FATCARONS IN WELLINGTON | TOP DELIVERY TIPS | LEASE IS MORE
www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz SEPTEMBER 2020 Vol.7 No.4
Inspired leadership through tough times – Marisa Bidois, CEO of Restaurant Association
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Contents REGULARS 06 DIGEST The Restaurant Association highlights hospitality changes needed with taskforce team.
08 TRENDING Wellington café adjusts quickly to COVID 19 restrictions with Fatcarons
PEOPLE 10 CHEF OF THE MONTH Darby Brooks – Executive Chef at the Royal Auckland and The Grange ‘s new multimillion clubhouse.
FEATURES 12 COMMERCIAL KITCHENS Form, function and a point of difference.
16 A UCKLAND’S DESTINATION DINING PRECINCT
10
Commercial Bay revisited rises to expectations
24 HOTEL SCENE Auckland’s first five star Green hotel opens at Britomart.
26 COMMERCIAL LEASING Know your rights
20 25
16
23 HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - SEPTEMBER 2020 3
Editor SEPTEMBER 2020 Vol. 7 No. 4
United we stand!
Kimberley Dixon kdixon@ intermedianz.co.nz 0274 505 502
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Welcome back!!! The team at Hospitality Business is delighted to be back in print, bringing you, our treasured readers, stories and information that will inspire and record the times we are currently living! Year 2020 will go down in hospitality history as the year everything turned from gold to dust thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The months of March through to September have been a whirlwind of dismay, optimism, grief, elation and insecurity wrapped up in a harsh dose of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of COVID-19 never ending, and a feeling at being “all at sea”. Times like this are of course when we look for strong leadership, which for the hospitality sector at least, has been seriously lacking in terms of government policy, apart from the economic lifeline called Wage Subsidy. It has, however risen within the hospitality industry and one who has repeatedly stood up to be counted is Marisa Bidois. The Restaurant Association’s CEO is a beacon of hope in stormy waters, addressing ideas , and forming a taskforce of key experienced personnel to challenge the current Government to do better for our sector. Whoever ends up in power after the October 17 General Election needs to listen to industry ideas and concerns including, most importantly the establishment of a Minister / Ministry for Hospitality, so the sector isn’t seen as the noisy kid sister to tourism. With over 130,000 people dependent on their livelihoods in hospitality – a sector that has contributed over $11 billion to the economy – it’s about time true representation was available. Our September issue brings stories of courageous Kiwis who have been able to continue their dreams; tips on how to continue delivering your food, and we take another look at Auckland's latest hospitality star, Commercial Bay – behind the scenes. It's great to be back in print, united with our readers again and with our online community at www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz! Kia Kaha
Kimberley Dixon www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz
On the Cover: RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND Inspired by the passionate creative people who work within the hospitality sector, Marisa Bidois's leadership shows the strength in the association's membership. To join the organisation go to www.restaurantnz.co.nz
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FATCARONS IN WELLINGTON | TOP DELIVERY TIPS | LEASE IS MORE
www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz SEPTEMBER 2020 Vol.7 No.4
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Inspired leadership through tough times – Marisa Bidois, CEO of Restaurant Association
NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST HOSPITALITY AUDIENCE
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4 SEPTEMBER 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
Worldof Wine CAMERON DOUGLAS MS
VOLUME 2 WINTER 2019
IT'S A MATCH
CELLAR SECRETS
Food and wine pairs to love
Backstage at the vineyard PLUS finding your favourite drop
C O M I N G S O O N !
