, left for 24 hours, develops a richer, dense, earthy flavour, says Anne. Rice stored with truffle also takes on that earthy note.

Truffle is great in the likes of risottos, pasta and pate, and doesn’t have to be expensive, says Anne. “Normally two to three grams is all you need to create a lovely cream pasta sauce in which truffle is the hero of the dish.”

Amuri supplies the likes of Saggio di vino in Christchurch and Auckland’s upmarket Sugar Club and French Café and Huka Lodge, but Anne says they’re not price prohibitive for mid-range restaurants and cafes, and are very versatile.

Working with Canterbury’s Otahuna Lodge executive chef Jimmy McIntyre, Amuri recently held a ‘Maximise the Truffle’ workshop, creating cauliflower soup, scrambled eggs and a slow-cooked lamb shank pie, with truffle. “If cafes are selling a pie for $8 then they can add truffle for only $3 more and turn it into something special,” says Anne. The company, which has 900 trees, already makes truffle salt and truffle honey, and is investigating producing truffle oil.

Growing truffles is extremely exciting, but also very frustrating, as it can take a very long time to harvest any truffles,” says Anne. “It’s almost 19 years since we first put the trees in the ground and we still have trees that have never produced just two metres from one that has.”

Anne and Gavin also operate Canterbury Truffles where Gavin produces baby seedlings inoculated with truffle fungi for sale. ■

TRUFFLE FACTS: The truffle fungus is similar to mushroom and grows best around the base of oak and hazelnuts trees. Trees all work in a symbiotic relationship with some form of fungus and the fungus on the tree roots helps it to get the nutrients it needs. The fungus also obtains its food – carbohydrate – from the tree, so a healthy tree means a healthy fungus.

OPINION Hospitality New Zealand Vicki Lee, CEO

AS WE SEE IT GROWING AND CELEBRATING OUR OWN You might have seen a bit of a trend emerging with my columns - I’m passionate about the people in our industry, where they are coming from, the career paths they will follow, how we can keep the good ones (amongst heavy competition from other sectors) and how we attract the next generation of kiwis into the industry.

So, it will come as no surprise that we have over the last couple of years beefed up this aspect of our annual Conference with a day dedicated to our Future Leaders. This year, we have also introduced a night celebrating the Rising Stars in our industry.

In this ‘it’s all about me’ society, why are we making Gen Y, Z, Millennials feel even more special, you might ask. There’s a number of reasons, first and foremost we need people to enter the industry and stick with it as a viable and fulfilling career choice. Latest projections suggest that we are going to need an extra 200,000 workers in the tourism and hospitality sector by 2025. We can’t continue to rely on migrant labour to fill this gap, so we need to grow our own, we need to do it fast and consistently.

That’s why our Future Leaders Day is going to be all about them, finishing with an evening of celebration where they can snapchat, Instagram and Facebook the heck out the night and, as a result, promote this rather fabulous industry to their peers.

Entries for the Rising Stars Awards are now open and cover every aspect of the sector including Up and Coming Bartender, Barista, Front of House, Chef, Entrepreneur, as well as, a Duty Manager and Emerging Accommodation Professional Award. But the one I just know is going to be a hotly contested category is the Unsung Hero Award – let’s face it, without the glassy, the kitchenhand, the porter and the housekeeper most of our businesses wouldn’t function, so they absolutely deserve a moment in the spotlight too.

The Future Leaders Day will be held on Tuesday 17 October, with the inaugural Rising Stars Awards taking place in the evening.

www.hospitalitynz.org.nz

Everyone loves to be recognised for a job well done Especially our

With so many great people working in the industry, Hospitality New Zealand is delighted to announce the inaugural Rising Stars Awards.

These awards recognise individuals working in our industry who are making a difference in their role, from front of house, duty manager, chefs, barista and bar staff, to the unsung hero.

Entries are open to employees of a Hospitality New Zealand member, under 35 years of age.

Nominate your Rising Star now - go to www.hospitalitynz.org.nz and complete the online nomination form today!

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HOSPITALITY PEOPLE

Belgium Chocolatier With A Chinese Twist!

BY SUE FEA Hong Kong-born and Belgium-raised, Jia Song, comes from a strong line of Chinese entrepreneurial blood, and he’s not afraid of hard work.

A

t 30, Jia has launched his own restaurant, Settlers Restaurant and Bar, in tranquil, historic Arrowtown, near Queenstown, after spotting the perfect site last year.

On Easter Monday he had his first day off from the restaurant in four months. “I could feel it when I stopped. It’s tough on the body,” says Jia. However, when you’ve plunged your life savings into a business working for close to 100 hours a week to get established it is just part of the sacrifice that’s required, he says. “I’m really trying to turn out good quality food and service.” His first day off was spent doing household chores like laundry, then watching movies, and escaping into the mountains to enjoy the real reason this well-travelled wanderer chose Queenstown to open his first business.

A qualified accountant, Jia is keeping a close eye on the books, but he’s pretty happy with how Settlers is going so far, scoring rave reviews on social media, Trip Advisor and First Table.

Hospitality is a far cry from what he studied, but somehow Jia’s life just keeps enticing him back into his passion for creating great food, instilled in him as a child. As a pre-schooler his Chinese family moved to Belgium where they settled in the small medieval-style village of Huy. This is where some of Jia’s fondest food memories were made.

“As a child I remember opening the front door of the cobbled stone street in our village to go to school and catching the beautiful aromas wafting from the chocolatier and bakery along the street,” he says. “We walked past them every morning on our way to school.”

The family lived in the commercial downtown square with pubs around them, and as the only young boy growing up there Jia says he was always spoiled by the surrounding businesses. “The chocolatier would always give me some warm, freshly-made chocolate syrup from the unset chocolate to drink, which kept me warm during winter. It was one of my favourite memories.”

His parents, who’d sold up their textile factory in Hong Kong to make a better life for him and his little sister, were among the first in Belgium to open a traditional Cantonese takeaway business. It was in Verriers, a small town in the mountains of Belgium. “My father was a

great cook and my mother had been a maitre d’.” It was back in the day when Chinese food was starting to become popular. Soon after that they opened their successful Chinese restaurant, ‘Chez Song’, in Huy. “There weren’t many of them around, so everybody was interested in the flavours and the fragrance and wanted to try it.”

Every day young Jia would fetch the fresh bread from the bakery for his parents’ restaurant. “I’d taste the fresh bread and croissants, and enjoy samples of the Chantilly custard, which was still warm,” he says. He recalls the sweet, buttery smells from the fresh croissants, the fragrance of cinnamon from the gingerbread and the aroma of yeast.

For years Jia worked after school helping his parents in their restaurant, but he was raised by a Belgium family. “My parents were so busy working in the restaurant that they didn’t have the time to take care of me, so it was a great way to spend time with them,” says Jia. Back then he had no interest in a hospitality career, instead opting for accountancy, completing his Masters of Finance and Accounting at University of Liege in Belgium. It was a short-lived career. “I found a job with a French hardware store as a junior accountant, then six months later transferred to Peugot, but I didn’t like it. It was a boring life,” he says.

Jia set his sights on travel and ended up turning to the one skill he knew well to fund his two-year backpacking expedition around Europe and the UK. “I couldn’t speak very good English back then, but I ended up in Australia. I did quite a bit of cooking, but I held 27 jobs from forklift and tractor driver to oysterman and fruit picker.”

However, it wasn’t long before Jia was back on the job in the kitchen, scoring his dream job at the Bunbury Trotting Club, south of Perth, in Western Australia. The club had three restaurants on site.

“That’s where I learned about the senior position stuff like human resources and the logistics of catering for thousands of people,” says Jia. “It was very challenging and busy, dealing with such huge amounts of food and coordinating so many people, but that’s where I learned about the hands on of running a business.”

By 2014 Jia was itching to experience New Zealand. “I’d always followed the All Blacks and loved rugby, and I wanted to know more Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 35

HOSPITALITY PEOPLE

about the Maori culture.” He scored a job at The Brew on Quay in Auckland. “My philosophy has always been work hard, play hard, so I managed to see most of the North Island on my time off.”