WINE LABEL LANGUAGE EXPLAINED
Reds on the Rise
THE SUMMER ISSUE OF
Liquid Gold
GROWING GRAPES ON FORMER GOLD-MINING CLAIMS HAS HELPED PRODUCE SOME 24-KARAT WINES FROM DOMAIN ROAD VINEYARD
18 WORLD OF WINE – SUMMER 2019/20
Dry River Craighall Tempranillo 2016, RRP $65
Coopers Creek The Little Rascal SV Gisborne Arneis, RRP $21.99
NEW ZEALAND’S LEADING CONSUMER
Leftfield Gisborne Albariño, RRP $17.99 Waimea Estates Grüner Veltliner 2018, RRP $29.99
WORLD OF WINE – SUMMER 2019/20 27
WINE MAGAZINE IN COLLABORATION WITH MASTER SOMMELIER
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Wine
CAMERON DOUGLAS
Tour
SIP YOUR WAY FROM ONE END OF THE COUNTRY TO THE OTHER VIA THIS NATIONWIDE GUIDE TO OUR FINEST DROPS
TRUE NORTH Northland remains a small yet important region with a handful of wineries continuing the story of viticulture and wine. Marsden Estate has shown its value to the New Zealand wine industry overall with value and consistently well-made wine. Ake Ake, Paroa Bay and The Landing produce wines with warmth and generosity, representing the region’s dedication to the production of fine wine from Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Syrah. The Auckland wine region reaches as far north as Matakana, south to Clevedon and across the water to Waiheke Island – it’s a key centre for fine wine production. The region supports many varieties – from Bordeaux-style red blends and Syrah on Waiheke Island to Pinot Gris from Matakana. Brick Bay, Cable Bay, Tantalus Estate, Mudbrick, Stonyridge, Man O’ War and Puriri Hills are among many quality producers. World class Chardonnay from Kumeu River and the third most recognised winery brand on the planet Villa Maria (based at Ihumãtao in Mangere) are two cellar door and wine tasting experiences that should not be missed. The Waikato and Bay of Plenty form a single wine region. Once well known for its aromatic wine production, it is now home to only two estates. Gisborne’s own wine story began in the 1800s with early settlers producing wine
for their own consumption, and by the 1920s it was well into significant volumes for commercial sales. Gisborne is home to the Millton family – James and Annie are pioneers in biodynamic viticulture practices and unquestionably set a benchmark in this important method. A few of my favourite wines from producers in the region include Tohu, Toi Toi, Odyssey Wines, Huntaway, Spade Oak, Coopers Creek, Matawhero and Millton Vineyards. Hawke’s Bay is a beautiful place to visit – with warm summers, mild winters and a stunning landscape. It contains a range of different soil types, from free-draining river stone soils to red metals and limestone,
which ensures Hawke’s Bay is able to ripen a wide variety of grape types and make some excellent wines. Many notable producers are situated here – examples include Elephant Hill, Clearview Estate, Bilancia, Te Mata Estate and Pask with their Syrah stories; great Cabernet-led blends and Chardonnay from Villa Maria, Sacred Hill, Esk Valley, Craggy Range and Te Awa Estates. Be sure to look out for some great wines from Radburnd Cellars too. North east of Wellington is the Wairarapa, where the important sub-regions of Gladstone, Masterton and Martinborough are located. Every producer in the region seems to have a fascinating story underpinning their Ostler, Waitaki Valley, North Otago
22 WORLD OF WINE – SUMMER 2019/20
TASTING NOTES SAUVIGNON BLANC
1
Summerhouse Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Marlborough
1
Classically styled Marlborough SB with flavours of passion fruit and white peach, lemongrass, wet stone and white flavours. Juicy and flashy texture with a core of fruit and contrasting acidity. Balanced and well made, ready to enjoy from today and through Summer 2021. POINTS: 90 RRP $19 summerhouse.co.nz
3
2
Rapaura Springs Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Marlborough
Enticing and sophisticated bouquet of SB with aromas and flavours of passionfruit and apple, a touch of gunflint and lemon, wet stone, lemongrass and hay. Juicy, fleshy and quite delicious on the palate. Flavours reflect the nose with a core of passionfruit, sweet Cape gooseberry and lemongrass, loads of crisp refreshing acidity and a long finish. Drink now and through 2021. POINTS: 94 RRP $19 rapaurasprings.co.nz
4
Smith & Sheth CRU Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Wairau, Marlborough
Intense, fruity, quite pungent and varietal with aromas and flavours of fresh pineapple and basil, a sting of grapefruit, lemon and white peach. A touch of fruit spice, lees and hay. Loads of texture from plenty of acidity with a flinty salty layer. Well made, vibrant and ready, in fact delicious! Drink now and through 2022. POINTS: 94 RRP $28 smithandsheth.com
2
5
Wairau River Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Marlborough
4
3
Pyramid Valley Sauvignon+ 2019 North Canterbury
Exacting aromas and flavours include fresh citrus and a leesy spice, white peach and grapefruit, a gentle stony and chalky earthy layer and lifted floral moments. Crisp, refreshing and dry on the palate with flavours that mirror the nose, especially grapefruit peel, sweet lemon and apple. Pristine acidity and lengthy finish. Well made, balanced and ready to enjoy from today and through 2023. POINTS: 94 RRP $28 pyramidvalley.co.nz
6
5
Unmistakable aromas of tropical fruits and citrus, sweet grass and wet stone. On the palate – flavours of pineapple and passionfruit, red apple and peach. Additional flavours of lemongrass and galangal, wet stone and minerals. Crisp and dry on the finish. Drink now and through 2022. POINTS: 92 RRP $20 wairauriverwines.com
6
Greystone Sauvignon Blanc 2018 North Canterbury
Varietal SB greets the nose with a sweet herb and angelica leaf tease. Golden kiwifruit, apple and grapefruit follow close behind. No mistaking the sweet sweaty lift of barrel ferment and lees as well as natural ferment flintiness. A youthful reductive note swirls away easily. Very citrusy and crisp on the palate with lees and barrel flavours to follow. Grapefruit, apple and peach to finish. Youthful and delicious, lengthy and exciting. Drink now and through 2022. POINTS: 94 RRP $29 greystonewines.co.nz
THE SUMMER ISSUE WILL FEATURE: Sparkling Wines New Zealand’s Heroes: Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir Central Otago Aromatic Whites
A Wine Lover’s Guide to Christmas How to Build a Wine Cellar Top 20 Winemakers in New Zealand And much more!