A trip south and Queenstown soon peeked his curiosity. “I’d heard about the extreme sports, bungy jumping and Shotover Jet. I’d always been fond of extreme sport so I came here to try those, fell in love with the place and stayed.”

A stint as sous chef at ‘Spud’ Murphy’s Chico’s Restaurant and Bar – then one of Queenstown’s most popular night spots – sealed the deal.

“I just loved the party atmosphere, the young people, and I was ready to settle down here and buy my own restaurant,” says Jia. “I’d always loved food, not necessarily cooking, but the processes and techniques behind it.”

After Chico’s was sold last year Jia was quickly snapped up as sous chef at The Stables in Arrowtown. “I saw this Settlers site for sale and it was perfect – sunny, with a lot of people passing. I’d bought it within a week,” he says, beaming. Aptly named, there’s even a historic Chinese settlement just along the road beside the Arrow River, drawing on Jia’s own heritage. The place needed a lot of investment, so he poured everything he had into his new restaurant.

He finally got his Settlers Restaurant and Bar open in early January this year, after his opening was delayed because of the Kaikoura earthquakes.

Jia’s transformed the interiors of the former restaurant on site dramatically, creating a classy modern atmosphere with a historic twist in fitting with the character of Arrowtown. A stacked stone fireplace and T & G surrounds set the scene for European Asian fusion, and Jia’s breakfasts, especially his Belgium waffles, are already renowned. This is his childhood favourite, with beautifully-caramelised sugar, served with red fruit coulis, rose water, chocolate and Chantilly cream.

36 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

“It was very challenging and busy, dealing with such huge amounts of food and coordinating so many people."

The food is European Asian fusion and the dining is upmarket and refined. Jia’s enjoying working with local produce like lamb, venison and salmon. He brings his own unique French finish to the food. “I also like to incorporate a twist of Asian spices, using things like star anise, ginger and cardamom.” Lamb rack is his most popular dish, prepared in the sous vide using French techniques and Dijon mustard, then coated with a green herb crust.

Staffing has been a challenge, but Jia’s fortunate to have his old boss from Chico’s, Ronald Lima, at the helm with him in the busy kitchen.

That accountancy degree is not being wasted. “We’ve been busy for the short time we’ve been open, but we need to be busier,” says Jia. He’s already in contact with Chinese tour operators to bring the coachloads in.

However, Jia Song is adamant that he’s found his new home. He’s a Kiwi now. “I love it here. I’m here to stay, and we’ve had great customer satisfaction, so I’m pretty pleased with how it’s going, after such a short time.” ■

EVENT DETAILS Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th September 9am – 5pm, The Cloud, Queens Wharf, Auckland

The Chocolate & Coffee Show is back!

ANNOUNCING NEW FEATURES FOR 2017!

Planning is in full swing for The Chocolate and Coffee Show 2017 with a swag of new features, big names and competitions to entertain more than 8,000 passionate foodies.

Enquire now about Exhibitor Stands, Sponsorships and partnerships!

In the Demonstration Kitchen we are delighted to announce Julie LeClerc and Sam Mannering showing off their culinary skills along with the as-yet-unknown Pastry Chef of the Year 2017, an Art of Plating Masterclass from the team at Milse and more.

Television presenter, radio announcer and all-round good guy Mike Puru is coming on board to be the official Chocolate and Coffee Show Master of Ceremonies through the weekend.

Julie LeClerc

Sam Mannering

Mike Puru

Barista Academy

The Barista Academy is joining the show to run the new Barista Zone with workshops and training for the 8,000+ consumer visitors attending the show.

Luke from The Chocolate Bar in Wellington has joined forces with the show to introduce a new ticketed feature with Tea and Craft Chocolate Tasting Sessions from his vast array of chocolates and working with Fine and Dandy Tea, no doubt will be a crowd favourite!

STAKE YOUR CLAIM NOW FOR A GREAT POSITION AT THE CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE SHOW 2017 To discuss bringing your brand to life at The Chocolate and Coffee Show, please contact

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INDUSTRY NEWS Restaurant Association NZ Marisa Bidois - Chief Executive

FOOD FOR THOUGHT STIRRING THE POT EFFECTIVE WAYS TO HANDLE “BAD APPLE” SYNDROME. On the Helpline at the Association we often have members asking for advice on managing the ‘bad apples’….

An article from ‘Management Issues’ which discusses the impact of a “bad apple” on a team outlined new research which suggests that it only takes one toxic individual to upset the whole apple cart. Not so surprising. Look around any business and chances are you will be able to find at least one person whose negative behaviour affects the rest of the group to varying degrees. So much so that these “bad apples” are like a virus to their teams, and can upset or spoil the whole apple cart.

A research paper appearing in a recent issue of ‘Research in Organizational Behaviour’, examines how, when and why the behaviours of one negative team member can have powerful and often detrimental influence on teams and groups.

Research defines negative people as those who are chronically unhappy and emotionally unstable, or who bully or attack others.

They found that a single “toxic” or negative team member can be the catalyst for downward spirals in a business.

Most businesses do not have very effective ways to handle the problem. This is especially true when the problem employee has longevity, experience, or power. Owners and managers need to move quickly to deal with such problems because the negativity of just one individual is pervasive and destructive and can spread quickly.

SO, HOW CAN BUSINESSES AVOID EXPERIENCING THE “BAD APPLE” PHENOMENON? • Take special care when hiring new employees • Check references • Try personality tests - so that those who are really low on agreeableness, emotional stability or conscientiousness are screened out.

If you have a case where a bad apple slips through the cracks or you have inherited the employee through a business sale or change of management, do not let the problem fester.

HERE ARE A FEW TIPS FROM ‘THE BALANCE’ WRITTEN BY SUSAN HEATHFIELD: • Inform the employee about the negative impact their negativity is having on co-workers and the business. Use specific examples that describe behaviours the employee can do something about in the workplace. For example, when another employee says, “Good morning, how are you?” and your response is a 15-minute monolog on how nothing is right in this workplace, you bring your co-worker’s mood and optimism down. Explain that they use 15 minutes of productive work time and make their co-worker unwilling to engage with you in conversation in the future.

• Avoid becoming defensive. Don’t take the employee’s negative words or attitude personally. They are not directed at you. For whatever reason, the employee is unhappy with his or her life, work, or you name it.

• No one likes hearing constructive feedback even when a owner or manager uses the best, most practiced, approach to minimize the employee’s defensiveness. And, the majority of managers have not had a lot of training and practice in dealing with difficult people, so their approach is uncomfortable for all parties.

38 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

• Ask the employee if something negative is happening in her personal life that is affecting her workplace success. For example, a divorce affects every aspect of an employee’s life. The loss of a close family member does, too. You’re not a therapist or counsellor, but knowing what is happening in the employee’s life lets you offer sympathy or another appropriate expression of good or hopeful wishes. It can also help the employee see that you are interested in and concerned about them as a person. Even as you offer sympathy, though, you must ask the employee to keep the personal issues from affecting their workplace performance.

• Ask the employee what is causing his negativity at work. Listen to the employee’s complaints and concerns until you’re certain that the employee feels heard out and listened to. Sometimes people repeat negative sentiments because they don’t feel as if you have really heard them. Make sure that you have actively listened. The employee will feel the difference.

• Some of the employee’s concerns may be legitimate. You may be able to help him solve legitimate workplace concerns. Others, you may be able to explain why they exist and ask the employee to cooperate and have patience. Once the employee understands the timeline, the decision or the reason for the goal, his negativity may improve.

• Focus on creating solutions. Don’t focus on everything that is wrong and negative about the employee’s outlook or actions in your approach. This will only cause the employee to dig himself more deeply into his grievances.

• Focus instead on creating options for how the employee can create positive morale for himself and his co-workers going forward. If the person is unwilling to hold this discussion, and you feel you have fairly heard him out, end the discussion.

• Focus on the positive aspects of their performance and the potential contributions the individual brings to the work setting, not the negativity. Help the employee build her self-image and capacity to contribute.

In the future, when interacting with the employee, try to compliment the individual any time you hear a positive statement or contribution rather than negativity. You’ll want to reinforce, as much as possible, the positive interactions the employee has with other employees and the workplace.

If none of the above is working and the employee’s negativity continues to have an impact on productivity, workplace harmony, and team attitudes and morale, deal with the negativity as you would any other performance issue. Use a performance improvement plan or alternatively, depending on the seriousness, begin a disciplinary process.

Remember that these steps are worth your time before you become mired in the process of disciplinary action. Take heart from the fact that they frequently work when you hit an employee’s negativity head on in your workplace.

The bottom line is that in order to build a successful organisation, you need team spirit. The disharmony caused through throwing out a few metaphorical bad apples is nothing compared to the damage those same apples can do to the workplace as a whole.

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FEATURE

FIVE STAR ROTORUA HOTEL CONTRACT GOES TO ACCORHOTELS Chow Group Management Limited (CGML) has awarded the hotel management contract for their Rotorua property to travel and lifestyle group, AccorHotels. Currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment from a commercial building to a 130-room hotel, it is confirmed that the property, just 500 metres from Lake Rotorua, will carry a 5-star brand and enhance Rotorua’s tourism offering.

“The renovation of the former Zen Building has commenced with architectural plans. The next stage is the physical work effort which is slated to start in July. We are delighted to be able to announce the appointment of AccorHotels.” said John Chow, Director, CGML. This project has already had a positive effect on the local economy in terms of employment, says John Chow, adding: “The entire project will create a pipeline of work opportunities from the refurbishment works stage on site, through to providing hospitality roles and ongoing employment.”

“I believe the addition of a five star upscale hotel to the Rotorua tourism offering will be received well by local residents and visitors alike. Tourism in Rotorua is valued at $772 million per year with $402 million of that coming from domestic visitors.

The Rotorua hotel property will be ideally positioned both in terms of location but also hospitality offering to take a slice of the 2.2 million visitor nights spent in the destination.” he added.

Speaking about the announcement Her Worship the Mayor of Rotorua, Hon Steve Chadwick says, “business sectors such as retail and tourism are doing extremely well in Rotorua, with our local economy performing above the national average.”

The opening is anticipated to be end of 2018/start 2019.

Her Worship the Mayor of Rotorua, Hon Steve Chadwick, JP meets CGML Director, John Chow to discuss job opportunities, tourism and the new upscale hotel to be managed by AccorHotels.

www.ServiceIQ.org.nz

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TECH TALK

Infinity phone: Samsung Galaxy S8+ Pat Pilcher’s round up of all the tech worth knowing about, for work, rest and play.

The S8+ is a striking piece of hardware. Its bezelless display makes it the smartphone equivalent of an infinity pool. Turned off the S8+ looks like a piece of polished Onyx, but powered on it looks amazing. Striking looks aside, Samsung are also building Bixby, their smart assistant into S8+. At the moment Bixby is limited to intelligently analysing photos shot with the S8+ to provide information on landmarks, language translation, but Bixby will soon have greater integration with the S8’s functions according to Samsung. http://www.samsung.com/nz/smartphones/ galaxy-s8

Say goodbye to bad Wi-Fi reception!

There’s always that one part of the office or the building where Wi-Fi just won’t reach.

The NetGear Orbi System uses a system of wireless satellites that link together to banish Wi-Fi deadspots. Additional Orbi satellites can be used in larger buildings or homes to expand coverage. http://www.netgear.co.nz/home/products/networking/orbi/?cid=wmt_netgear_organic

Ear wear: B&O H9 Bluetooth Headphones Tired of tangled cables? High-end audio equipment makers Bang & Olufsen’s latest Bluetooth ear wear has it sorted. Tangle-prone cables are gone as the H9 connects to your phone/digital audio player using Bluetooth. Their active noise cancelling also cocoons your noggin in blissful silence. Hewn out of alloy and leather The H9s are extremely comfy too. https://www.beoplay.com/products/beoplayh9

Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 43

TECH TALK

Watch this space: Samsung Gear S3 Samsung’s latest smartwatch, the Gear S3 not only tells the time, but can also do double duty as a wrist mounted Bluetooth connected speakerphone, allowing you to take calls on the fly and read notifications without having to fiddle about with your phone. Where most other smartwatches need daily charging, the S3 can run for up to three days and will work with most Android and Apple smartphones http://www.samsung.com/ global/galaxy/gear-s3/

Protect your brand and supply chain.

Talk to us today about our new course “Introduction to the Prevention of Food Fraud” This course equips you with the knowledge to differentiate various forms of food fraud, and covers how to carry out a risk assessment. ( 0508 00 1122 www.asurequalitytraining.co.nz

Your trusted partner for independent quality assurance services

44 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

Phone, camera and wallet!

Huawei’s follow up to their hugely successful P9 smartphone, the Huawei P10 is finally here. Packing second generation dual rear Leica cameras, it captures stunning photos that are easily the equal of a high-end point and shoot camera. With NFC built in, the P10 also supports Android pay, making it the smartphone equivalent of a camera, phone and wallet. http://consumer.huawei.com/en/mobile-phones/p10/index.htm

Viewing in reverse: MiVUE698 dual camera If reverse parking has you breaking out in hives, don’t sweat it. The Navman MiVue 698 dual dashcam lets anxious drivers easily add reversing and dash cameras to their vehicles. A rear cam provides reversing views and the 600’s front facing dashcam footage is viewable on a PC or Mac using Navman’s software, which also handily tells you your location, time, and speed for each frame of video. This may be a real boon in an auto mis-hap. Being able to provide detailed evidence to insurance companies could be the difference between having to pay your own excess if the other driver refuses to admit fault and a cooperative insurance company. https://www.navman.com.au/products/dashcams

Organic Winemaking WOMEN IN BREWING • BEGIN WITH GIN • SOUR BEER N E W Z E A L A N D ’ S L A R G E ST L I Q U O R AU D I E N C E

NEWS

EDITORIAL

Mind your brew business

The Shout Editor Charlotte Cowan

I think it’s fair to say that the Kiwi brewing and distilling industry has been very male-dominated in the past. But times, my friends, they are a-changin’. Craft beer and premium spirits have steadily increased in the market and so too have the number of women working in the industry. But just how many Kiwi women are in the business of brewing? Tash McGill finds out on pgs 48-49.

One such woman is New Plymouth’s Jo James, co-owner of Taranaki’s newest boutique gin producer, Begin Distilling Ltd. We chat to her about her Begin’s passion for gin on pg 58.

In other brew news, beer writer John Oszajca

wraps his taste buds around some sour beer and we chat to Black Dog Brewery Manager Adrian Klemp about their latest range of experimental beers (coffee stout anyone?).

And for our wine lovers, Cameron Douglas MS explores organic winemaking in New Zealand and takes an in-depth look at Syrah.

Before you head off to explore this month’s issue, have you signed up to our dedicated fortnightly eNewsletter yet? Get more of New Zealand’s liquor news straight to your inbox, just head to www.theshout.co.nz and follow the prompt. And don’t forget to ‘like’ us on Facebook @theshoutnz

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Latvian named Europe’s best sommelier Latvian Raimonds Tomsons has been named the Best Sommelier in Europe and Africa after taking out the grand final of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (A.S.I) contest in Vienna.

Thirty-six-year-old Tomsons - Head Sommelier of Vincents restaurant in Riga - competed against finalists David Biraud (France), Piotr Pietras (Poland) and Julia Scavo (Romania) in a tense competition that took place in front of 400 guests at a gala dinner in the ballroom of the Parkhotel Schönbrunn.

A panel of judges evaluated each finalist on informed descriptions of a Saké aperitif, food and wine pairings, decanting, and serving a bottle of Blaüfrankisch, among other challenges.

Tomsons is the first ever Baltic sommelier to reach such a high level in a continental contest and he will represent Latvia in the next world contest in Antwerpen, Belgium, in 2019.

“We are wine fanatics in Latvia, in Riga,” Tomsons told Decanter.com.

“But to get to this point now involved tasting, tasting and more tasting every day, polishing skills, vocabulary and style, constantly reading and studying.