WORLD OF WINE – SUMMER 2019/20 43
Worldof Wine VOLUME 3 SUMMER 2019/20
CAMERON DOUGLAS MS
CAM’S BEST OF
2019
RAISING A TOAST TO
Summer
P R O M OT E Y O U R W I N E S TO A N A U D I E N C E O F M O R E T H A N 2 0 , 0 0 0 W I N E LO V E R S ADVERTISING DEADLINE: 29 SEPTEMBER
108 WINES
Tasted & rated
SIMON GAULT’S BBQ FAVOURITES
+ the perfect wine matches
SWAP YOUR DROP
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CONTACT BRIGITTE KOLVER: bkolver@intermedianz.co.nz or +64 (0)27 294 5113
Digest In association with Hospitality Business’ online newsletter www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz
Marisa Bidois, CEO of Restaurant Association of New Zealand.
Inspired leadership through tough times
Inspired by the passionate, creative people who work within the hospitality sector, Marisa Bidois’s (Ngāti Ranginui) leadership of the Restaurant Association of NZ has seen it grow and develop into an agile organisation responsive to industry needs and trends as they happen, while also having the impact to enact meaningful change. Appointed Chief Executive in 2011, much of Marisa’s time is spent growing interest and opportunity in the industry, raising its profile and advocating for members. With extensive experience co-designing and advising Government agencies, she’s worked in advisory capacities with several different Government departments including MPI, Immigration NZ, IRD and others. Marisa has also led collaborations with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to create the Association’s HospoStart programmes, assisting employers find people with the right skills to create a fulfilling hospitality career. She’s currently on the Go with Tourism Advisory Board and MPI’s Food and Beverage Forum, and earlier this year was appointed to the Government’s Workforce Development Council Reference Group and the Auckland Regional Skills Leadership Group. Marisa gained her own start in the industry waiting tables while studying employment relations and law at the University of Auckland. It was working part-time in restaurants that taught her invaluable skills, setting her on a career path in business, management, leadership and human resources.
Powerhouse industry desperate for own Ministry The most important issue for the hospitality industry is the sector’s recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Restaurant Association’s CEO Marisa Bidois. On August 24 the Association was hoping for the quickest possible return to level 1 trading following Auckland’s second lockdown and the rest of the country at level 2. Expecting the government might extend the level 3 period within Auckland until the Friday, the Association’s hopes were dashed. Instead, level 3 was extended for another week with Auckland then moving to a ‘staged’ level 2, due to stay in place for at least 4 days, with bars and restaurants open for groups no larger than 10 under the ‘single server, seated and separated’ arrangement. “The closure for another full weekend, which are key trading days for hospitality is another blow,” says Marisa. “Keeping the rest of the country at level 2 seemed an unnecessary measure. We’re now looking at closure rates between 10 and 12 percent for hospitality businesses as a result of the restrictions, which translates to around 13,000 jobs lost.” The Association is calling on the next Government to work collaboratively to create a concise pathway for rebuilding and repositioning the sector for the future. “The hospitality industry contributes $11 billion to the economy, making it one of New Zealand’s largest industries. Despite being an enduring powerhouse; sector policy, especially for hospitality, is fragmented, impractical and often devoid of the everyday realities of operations,” says Marisa. “Sadly, our industry’s strong growth story 6 SEPTEMBER 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
has been decimated by COVID-19, leading us to five key priorities to best support the sector recovery and ensure government policy matches the realities of everyday hospitality needs. “Until now the hospitality industry has been in sustained growth but for some time we’ve desperately lacked the skilled workforce needed to support our growth. “We have relied heavily on a migrant workforce that is largely inaccessible to us now and COVID-19 has now made it necessary to reset the employee pathway. “This means investing in hospitality apprenticeships and further training that’s fit for purpose, whilst also refining our immigration policy needs. “Despite the enormous contribution our industry makes to the economy we are still lacking our own dedicated ministry. We are calling on the government for greater recognition and better oversight in the form of a dedicated Minister and hospitality unit within the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment. “For a sector that generated annual sales in excess of $11 billion and employed more than 133,000 people in 2019, to not have a dedicated Minister to call on for support,
means Government policy regularly misses the mark. This became increasingly problematic throughout the COVID-19 pandemic response. “We are also seeking greater acknowledgement from the next Government for the significant role that hospitality plays in the tourist experience. “Every single visitor to New Zealand consumes our food and every aspect of our unique food story, from production to tourism, could recognise the importance of connecting with the people who eat our food. As we navigate no tourists for the foreseeable future this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to apply the hard won gains of our 100% pure reputation to our food industry, repositioning the story of NZ’s food experience and better promote the depth and diversity of dining experiences. “This will also create the halo effect, developing pride in our hospitality story and encourage more job seekers to view hospitality as an attractive employment pathway for life. “The hospitality sector is a core component of the New Zealand lifestyle, however appetites are changing. We are seeing a rise in conscious consumerism: where customers are driven not by prices or flavours alone, but also by the origins of their food. “Finally, we would like to see the next government examine and refine hospitality’s regulatory environment. Recent regulatory changes weigh heavily on hospitality and a review of regulations to consider ‘best practice’ standardisation where appropriate is desperately needed,” says Marisa.