It was a lot of hard work. And thankfully I had the support of my family.”

SPIRITS

Federal Merchants & Co adds to portfolio Federal Merchants & Co. has announced the introduction of three new international brands to its portfolio - Grants, Glenfiddich and The Balvenie.

The introduction of these brands brings the independent distributor’s long-standing portfolio of local and international beverage brands to 71. Federal Merchants & Co. Managing Director, Aidin Dennis, says that these new brands align well with the values of the business.

“We’ve been operating for over 18 years now and the family values we pride ourselves on are a big part of what makes us a successful Kiwi business,” he says. “We recognise these same values in the Grants, Glenfiddich and The Balvenie brands and we’re delighted to be representing them in New Zealand.”

Both Glenfiddich and Grants were founded by the Grant family in Scotland while The Balvenie range of single malt Scotch whiskies are hand crafted at a Scottish distillery.

Grants, Glenfiddich and The Balvenie will be distributed solely by Federal Merchants & Co. in New Zealand.

AWARDS

Brewers Guild of NZ Beer Awards: Key dates Key dates have been announced for the Brewers Guild of New Zealand Beer Awards, with entries opening on August 21, 2017. Breweries have until September 8 to get their entries in before the judging takes place from September 29 to October 1 in Christchurch.

The conference, trade show, AGM, industry reception, Mashing In and the brewery day tours will take place from Thursday, October 5 to Saturday, October 7, with the grand finale – the NZ Beer

Awards gala dinner - on the Saturday night. MC’d by South Island comedian, Shay Horay, at the Air Force Museum of NZ in Christchurch, the formal dinner will see the announcement of the all-important medal winners – and of course, the muchanticipated Champion Brewery award.

For more information on the Brewers Guild NZ Beer Awards and how to enter, head to www.brewersguild.org.nz/awards

Published By

Managing Director-Publisher

Editor

Sales Manager

The Intermedia Group Ltd

Dale Spencer

Charlotte Cowan

Angela Bowes

505 Rosebank Road, Avondale

dspencer@intermedianz.co.nz

ccowan@intermedianz.co.nz

abowes@intermedianz.co.nz

021 774 080

021 130 6824

Auckland, 1026, New Zealand

46 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

OPINION INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Turning wine into beer

MARTIN CRAIG Brewers Guild of New Zealand www.brewersguild.org.nz

Turning water into wine was a miracle. But today, winemakers are turning to brewing and adding craft beer to their product ranges.

The attraction is understandable. Beer, quite obviously, is far more diverse than wine, using at least four ingredients and including many different processes. And while mainstream beer consumption is falling, and wine consumption has been relatively stable, craft beer consumption is showing healthy growth.

In the South Island, Giesen Wines has just opened its new brewery in Christchurch, producing Kaiser Brothers beers based on the family’s German brewing heritage.

In Hawke’s Bay, Abbey Estate in Bridge Pa also houses Abbey Brewery, which has built a good reputation for its Fat Monk beer range. And Petane Station in Esk Valley has family connections with its next-door neighbour, Zeelandt Brewery. Other brewer/winemaker projects are fomenting in the Hawke’s Bay hills.

It’s not just one-way traffic, as brewers look to winemakers for skilled staff. Qualified winemakers are turning up in breweries all over the country, valued for their understanding of the art and science behind fermentation.

Brewers have also been turning to winemakers for their distribution contacts, particularly as restaurants and cafés becoming increasingly important markets for bottled craft beer and all its food-matching possibilities. Sacred Hill’s distribution arm, Quench Collective, has an excellent craft beer portfolio including 8 Wired (Brewers Guild Champion Brewery 2011), Funk Estate and Liberty.

These building links between winemakers and craft brewers probably reflect a shared audience, as consumers are increasingly looking to beer to provide flavours, experiences and food matches. For years this was wine’s territory and now it has to share. Beer lists are getting bigger, and beer is no longer relegated to the last page of a good wine list!

Supermarkets are also contested territory, as Single Alcohol Areas confine wine and beer to a limited and isolated corner of the store. With no opportunity to expand the department, winemakers are developing craft beer brands to preserve their precious space on the shelves.

Martin Craig is a beer writer, journalist and publisher of www.beertown.nz

COMPETITION

Entries open for NZ Hospo Champs Do you have what it takes to be the Cocktail Champion of the Year? The NZ Hospitality Championships 2017 are taking place in Auckland at the end of July, and this year the championships feature 12 ‘Of the Year’ competitions, including Cocktail Champion of the Year. This competition is a triathlon, and to be in to win competitors must compete in three cocktail classes: • Live Classic Cocktail Class – Competitors must produce four cocktails, two Caipiroska and either two Bloody Marys or two White Russians.

• Live Innovative Cocktail Class - Competitors must produce two servings of an original recipe cocktail using vodka as main ingredient.

• Live Mystery Box Cocktails - Competitors must produce two servings of a cocktail using mystery products from a box provided.

Competitors in the NZ Hospitality Championships 2017 can also enter each individual cocktail class.

After some fierce competition, the 2016 winner of the Cocktail Champion of the Year was named Suchit Chhetri from Rendezvous Grand Hotel, Auckland. If you think you could claim the 2017 title, head to www.nzchefs.org.nz/Competitions.html for information on how to enter.

Available through your preferred wholesale distributor or contact 09 377 7597 or email sales@tickety-boo.co.nz for further information.

WWW.TICKETY-BOO.CO.NZ

Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 47

Image credit: Jed Soane/thebeerproject.com

FEATURE

Women in brewing The business of

Has there been a huge growth in the number of women involved in the New Zealand brewing and distilling industry? Tash McGill finds out.

W

hy is it that we have treated drinks in a gendered way?

Why do we expect women to drink rosé and men to drink whisky?” asks Annika Naschitzki of Tiamana Brewery in Wellington. “Why have we gendered beer and brewing too?”

We’re talking about the apparent growth of women involved in the New Zealand brewing and distilling industry and Naschitzki agrees that yes, even in the few years since she began Tiamana, the numbers are going up. “But my question would still be why are there so few? Why isn’t this a 50/50 industry? It feels like we’re only just coming out of the shadow of being a gendered industry,” she says.

“My father was a brewer in Berlin and when I started out, I learned as much as I could from him. I nearly named my brand ‘The Brewer’s Daughter’ but I didn’t want a gendered beer or people to assume I would make girly beer.”

By Naschitzki’s estimation (there is little published hard data to rely on) there are now six to seven prominent women brewery owners of some 360 breweries in New Zealand. But behind the scenes there are dozens more women who are head brewers, lead brewers and distillers across the country. In the rocketing craft brewing and distilling industries, you’ll find women working independently and collaboratively behind the mash of Garage Project, Keruru Brewing and many more.

While the footprint of women in the business is garnering more attention and a spotlight, it’s not as new a phenomenon as you might expect. Tracy Banner of Sprig and Fern has been at the forefront of brewing in New Zealand for some 40 years. Naschitzki’s admiration is obvious, referring to Banner as the “original gangster brewer, back when it really was a ‘proper boy’s club '”.

48 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

For a nation of home brewers and given the explosion of commercial craft brewing, it is surprising that the numbers are so low – but by comparison, some of the biggest and boldest moves in the craft industry have women behind them. Perhaps one of the boldest is Cardrona Distillery, run by Desiree Whittaker and making whisky, gin and single malt vodka in Cardrona Valley.

After a successful career in share-milking, Whittaker was looking for a business opportunity and a new start. When it came time to determine what she wanted to do after share-milking, there were lists, short lists and plenty of research but eventually her love of whisky came to the forefront but it was the business idea that came first, followed by learning distillation methodology and chemistry.

“Cardrona is all about making great spirits, not cutting corners. So in my plan to make lovely whisky, we also needed to be able to make other lovely spirits that could support the whisky while it ages for 10 years,” says Whittaker.

It’s this business planning and prowess that has brought the site together and created a family business that makes single grain vodka, gin, liqueurs and of course, a warehouse of aging malt.

Success in the industry is driven by an aptitude for decision making and business strategy just as much as brewing itself, which is a point of difference in which women appear to excel. One of the most consistent themes is the importance of business acumen and skill in taking a passion for brewing and distilling into a viable business.

Naschitzki’s business partner, Llew Bardecki of Wild and Woolly Brewing, has recently decided he loves the creativity of brewing more than the administration of running the business, which has led to some changes, but Naschitzki is characteristically philosophical and has taken it in stride.

FEATURE

Annika Naschitzki of Tiamana Brewery

Annika Naschitzki

Desiree Whittaker of Cardrona Distillery

Similarly, Rachel Thomson of Thomson Whisky, describes her role in the business as being, in simple terms, General Manager. “My role is to clear the path - of all obstacles - be they financial, logistical, brand, or other,” she says. “Being open to this higher purpose on a daily, monthly, yearly basis really helps me be flexible, utilise all my skills, think outside the box, and do whatever is needed to achieve our goals, instead of being stuck in a specific title. I love the challenge and the focus on finding solutions.”

Since she and husband Matt started the business in 2009, they have evolved from independent bottling to distilling on-premise at Hallertau brewery in West Auckland with further changes ahead for the brand.

Both Thomson and Whittaker have young children but seem to take the challenges of motherhood and business ownership in stride. In addition,Whittaker says she found no gender barriers in the entering the business and plenty of people who welcomed and opened doors for her in both training and finding equipment. Naschitzki agrees mostly – the Wellington craft brewing community has been supportive and many brewers have become friends. “Sometimes people do want to give you more of a spotlight but I don’t want glory because of my gender. It’s more annoying when people are condescending than when they are ignorant which happens at festivals and events like Beervana. Customers assume you’re a volunteer and not the brewer, or tell you things like women have better palates anyway.Why does my palate have to have a gender? We all have to learn our palates and constantly improve,” she says.

But that’s much more from customers than other members of the industry. “I was taught it’s all about commanding respect not demanding it. If you are in it because you love beer and you find it interesting to run a craft business, then do it,” says Naschitzki. “Treat gender as kindly as you can - we can’t run away from that fact until the

industry is 50/50. I only ever want people to judge me on the quality of my work, both the beer and the way I run my business. If you focus on that then people quickly move past gender, when you are busy doing your job and having fun.”

While the distilling industry in New Zealand is small, Sarah Bonoma of Dancing Sands Distillery in Takaka, Nelson, says it’s collaborative and friendly. “We spend time building relationships with others who are doing the same. There are limited opportunities available, both for men and women,” she says. “Recently a young student doing her Diploma in Brewing and Distilling got in touch with me and wanted to see what a real distillery was like. It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm she had for the industry and we want to encourage that as much as we can.”

Dancing Sands boasts not one but two female distillers on the team, but Bonoma says people are less surprised they have two women working in the distillery than they are that their gin, rum and vodka is all made on-site.

“I joined the business full-time in December 2016 and I’ve been learning on the job ever since. I’ve read a lot about distilling and different methods but there is no substitute for getting your sleeves rolled up and getting stuck in. Now I get to make our products but also run our business, which brings a lot of challenges and new skills to master,” she says.

Hannah Bower of Zeffer Cider might echo the same sentiment about business leadership and innovation. From a small market business in Matakana in 2009, Zeffer Cider is now producing 1000 bottles a day and looking to develop its global export arm into China and Thailand in addition to their existing international business. That’s rapid expansion in a short eight years but she has been steady at the helm of business and operations since the beginning.

What does the future hold then? Growth stories like Zeffer demonstrate the market viability and continued trajectory of the brewing and distilling industry for New Zealand both domestically and internationally. But as the women at the heart of the industry will tell you, it’s not just about a love of cracking open a cold one at the end of the day or enjoying a quiet dram by the fire. Women are thriving in this industry through hard-won business strategy and know-how, staying constantly adaptable and motivated to learn. For those who are most successful, they have an equal love of the product and the business, which may just be the X-factor so many of them share. n

Rachel Thomson of Thomson Whisky

Sarah Bonoma of Dancing Sands Distillery

“There are now six to seven prominent women brewery owners of some 360 breweries in New Zealand” Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 49

BEER FEATURE

Sour Beer A style that stands alone Beer writer John Oszajca takes a look at the most notable beer style to find new, and seemingly lasting popularity in recent years.

O To contact John Oszajca regarding beer features or samples, please email him at john@newzealandbrewer.co.nz

ver the last decade or so we have seen an explosion in the popularity of extreme beer styles. We’ve seen beer with alcohol levels as high as wine and sometimes even spirits. When it comes to hops, we’ve seen the industry go through a virtual IBU arms race as brewery after brewery battled to infuse more and more hop bitterness into every pint. We’ve also seen brewers comb the history books to revive nearly every forgotten beer style. And we’ve witnessed many brewers throw caution (and perhaps good judgement) to the wind in an effort to add strange and exotic ingredients to their brews, including (but certainly not limited to) oysters, grapefruit, bacon, doughnuts, breakfast cereal and even pizza. But amongst all of the show-boating, historical beer style resurrections, and general extremity of the recent craft beer explosion, the most notable beer style to find new, and seemingly lasting popularity in recent years has got to be sour beer.

Sour beer is a style that stands alone. Unlike the flavour balance of most traditional beers, which tends to pit malt sweetness against hop bitterness, sour beers have little to no hop presence and instead they taste decidedly tart or, as their name would suggest, sour. While nearly all other beer styles are brewed with Saccharomyces (the fancy name for brewer’s yeast), sour beer is brewed with an endless combination of bacteria,

50 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

BEER FEATURE

8 Wired’s barrel-aged beer

Image credit: Jed Sloane/thebeerproject.com

Craftwork’s Michael O’Brien in the brewery

Saccharomyces, and Brettanomyces (a genus of wild yeast known to contribute both fruity and barnyard-like flavours and aromas). These beers universally strike the first-time drinker as completely contrary to one’s expectations of a traditional pint. Their high acid levels, low bitterness levels, long aging times, and the common additions of both fruit and oak, leave many feeling that sour beer has more in common with wine than it’s more ‘beery’ counterparts.

At one time all beer was likely sour to some extent, due to the unsterile conditions of brewing prior to the modern era. Eventually, advances in microbiology would lead to pure yeast cultures and as such, many of the classic beer styles and flavours that we cherish today.

However, a small number of brewers in Belgium (and to a lesser extent Germany) kept the sour beer traditions alive by flying in the face of modern brewing practices and (at least in Belgium) exposing their Wort (unfermented beer) directly to the air to be naturally inoculated by the wild yeast and bacteria that are exclusive to their regions. A handful of classic sour beers such as Lambic, Flanders Red, Oud Bruin, Berliner Weiss and Gose, hung on to survival only to be reembraced – and to some extent, reinvented – by the modern craft beer movement.

Just a few years ago, the only way to get your hands on a sour beer in New Zealand, was to either be lucky enough to come across one of a small number of Belgian sour beers sometimes imported into the country, or to brew one yourself. Bad homebrew jokes aside, the complex processes and long aging times involved with brewing a sour beer make the DIY approach more difficult than it might seem.

Today, it’s the rare brewery that doesn’t have a sour beer programme of one size or another. Moreover the new world approach to sour beer making (recently christened ‘American Sour Beer’), has made the style more approachable and often easier to produce. Whilst sour beer from Belgium, Germany, America, Scandinavia, Australia, and elsewhere in the world is becoming easier and easier to sleuth out, there are a number of world-class sour beer producers right here at home.

CRAFTWORK BREWERY This quaint Oamaru brewery has won numerous awards and quickly built a cult following within just a few short years of the company’s inception, and all while brewing on a tiny 50 litre brewing system in the stone basement of one of the co-founder’s home. Known for brewing small batches of Belgian-inspired ales with an emphasis on local and organic ingredients, Craftwork has built quite a reputation as one of New Zealand’s more unique and artisan breweries. Fortunately for us, the availability of these once-hard-to-find beers is on the rise

Craftwork's Scotch Bonnet and Autobarn

and they can now be found in an increasing number of New Worlds, specialty bottle shops, and online retailers.