Hospitality Recovery Taskforce – it’s all eyes on recovery While COVID-19 has left uncertainty in its wake, the Restaurant Association is determined to mine New Zealanders famous reputation for resilience and innovation, and assist the industry in finding those opportunities that will help develop a more sustained way of operating going forward. To drive and support the quickest recovery possible, the Association has brought together a diverse, talented group of people with expertise in every facet of the hospitality sector, to provide leadership and guidance and boost the projects that will assist the economic recovery. Comprising the Hospitality Recovery Taskforce are hospitality and tourism operators, association executives and leading lights; including the Restaurant
Association’s Marisa Bidois and Mike Egan, Krishna Botica, Leeann Muntz, Sam Krofsky, Argun Gill, Sophie Gilmour, Bo Manoonpong, Ruth Pretty, Frank Hsu, Andrew Targett, Richard Sigley, Tamati Coffee, Steve Logan, Jackie Grant and Cam Mitchell. The taskforce meets monthly and covers major issues such as industrywide financial assistance; the need for a Hospitality Minister; an immigration plan including improved processes and clear time frames to relieve stress and uncertainty, and whether there’s training support for operators instructed to hire inexperienced Kiwis over career professionals on work visas. Mentoring and marketing assistance is also vital for the industry as it rebuilds, Marisa says.
SUPPORT
NZ
Nido’s new cafe perched to open A new 1,200sqm cafe set to open in the coming weeks will be one of West Auckland’s largest according to its owner. The 340 seat Perch cafe will be located on the second level of the recently opened Nido homeware store. The cafe is capable of preparing and serving meals for more than 1,500 customers a day and will have 24 local employees. Vinod Kumar, CEO of Nido, says the opening of the cafe is a necessary addition to the company’s homeware and furnishing product range. “The sheer size and scale of Nido mean we are seeing customers already spending at least an hour in the store and with the opening of the second level, this will increase to an average stage of more than two hours.
“What we are finding is that customers are working up an appetite while browsing over 4km kilometres of product aisles – the opening of Perch is a natural extension to meet that need in store. He says the cafe will be a welcome boost for the local food service industry as well as employment in the hospitality sector. “Our coffee kiosk is already making up to 200 coffees per hour and Perch is expected to serve thousands of affordable meals each week. “As an example of how this will benefit local food and beverage suppliers, we have a machine which is capable of cutting a tonne of NZ grown potatoes into fries every five hours and we expect to purchase over half a tonne of fresh produce every month along with 15,000 beverages.
Lewisham Awards appoint new leaders The Lewisham Foundation has announced two new appointments to its leadership positions following the resignations of CoChairs, Ash Visvanathan, Venue Manager at St Heliers Bay Bistro and Lindsay Swannack, Maitre d’ at Prego Restaurant. Committee member Phil Neverman, Sales Manager for Greenmount Foods – Stock Shop Co., has been appointed Chair and fellow committee member Vicky Roberts, Consultant and Wine Buyer for WineFriend, Deputy Chair. Accepting the position Phil Neverman said “With the experience of nine years on the Lewisham committee behind me, I am very pleased and proud to be elected as Chair. “As a chef for 35 years, this industry has been my life, as it has for many others! Hospitality is in a very tough place in the current Covid environment; hence why
we made the decision to cancel the 2020 Lewisham Awards. “We as a committee, along with our amazing sponsors, will put on an awesome awards evening in 2021, to celebrate moving forward and excellence in hospitality! I can’t wait to see you all there!” “More than ever during the turbulent times our industry is facing, we need to recognise, celebrate and continue to support the Auckland hospitality community. We will come together again in June 2021, so diarise Sunday 6th June now.” Normally an annual event organised by a dedicated committee of industry professionals with the support of industry suppliers and businesses, the Lewisham Awards recognise outstanding hospitality in the Auckland region. Visit www. lewishamawards.co.nz for more information.
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TRENDING
‘Fatcarons’ are proving p
op ula r
8 SEPTEMBER 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
ton’s Cafe CLOU D.
Jimmy has 10 years’ experience in cafes and also owns Wellington’s Extra Extra in Panama Street, but for April it’s a whole new career. She had worked in cafes while studying at university but it wasn’t until the March lockdown forced her to stay home from her administration job that April rediscovered a love of baking macarons. Korean-born, these are not just normal macarons. “I went home for six months in 2018 and discovered there was a huge craze on Korean macarons,” she says. “They’re not as sweet as traditional French macarons and are filled with a number of different fillings. We call them ‘fatcarons’ as they’re so fat,” she laughs. K.C. thought they were pretty good so offered a few to his mate, Jimmy, to try and before long April was doing all-night baking sessions, preparing macaron orders for Extra Extra and also Lower Hutt café Simply Sweet. “The guy at Simply Sweet told me that he’s had one lady buying nine or 10 at once and his café is becoming known for them,” says April. New flavours are emerging all the time, including crème brulee, brownie, cheesecake and lemon curd. aIt goes without saying that April’s special twist on macarons takes pride of place in the new CLOUD coffee shop, alongside the star of the show, Vivace Coffee. “We tried various other local coffees but we found they were quite
in g
cious Korean D e li sty l
m
ns aro ac
e ll W at
L
ast month’s surprise level change announcement may have thrown a big curve ball at Wellington’s new Café CLOUD, but every cloud has a silver lining. In spite of being plunged back into level 2 restrictions right on opening day, the sun has been shining brightly on this great, new coffee shop on Lambton Quay. Owners Jimmy Phan and business partner April (Jiyoung) Moon had been frantically renovating what was formerly Coffee 86, with much help from April’s electrician boyfriend K.C. Oon, and his tradie mates. The opportunity to take over the lease had only come up a month before and they were all celebrating at the café with more than 60 guests, family and friends, on the night of the government’s August 11 Auckland lockdown announcement. April, who’d been up much of the previous night baking her now locally famous macarons, says that after a celebration restaurant dinner she went home and fell asleep. “K.C. woke me at midnight to tell me the news,” she says. It was straight back into some midnight baking and then a super early start for them at the new café, rearranging tables and setting social distancing regulations, as well as ensuring adequate contact tracing notifications and registers were on hand. Fortunately for Jimmy and April the café is situated right beneath the TVNZ offices and right in the midst of Wellington’s busy Lambton Quay office and business precinct. A reporter from upstairs must’ve had a hankering to try their Vivace Coffee and a small item on national television about their level 2 opening plight a few days later was a helpful boost to business. “Everybody’s just been so supportive,” says April. “It’s been wonderful.” With a Les Mills gym right next door there’s also been a rush on their protein lattes and bulletproof coffee, as well as real fruit smoothies sweetened with honey.
ed
Famous in Wellington!
April Moon and Jimmy Phan – business partners of Café CLOUD on Lambton Quay overcame COVID-19 lockdown challenges to open!
mild,” she says. “Jimmy thought we needed something stronger.” It looks like Jimmy was right. Their ‘Ultimate’, five bean blend of coffee beans sourced from Africa, South America and Asia, has its own unique flavour and is bringing the customers back for more. “We also do a single origin that changes every week. At the moment we’re using Columbian coffee beans.” While official opening day on August 12 wasn’t quite what they’d anticipated, with the excitement of the busyness slightly waned after the previous two days of ‘soft’ opening, April says they sold a lot more coffee and food than expected. After the tension of August 14’s government follow-up announcement, she says they’re looking forward to getting back to level 1 as soon as possible. As for the name, there are many reasons. “Aotearoa is the land of the long white cloud, steamed fluffy white milk foam and macaron egg white mixture remind me of clouds and Cloud 9 is a positive thing,” says April. n
Take Home
Dessert Solutions
8 Emma- Jane's Desserts you can add to your 'Take-Home' Menu immediately! Save time and cut costs 1.Traditional Italian Tiramisu Tiramisu we all love and know, done the right way! Coffee soaked sponge fingers layered with mascarpone cream then topped with a dusting of cocoa. It comes in a 1kg log, allowing for 14+ generous serves. Just thaw and serve.
5.Chocolate Fondant (Lava Cake) A luxurious, gooey, essential chocolate dessert. Made extra special with its intense 22.4% chocolate with a 58% cocoa content providing a distinct chocolatey taste alongside a gooey chocolate centre and soft cake texture. Heat for 40seconds in the microwave.
2.Lemon Rolle Lemon flavoured sponge folded around whipped lemon infused cream. Topped with candied lemon slices and shredded coconut. Coming in a 1.2kg log, it allows for 14+ generous serves. Just thaw and serve.
6.Truffon The Truffon stands out for its intense chocolate conent. 72% cocoa dark chocolate ganache topped with 58% cocoa chocolate mousse. The hidden meringue centre contrasts well and is a tasty surprise for the unsuspecting guest. Predecorated with a chocolate shape.
3.L'Opera A layer of plain joconde biscuit, a delicate chocolate ganache and a light butter cream with a light coffee aroma, all covered with chocolate icing as the finishing touch. Single serve dessert. Just thaw and serve. 4.Chocolate & Caramel Duo This essential dessert marries various textures; chocolate crumble topped with a layer of chocolate mousse and caramel cream on top. Finished off with a predecorated chocolate shape. Ready to serve to save you time.