Craftwork offers a number of award-winning sour beers to choose from, such as its much loved Scotch Bonnet - a whisky barrel aged sour brown ale (aka Oud Bruin) - and Autobarn, which is a sour ale aged in a Gewürztraminer barrels.

While not always easy to find, Craftwork is a brewery worth putting some effort into seeking out. And when you see a bottle on the shelf, grab it - you won’t be disappointed.

MOA BREWING COMPANY Moa Brewing Company is one of the best-known craft beer producers in New Zealand. Despite being better known for its widely distributed Original Lager and its Session Pale Ale, Moa’s veteran head brewer, David Nicholls, has introduced a number of more exotic offerings to the line-up in recent years, including a number of sour beers, which are all widely available throughout New Zealand due to the company’s far-reaching distribution channels.

Moa’s sour beers are released each year as vintages, and the collection has included popular beers such as the Sauvignon Blanc-based Sour Grapes, Rum Barrel (a rum barrel aged Belgian Dark Strong), the Cherry Lambic inspired Cherry Sour, and Sour Blanc, a more traditional Lambic-inspired ale.

Moa’s collection of sour beers is a good place to start for the uninitiated. Their sour beers are relatively easy to find, approachable, and with a head brewer like David Nicholls, you can count on a wellbrewed, high-quality beer.

8 WIRED With the largest barrel programme in the Southern Hemisphere, it should be no surprise that Warkworth’s 8 Wired Brewing Company has produced an impressive collection of sour beers over the last few years.

Some of the mouth puckering offerings from 8 Wired that you might consider seeking out are Gypsy Funk (a dry-hopped, barrel-aged, sour Pale Ale), Wild Feijoa (a sour ale brewed with feijoas and aged in wine barrels), Sour Poppy (a kettle-soured version of its Red IPA), or if you’re in the mood for something lighter then try Hippy Berliner (a refreshing and fruity-tasting beer inspired by traditional Berliner Weisse ales).

8 Wired’s sour beer programme is one of the largest and boldest in New Zealand. If sour beer is your thing, then make some room in your beer fridge for any one of their microbiologically adventurous creations.

They are some of the best that New Zealand has to offer. n Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 51

Q&A

Craft beer’s

Adrian Klemp

top dog

With a new experimental range released this month, Black Dog Brewery is pushing its way to the top of Wellington’s craft beer crowd. We caught up with Adrian Klemp to learn more.

HOW HAS THE CRAFT BEER SCENE IN WELLINGTON EVOLVED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS? he craft beer scene has grown from a few outlets serving craft as a niche offering and now is found in most bars and restaurants (including ‘mainstream outlets’). Today’s consumers want more variety and choice in which beers they drink.

In most every group of people heading out for drinks, there will be at least a few who want to drink craft. Craft now stands alongside mainstream beers and is there to keep everyone happy.

T

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW RANGE OF EXPERIMENTAL BEERS… Brewtus Coffee Stout is a collaboration with Havana Coffee Works, where we used one of their single origin Bolivian beans to create a silky-smooth stout with a creamy texture and bold coffee hit. We tried a few different blends and settled on this particular one for its smooth, creamy flavour, without too much astringency or bitterness.

Special Agent IPA is a single-hopped IPA using one of New Zealand’s favourite hop varieties – Nelson Sauvin. It is a hop with a big flavour, which makes it important to use it wisely as it can easily add too much bitterness into the beer if you’re not careful. Special Agent was one of only three beers to be awarded a Gold Medal at the Brewers Guild Awards last October.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS AND REWARDS OF PRODUCING NEW/ UNUSUAL CRAFT OFFERINGS SUCH AS THESE? Of course, the risks are that a beer will not turn out as expected and in the worst case scenario, we’d have to dump the batch if it is not up to standard. We mitigate the risk by starting with a small batch and then tweaking subsequent batches to get the right brew. Sometimes the experimentation can take us in a direction we never considered, which can be a good thing.

The rewards are coming up with a flavour profile which resonates with and sometimes challenges the consumer, while having a point of difference to what others are producing – 52 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

“Craft now stands alongside mainstream beers and is there to keep everyone happy.” we like to get people talking about our beers and any variations to standard brewing procedures we may use in producing a beer. People (especially beer lovers) are very active on social media and love to debate and chat about it online.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANY BIG FLAVOUR FLOPS? Yes we have, but thankfully not too many. It generally takes a few batches and tweaks along the way until we are happy with a beer and ‘lock the recipe in’. Our customers enjoy being part of our journey and I find they like hearing about why we have changed recipes and processes along the way to creating a beer we are truly happy with.

WHAT HAS BEEN BLACK DOG’S BIGGEST SUCCESS OR ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR? I’d say winning 11 medals at the 2016 NZ Brewers Guild Awards, including three Gold Medals and three Silver Medals, was a highlight. The awards put Black Dog in third place in the Champion NZ Brewery Award for 2016, out of 98 breweries! It’s great to get recognition from your peers in a blind-tasted competition.

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE COMPANY GOING IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS? We’d like to look at exporting - the New Zealand craft beer industry has a great reputation worldwide and I’d like to capitalise on that. The challenge is to get your beers in the hands of consumers in the same condition it left the brewery in. Sadly, beer does not usually travel well as hop flavour and aroma is affected by temperature fluctuations and time spent on the water. n

BOOK EXTRACT Image credit: Marti Friedlander

Carrie Mendell and Campbell Aitken

Waiheke Island:

A World of Wine

A

stalwart in the New Zealand wine industry, Clare Dunleavy has been a sommelier, ambassador, cellar door manager and now author. Her new book, Waiheke Island: A World of Wine, shares the incredible stories of the winemakers from a wine region that has an abundance of character and characters. Here we share an extract from Waiheke Island: A World of Wine on one of the island’s newest vineyards, Tantalus.

CARRIE MENDELL AND CAMPBELL AITKEN TANTALUS UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF WINE Tantalus Estate is situated on the main road to Onetangi Beach, with a bus stop right outside the door and a golf course opposite. It’s surrounded by successful vineyard restaurants that deliver a variety of memorable experiences. This gave them great confidence. They wanted a business that was also a lifestyle – one that they could live alongside, experience and grow with, working hands-on with their expert team.

Their first step was to hire winemaker Alex Perez, and viticulturist Chris Ward. Alex and Chris work in tandem with each other, discussing every tiny detail with complete dedication. Alex has international vintage experience in wine and craft beer. He maintains the beehives and is studying towards the rarely acquired Master of Wine qualification. Chris had ten years of valuable experience working at Stonyridge as viticulturist, and has an extensive history in Hospitality and Wine Tourism. In 2013, both the vineyard and winery became fully accredited members of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

“I felt privy to their hopes and dreams, yet I was also wary of the weight of responsibility they carried.”

In the early days both the vineyard and the enormous building housing the winery and restaurant gave Carrie and Campbell riddles a-plenty. During those first few winter months they could not identify the grape varieties that had been planted in the past. Records were not accurate enough and many of the vines were diseased. But Chris was adamant that they could turn the entire vineyard around within a year, and full trust was placed in his plan. They took out thousands of vines, replanting with more suitable varieties and new clones. Five and a half hectares are planted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Viognier.

When I first interviewed Carrie and Campbell, the old bones of the restaurant building were undergoing major reconstruction. I walked with them through the unroofed wine-tasting, kitchen and dining rooms opening out onto the vineyard, imagining what those bare spaces would become. We edged our way downstairs to the darkened interior housing the private dining room, the brewery, the speak-easy brewers lounge and the wine cellar. Only the bell tower remained as it was, albeit furnished with a grand new bell.

I was struck by the magnitude of what they were building, their attention to detail. I felt privy to their hopes and dreams, yet I was also wary of the weight of responsibility they carried, albeit with focus, intent and bright intelligence.

When they began to describe the process of naming their business and their wines, it became very clear to me that the combined talent of this young couple is a winning formula. Their ideas and words weave together seamlessly.