7.Red Fruit Charlotte The elegant choice. Made with a genoise sponge cake infused with raspberry pieces, a vanilla flavoured mousse and a red berry jelly. Finished with a topping of whole red berries and pistachio pieces. Ready to serve. 8.Lemon Meringue Pie A kiwi favourite, ready to serve in a single portion. A tangy, fresh and light dessert made with butter biscuit crumb, tangy lemon cream mix and an Italian meringue. Topped with slivered almonds and lemon zest.
To see or taste samples of the products, simply call us or email us today. We'd LOVE to hear from you!
0800 366 252 | info@emmajanes.co.nz
CHEF OF THE MONTH
The glamourous new club house for the Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club combines a winning combination for the Jack Nicklaus designed course with architect Andrew Patterson's state of the art 19th hole. Photo Credit: Anna Killgour-Wilson www.botanicphotos.co.nz
Fine dining with precision & consistency Executive Chef, Darby Brooks
H
e’s clocked 40 years in the job for renowned French American kitchen, including those of Michelin star chef, David Bouley. the world’s most renowned “He set me in motion to work in fine Michelin star restaurants, dining. He was an awarded 4-star chef but for American-born Darby Brooks, and the best restaurateur,” says Darby. it all started at the age of 13 in his USA “His well-known restaurant, Bouley hometown, New Hampshire. was at that time one of America’s best There he worked for a local familyrestaurants. We had almost a one-year owned restaurant in what was to waiting list to get in for dinner on a become the launch for a star-studded Saturday night and he would have fish international career leading all around sent in to the restaurant fresh daily via the globe and finally to New Zealand Federal Express , from Maine, which in 2013. must have cost a fortune and nobody Recently appointed the Executive Chef did that back then!” at the prestigious Royal Auckland and David was at the forefront, leading Grange Colf Club, Darby brings a wealth the way with organic gardening and of five star Michelin level experience. organic produce because it tasted so Now 54, family legend has it that much better. It was all about the his Italian grandparents once flavour, says Darby. owned a restaurant in New York “David got a 4-star vote and “Dishes like … in the 1930s however Darby was pretty much the best in gourmet burgers, reckons cooking was simply New York City and the states bao buns and fish with in him from a young age. at the time. It was a superAfter studying at the hot restaurant.” borlotti bean ragout, University of Southern Under his guidance mussels and clams New Hampshire, Darby Darby learned precision, definitely have the commenced his career at consistency in seasoning and members coming some of the best local hotels. repetition. He saw first hand back for more.” In the mid 1980s he moved what it took to be a fine dining to New York where he landed a Michelin star chef. 10 SEPTEMBER 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
“I was in my mid 20s and he was a big influence on me – his style, cooking and how he plated up. He used lots of different purees to thicken sauces.” However, after almost five years a love-struck Darby took a job in an upmarket bistro in Munich, Germany to be nearer to his British fiancé Jo, moving on to London to work for more big names at places like Philip Howard’s ‘The Square,’ and Capital Hotel, both Michelin starred, then The People’s Palace where he eventually ran the kitchen. He moved to Geneva in Switzerland in 2000 after Jo was offered a good job there. Darby ran a small café before making the switch to culinary instructor, once again for the top in the game. In 2003 he took over as Chef de Cuisine at the EHL School of Hospitality in Lausanne, running the prestigious Le Bureau des Sens Restaurant. After 10 years he left, proud that the restaurant had just been awarded a ‘Bib Gourmand' Michelin award, the predecessor to the Michelin star. Only 16 restaurants in Switzerland were given this award. Four chefs worked each day with eight new
CHEF OF THE MONTH
“Four chefs worked each day with eight new students and there was a huge emphasis on excellence.”
students and there was a huge emphasis on excellence. In 2013, by now the father of two young children, his wife Jo’s family based in New Zealand beckoned and Darby took up a job as Executive Sous Chef in Auckland at the Langham Hotel, as right hand man to the renowned Volker Maracek. This is where Darby became an expert at banqueting, once turning out as many as 930 plates for a sit-down function. “We did around nine to $10 million worth of banqueting there each year and that’s where I picked up most of my knowledge about running and orchestrating large functions,” says Darby. “On that occasion I remember running with three different stations going at the same time and pre-plating starters ad desserts up the ramp and into the dry store, up the stairs, in the loading bay, everywhere we could find space. It was interesting," he says. His current role as Executive Chef for the exquisite new upmarket club-house at the Royal Auckland & Grange Golf Club was
“the right fit,” he says. “I knew what mistakes not to make, dealing with memberships and the idiosyncrasies of an upmarket golf club.” It’s been a challenging start with the new restaurant and clubhouse just opening prior to COVID-19 lockdown in March this year. After quickly designing a suitable takeaway menu for members during the first level 3, Darby was finally able to swing into gear at Level 2. He was just making good headway with the new venture when Auckland was placed back into Level 3 late August. However, Darby is loving his new role, working on such a beautiful and stunningly designed property: - a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, and Andrew Patterson is the architect behind the state of the art clubhouse. “It’s just amazing,” he says Darby enjoys the intimacy of getting to know his members personally – their likes, their dislikes and ‘morphing what they don’t like into what they do like. It’s like working in an hotel with the same guests all the time.” So far he’s perfected a well presented, smart-casual style on the menu. Dishes like wild mushroom risotto, smoked and grilled duck salad with crispy parsnips, gourmet burgers, bao buns and fish with borlotti bean ragout, mussels and clams definitely have the members coming back for more. n
Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club bar.
Photo Credit: Anna Killgour-Wilson www.botanicphotos.co.nz
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - SEPTEMBER 2020 11
COMMERCIAL KITCHENS
Flow & Function provide point of difference Charcoal Ovens such as the Mibrasa Post lockdown earlier this year, enclosed oven or a simple open enquiries for pizza ovens and wood hearth oven like the Wild Series from fired ovens/grills have been huge. Authentic Ovens are all versatile show Local leads were extended with many pieces of equipment. new installs all around the country. Although hospitality has been heavily In some instances, a ‘bespoke show affected by the lockdowns, it will come piece’ is easier said than done, mainly back, and people want to be ready to due to site restrictions with access or attract new customers. extraction limitations. Where possible, we engage local suppliers such as Design and flow within a kitchen is critical to the success of the outlet, and Authentic Ovens to achieve positive engaging a specialist for this is where outcomes for all, adapting kitchen you will save time and money in the equipment to look the same but have long term. A poorly designed kitchen different out puts depending on the site. will not be efficient - having the An example of this is a kitchen wrong equipment in the wrong environment that is unable to e key to design h t location will potentially extract from a solid fuel charcoal an y is df ilit require too many staff to oven but still wants the l t o a w rs operate and will cost the feature look of this style of operator money. oven. Saxon and Parole’s Whether you want ‘Wild Series’ chargrill is an open theatre exactly this … a gas grill kitchen to showcase adapted to look like your equipment and solid fuel. chefs, or a back of This complies with house kitchen, the building restrictions, answer is the same – and resonates with flow and function are outlets looking to ensure imperative, to provide a their ‘point of difference’ ‘point of difference’. n with unique pieces.
12 SEPTEMBER 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
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oday there is no such thing as a standard kitchen line up. In the past if you had a six burner range, fryer and combi oven you were all set for service. Where as today’s outlets are constantly looking for unique points of difference. Being able to be flexible with equipment is becoming more wide spread with menus wanting to be different to the one ‘next door’. Operators are looking for the edge not only with food products but also styles of cooking equipment. Opening a new restaurant or kitchen is an exciting time for all and delivering a new style of set up and food delivery in keeping with industry trends is paramount. Wildfire Commercial Kitchens and Bars has been privileged to be at the forefront of design and specification in many of the new openings recently. All outlets like to have a point of difference and we thrive on working with them to make their dream a reality – this could include Rotisserie style cooking like the impressive Rotisol Ovens from France, or Pizza Ovens like the Authentic Pizza Oven ‘front of house’ in Liqourette.
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By Craig Cunningham, Wildfire Commercial Kitchens & Bars, General Manager-Sales
COMMERCIAL KITCHENS
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he BAKERLUX SPEED. ProTM is believed to be the first ever baking speed oven: a convection oven and a speed oven in a single piece of equipment. Bake The spacious baking chamber with the double-speed fan is ideal to grant fragrant and browned baked goods. Conquer your customer, diversify your offer, increase your profit. The bake mode allows you to carry out convection baking programmes made of several steps, store the most used programmes or use the automatic CHEFUNOX programmes. Ideal for frozen bakery products, but also capable of cooking other types of food, it allows you to reduce the cooking process times by inserting one or more steps that combine convection and microwaves.
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Speed The plate for speed mode makes it possible to heat both single and multiple portions of food in seconds. Service times are halved, your profits doubled. The Speed mode allows you to quickly heat up any type of food, memorise the most used programmes or use the SPEEDUNOX automatic processes. The oven remains at working temperature even during the stand-by phases to be ready and to heat up your dishes in seconds. ADAPTIVE. Cooking technology automatically adjusts the cooking process according to the actual food load. Maximum speed and triple cooking: 1. Convection – External golden browning 2. Microwave – Fast internal heating 3. Conduction – Crusty toasting by contact
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Specialists in Commercial Kitchen & Bar Design and Fit-out
Incorporating bespoke commercial kitchen equipment and innovative design, Wildfire is New Zealand’s leading commercial kitchen & bar design and fit-out company. With comprehensive experience in all areas of kitchen operations, installation and project management, we specialise in dynamic design, attention to detail and that imperative ‘point of difference’.