Tantalus.You don’t hear this word spoken aloud and you may not know it at all. It’s a thing of the past. In olden times nobility would lock their spirits in the Tantalus to stop the wayward or thirsty poaching their drink. One could admire, but not obtain the contents within – very tantalizing. Carrie and Campbell were drawn to the lure, the secrecy and the desire evoked by the Tantalus. Making great wines requires patience, skill and determination in order to unlock and reveal an understanding of the nature of your land – your terroir. n © Waiheke Island: A World of Wine

By Clare Dunleavy Published by Beatnik Publishing, RRP $69.95 Beatnikshop.com Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 53

WINE FEATURE

The natural way: Organic winemaking Long before interventionist winegrowing and winemaking became common, organic practices were the ‘norm,’ explains Cameron Douglas MS.

T

he growth of organic viticulture and organic wine production in New Zealand has been significant over the past decade and a half. As this article goes to print, around 10% of New Zealand wine producers hold Organic Certification for their vineyards. Some of this growth stems from successful sustainability practices, however much of it comes from a foundation philosophy that a vineyard can work in harmony with the rhythms and processes of nature. A few of the well-established and very successful producers who subscribe to this philosophy include: Churton, Felton Road, Hans Herzog and Millton Wines. Other producers are close to full certification – some of these include:Villa Maria, Dog Point, Mahi and Neudorf. Even more producers are simply practicing organic farming or parts of it and do not want the certification.

The meaning and application of the term ‘organic’ is well ingrained in everyday wine and food language and a term often used for advertising the health benefits of all products it is attached to. From the organic vegetables, eggs and coffee beans we buy at the local market and even some supermarkets, to the farming methods adopted by vegetable, fruit and dairy growers - the list is long when ‘organic’ is mentioned.

Winegrowing has long been associated with organic practices, for many hundreds of years in fact. Long before interventionist winegrowing and winemaking became common, organic practices were the ‘norm’. Interventionist practices have been used, and still are, to speed up vineyard production and crop size successes. While there is nothing wrong with an interventionist approach, these do include the use of heavy machinery, herbicides and pesticides, fertilisers and practices that do not protect the natural health and balance in soil. One recent trend, however, has been for larger scale vineyards to begin to incorporate some of the organic ideas as it has been proven that there are many benefits and cost savings, over the long term, to be made. One example producer at this level is Wither Hills.

54 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

“Organics are a philosophy, a way of thinking translated into a usable system that sustains the health of soil, the ecosystems that are part of a vineyard – below and above ground - and the people that maintain the land.”

Hans Herzog Vineyard

Cow’s horns are filled with cow dung and buried in the ground for several months.

Cow's horns at Quartz Reef

Felton Road winemakers stirring Prep 500

Image credit: Pyramid Valley

WINE FEATURE ORGANIC VS BIODYNAMIC An understanding of what ‘organic’ means for viticulture and wine and any differences with ‘Biodynamism’ will help your customers better understand these farming philosophies. Any notion that feral hippies are the only people to make organic wines have been well and truly dissolved by the enormous success of the producers that have embraced organics.

Organics are a philosophy, a way of thinking translated into a usable system that sustains the health of soil, the ecosystems that are part of a vineyard – below and above ground - and the people that maintain the land.

Organic viticulture also relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects.

The Maori term ‘Toitu’ sits well alongside the philosophy of organic – its meaning suggests land should be eternally sustainable. The goals of organics include healthy vines, healthy grapes and potentially great wine.

To demonstrate how this works a very common practice is the use of compost, laid below each vine and on top of this a layer of straw. This simple application means a moist and protected environment exists below the straw - promoting good bacteria and microbial life, lots of worms and with the added benefit of not having to weed. Any need for weed control using manmade substances or machinery can have a significant impact on the soil and vine, such as compacting the soil, the release of exhaust fumes into the atmosphere and repeat weeding tasks. Organics also makes use of cover crops between the vines such as peas to build soil life.

Buckwheat is also commonly planted to attract insects that eat pests.

Bio-Dynamics takes the ideas of organics one step further with a deeper focus on understanding and managing the vineyard as a holistic organism.

Biodynamic methods include the use of special plant, animal and mineral preparations which are used for various reasons from preventing disease to adding nourishment to the soil. Many of these applications coincide with the cycle of the moon and seasons while others do not. One such preparation is called [Preparation] 500.This is made by filling a cow’s horn with cow dung, and burying it in the ground for several months.

After this time underground, the manure turns into a dark sweet-smelling humus.The manure is then combined with water and sometimes other ingredients to make Preparation 500, which is sprayed throughout a vineyard typically at the descending phase of the moon.This elixir assists in the activation of the soil and encourages its life force to ignite.

THE END RESULT… The majority of wine made using organically grown grapes undertake a ‘natural’ or ‘wild’ ferment stage. Put simply this means that only the yeast cells stuck to the grape skins at harvest time begin and complete the primary alcohol fermentation. While there is some risk in this approach, it is always more successful than not. Recent research into indigenous yeasts throughout New Zealand suggests a very strong population and a wide range of types plus a high degree of successful natural ferments. This is of course winemaker controlled.

The resultant wine can and often smell and taste different and better.

Herein lies one of the many positive outcomes for organically managed vineyards. The aroma of a naturally-fermented wine from these grapes is immediately more complex, subtle and engaging. For white wines there can be scents of wild flowers, delicate Manuka honey and heirloom versions of the fruits suggested. This is in addition to the attractive scents associated with each variety. For red wine, the same applies, though a little harder to detect when significant skin contact or oak is used. Red wine does, however, benefit with more texture and finesse. Red wine can often have less new oak used as well - a result of the more subtle and beguiling scents that can arise though a natural ferment based on organic material. This would be a producer and style decision however.

Acidity too can be different in these wines, brighter, more focused and riper driving the finish and intensity for a much longer aftertaste.

The decision as to whether a wine is better or even better for you because it is made from fruit farmed in a natural way will ultimately be decided by the drinker – your customer. A wine must always smell, taste and feel attractive touching as many senses as possible leaving a lasting impression. My personal experience of wines managed using organics is always more exciting, textural and leaves a lasting positive impression. n Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 55

TASTING NOTES

Spicy Syrah T

he origins of Syrah have been long debated – however recent genetic mapping (or ‘finger printing’ technology of flora) reveals that the variety in fact comes from France, with the Rhone Valley in particular taking much of the credit. Some of the historical benchmarks that include a high proportion and sometimes 100% use of the variety include: Cote Rotie, Cornas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Hermitage.

In Australia, the variety has been used significantly in South Australia, parts of Victoria and New South Wales for almost 200 years.

Syrah has been part of the New Zealand wine-scape since the early 1900s, though it did not perform as well as expected in that era.This may have been due to the clones used, site selection or winemaking.This did change however in the 1990s when a serious attempt to cultivate the variety was undertaken by multiple growers with more success. By this time there was a much greater understanding of viticulture, site selection and vine management as well and the ground work completed by winemaker Dr Alan Limmer was critical to its ongoing successes.

Today, it is a well-known variety with plantings throughout the country - the highest concentration is in the Hawke’s Bay, followed

by Auckland, then Marlborough. More recently, wines made from this variety are emerging from Central Otago. The increase in plantings

BY CAMERON DOUGLAS MS

has been steady - from 117 hectares (Ha) in 2002 through 257 Ha in 2007 to 423 Ha in 2014 (this total accounts for just 0.5% of NZ’s total annual wine production, so it remains a specialty wine).

Aromatically Syrah should show a distinctive power and concentration in the bouquet, with red to dark red berry highlights, sometimes field mushroom and aged meat, even leather. All Syrah should also have a peppery quality – either white or black, and some may show a peppercorn quality. The pepper in particular (reflecting the presence of the compound rotundone) is a key attribute of the Syrah grape itself, and forms naturally at Veraison (onset of ripeness and colour change in grapes) continuing through to harvest. Tannins and acidity are usually high in the new release wines, and along with decent concentration of flavour these set the stage well for long-lived examples. Of the many examples tasted for this month’s issue, the stand out wines had concentration and complexity with aromas and flavours that included spicy black currant, liquorice and blue fruits, frim-yetripe tannins and a distinctive back bone of acidity.

Syrah’s suitability with food is quite varied from roasted pork belly and aged beef dishes to earthy mushroom centric pasta dishes and even sauce mole over roasted chicken. n

Wines are scored out of 100 points and are listed in no particular order. Numbers are not indicative of a ranking.

Cameron Douglas is New Zealand’s first and only Master Sommelier. He is a Senior Lecturer at AUT University in Auckland, local and international wine judge, wine commentator and wine educator as well speaker and presenter in New Zealand and internationally. Cameron is also an examiner with the Court of Master Sommeliers Worldwide. He writes the wine lists for a variety of establishments including Merediths, Mekong Baby, Nanam Republic and Michelin Starred New York establishment The Musket Room.

56 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

Fresh, fruity, youthful and forward aromas of black fruits with blackcurrant leading, pepper and pepper corn spice, some toasty wood moments. On the palate - as the nose suggests - fruity, fresh, youthful and engaging; dark berry fruit flavours, a back bone of acidity, fine to moderate tannins and balanced, lengthy finish. Well made.

Drink now and through 2022.

Points: 90 RRP: $16.50 Distributor: Mission Estate Phone: (06) 845 9350 www.missionestate.co.nz

2

SILENI EXCEPTIONAL VINTAGE HAWKE’S BAY SYRAH 2013

Dense rich core of dark berries with black raspberry, blackcurrant and some blueberry, a toasty peppery spice underpins these suggestions. On the palate - dry, firm, youthful and fruity with flavours that reflect the bouquet, firm youthful tannins with some silky textures showing, plenty of acidity and a lengthy finish. Well made.

Points: 91 RRP: $ Distributor: Sileni Estates Phone: (06) 879 8768 www.sileni.co.nz

TWO

BIO:

MISSION ESTATE WINERY HAWKE’S BAY SYRAH 2016

ONE

1

FEATURE

Yalumba reveals The Caley One of oldest names in Australian wine is taking on the red wine icons of Penfold’s Grange and Henchke’s Hill of Grace.

Michael Hooper tells us more.

The Caley

R

obert Hill-Smith, the fifth generation head of Yalumba, could be a wine that changes the perception of what we do and what Australia’s oldest family-owned winery, has revealed his we stand for, that takes us to another level”. The best from each region crusade to take on the red wine icons of Penfold’s Grange and was selected to parent The Caley.

Henchke’s Hill of Grace with the recent launch of a Cabernet A romp through various vintages of Octavius and Paradox shiraz, Sauvignon/Shiraz blend, The Caley. “Wines are about the story and Menzies Cab Sav, the Signature blends and some private clone-specific Fred Caley Smith was our own Indiana Jones,” he says. ferments, fills in more of the story. Clones, locations and even barrels In 1893, 27-year-old horticulturalist Caley Smith set sail from with cooperage at Yalumba, all point to a serious intent to position The Adelaide on a 20-month world circumnavigation. Publishing his Caley at a pinnacle. journal in newspapers, including the Auckland Herald, he was a 19th A deep, purpling ruby, The Caley exudes the perfumed earth of century blogger whose newswires included an escape from swordBarossa Shiraz, some being 1901 plantings, and the broody muscular wielding eunuchs and a trip to the opium dens of San Francisco. His structure of the mostly Coonawarra Menzies Yineyards Cabernet – the travels through 52 cities are mapped on the finely-printed tissue wrap robe and the rod. for The Caley wine, and in a notebook in the box.

Even with luxurious character, warmth, longevity and charm, The wine and the historic traveller were wed when familiar trade who will pay almost $400 for a bottle? “For us this is a walk on the figure and Yalumba archivist, Jane Ferrari, read Fred’s letters and wild side,” says Hill-Smith. “It puts us into some elite company. It connected his adventurous spirit with will attract red wine aficionados who the new project - a bold marriage of the are curious. We want people to look at Romeo Coonawarra Cabernet with a Yalumba differently; we want them to Juliet Barossa Shiraz. take what we do seriously. I would rather To understand some of the layers in it were drunk by five guys putting in $60 this liaison, it’s helpful to consider other each, rather than one person who felt prominent Yalumba wines. At our tasting, they only drink wine over $300 a bottle. from the cellar under the Hill-Smith I would like friends to come together and house, Robert Hill-Smith poured a 1959 enjoy and talk about it. That’s far more Yalumba Galway Claret - an amber invigorating to me than a customer with ghost of a wine, now mostly Bovril and millions of dollars in their pocket.” caramel, but still clutching some tannin.

Conviction, provenance and leadership Next, a 1961 Special Reserve Claret, the are the pillars of the company, which inspiration behind the Signature range, once withdrew wines from a distributer and also The Menzies label. A 1974 on discovering that it was funding the Signature showed that a serious wine can American National Rifle Association. It be made even in one of the worst years on illustrates the difference between ‘the big record. I got the point – longevity runs in boys’ and a family-run company. the family.

Fred is long gone, but the Kiwi When it came to blending, in 2012 connection with The Caley remains. The there were almost “too many magnificent ship in which he sailed from Auckland and options” says Robert. It had been some onto his global adventures was the TSS twenty years since a Coonawarra and Monowai, which was scuttled in 1926 to Barossa blend had been created, and “our become a breakwater in the wine region Yalumba’s Robert Hill-Smith heads began to spin – we thought this of Gisborne. n Hospitality BUSINESS | June 2017 | 57

Q&A

Begin with

Gin

A love of gin and a passion for the environment inspired New Plymouth couple Jo and Dave James to open a boutique distillery. The Shout caught up with Jo to see how Begin Distilling is aiming to reinvent gin’s reputation.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO OPEN A GIN DISTILLERY? We wanted to be part of the enthusiasm and excitement that has been created by boutique gins all over the world, and not just at the tasting end. Our love of gin and passion for the environment inspired us to start Begin Distilling Ltd with its three core values of: Make it fun, make it together, and make it right.

One of our key activities has been working with local horticulturists and market gardeners to start growing the key ingredients here in New Zealand. And working with a local engineering firm to build our distillery has been distillers’ heaven!

Dave James at the still

HOW WILL YOUR GIN BE DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS IN THE MARKET? Juno Extra Fine Gin has juniper as the hero and the citrus and floral notes that we really enjoy. We are also embracing the changing seasons with their changing botanicals and creating short-run seasonal variants that will come in smaller bottles, perfect for sharing with friends as a one-off moment in time. These are adventurous gins that will excite and tantalise your taste buds.

GIN DOESN’T HAVE THE BEST REPUTATION – GIN MAKES YOU SIN, GIN MAKES YOU CRY – WHAT MAKES GIN A GREAT SPIRIT? AND WHY SHOULD PEOPLE STOP OVERLOOKING IT? You are right, there is a bit of a bad rep for gin, and this is firmly rooted in the very cheapest and desperate times of history. And that’s what it should be regarded as – history! A well-made, beautifully balanced gin is an interesting play of flavours - one to be savoured, not devoured. Any alcohol in excess will lead to harm, so our focus is squarely on including alcohol as part of a bigger picture, a small piece added into magical occasions.

WHAT SHOULD BARTENDERS OR LIQUOR BUYERS BE LOOKING FOR WHEN TASTING GIN? It depends on how you plan to drink it. Cocktails need to have a good backbone of juniper and some additional fire/heat elements that reinforce the impression of alcohol without actually increasing the percentage. We don’t want people needing a little lie down after a Negroni or a Gin Fizz, unless we are thinking Corpse Reviver?!

For a martini or a gin & tonic, [look for] balance and a clean lingering note that entices you to have another sip. And we need to think about the tonic – some work better with [certain] gins than others.

Personal taste is key for liquor buyers – floral, pine-y, citrus, peppery, spicy, earthy … the flavour wheel is huge, so many adventures to be had!

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MARKERS OF BAD GIN? Soapiness! Ethanol! If it tastes or smells like you will get a headache – avoid!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CLASSIC GIN COCKTAIL? Who can go past the classic G&T? But then again, some of our seasonal adventure gins are really at their best just served on ice.n 58 | June 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

The juniper still

Jo James

Begin Distilling’s Juno Extra Fine Gin

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