For more information or to discuss innovative design, sourcing or supply of kitchen equipment contact us at: Wildfire Commercial Kitchens & Bars, 3 McDonald Street, Sandringham, Auckland. Tel +64 9 815 1271 Email sales@wildfire.co.nz www.wildfire.co.nz
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pacebar Design launched just the week before the COVID-19 lockdown, but the hospitality design firm was determined to not let it be a setback in its drive to help New Zealand businesses share their unique stories, sometimes on a limited budget. Founded by designer Anson Kong, Spacebar Design aims to fill a gap in the market by focusing on giving bars, restaurants, cafes and foodtrucks the opportunity to uncover the story of their businesses and the food and beverages behind them in a creative way. “I’ve always had a connection with food and growing up in Hong Kong around a big family there was always something happening in the kitchen,” says Anson. “I remember going to the farmers market at four o’clock in the morning with my grandparents and they would talk to some of the vendors who would share stories about their farms, crops and the effects of the season and I specifically remember thinking to myself – wow, how is someone talking about carrots for an hour! Around the dinner table my grandparents would share the stories told to them from the people at the markets about the food we were eating.” Anson’s appreciation of the journey of food – from farm to plate – is something he applies to his design work. Spacebar Design aims to encapsulate the farm to plate stories and other personal stories behind the eateries in its creative process, bringing those stories to life in venues around New Zealand. “At Spacebar Design, we are passionate about connecting the stories of people and food through interiors. Being a designer is about the ability to solve problems but not just at a technical and physical level, to me it’s at the emotional and human level as well.” He says he’s done that in his most recent work with Albany’s new yum cha restaurant – Jin’s Dim Sum. “Due to the impact of COVID, the owners had a reduced budget, so instead of doing a full shop fitout, I worked with them to create a whole branding package – from logo design, to signage, wall art and menu design – with a strong theme running throughout,” says Anson. “We want our clients to understand that we don’t need to use the most expensive materials to create environments that reflect a vision and effectively tell a story.” The theme – developed to help all cultures better understand traditional Chinese cuisine – looks at yum cha through the eyes of the restaurant owners’ son, Jin. “We came up the concept of introducing people to the cuisine through the eyes of their young son. Jin’s parents have worked in the industry for 25 years and he grew up around this cuisine. He had an interesting perspective when it came to looking at yum cha. In my research I discovered that a lot people don’t know what to try when o ng having yum cha as they find it K intimidating. Through Jin’s eyes on we take patrons through the process of how Chinese people use produce in certain ways and the meaning behind the different items on the yum cha menu.” Anson is currently working on giving a popular Auckland Indian restaurant a make-over and he’s looking forward to helping other hospitality businesses realise and communicate their mission.
“ UNOX COOKING PERFORMANCE ““ UNOX PERFORMANCE UNOX COOKING COOKING ISPERFORMANCE AMAZING!””
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The Grand Mercure, located in the heart of the Auckland district,in overlooking the The Grandwaterfront Mercure, located the heart of the thriving Waitemata is home to Vue The Grand Mercure, Harbour located the heart of the Auckland waterfront district,in overlooking the Restaurant, situated on the top floor of the Auckland waterfront district, overlooking the thriving Waitemata Harbour is home to Vuehotel, boasts stunning panoramic views across Britomart, thriving Waitemata Harbour is home to the Vue Restaurant, situated on the top floor of hotel, Auckland Harbour and Queen Street. Restaurant, situated on the top floor of the hotel, boasts stunning panoramic views across Britomart, boasts stunning panoramic views across Britomart, Auckland Harbour and Queen Street. Executive Chef, Daniel lovesStreet. to create Auckland Harbour andNa, Queen beautifully crafted dishes, seeking the best Executive Chef, Daniel Na, loves to out create produce with a passion to delight, and share his Executive Chef, Daniel Na, seeking loves to out create beautifully crafted dishes, the best curiosity love of good food. beautifully crafted dishes, best produce and with a passion to seeking delight, out andthe share his produce with a passion to delight, and share his curiosity and love of good food. curiosity and love of good food. “We like the flexibility of having stacked
“We like the my flexibility of having stacked ovens giving Chefs more capacity and “We like the flexibility of having stacked ovens giving myand Chefs more capacity and the Multi Time Chef Unox Autocook ovens giving my Chefs more capacity and the Multi are Time and Chef Unox Autocook features great” says Executive Chef the Multi are Time and Chef Unox Autocook features great” says Chef Daniel Na.Executive features are great” says Executive Chef Daniel Na. Daniel Na.
Earlier this year, Daniel attended a UNOX Individual Cooking Experience held at Aitkens Hospitality Earlier this year, Daniel attended a UNOX Individual Expertise in Auckland. He was very impressed with Earlier this year, Daniel attended a UNOX Individual Cooking Experience held at Aitkens Hospitality the performance and features of the CHEFTOP Cooking held Aitkens Hospitalitywith ExpertiseExperience in Auckland. He at was very impressed MIND.Maps™ Combi andof agreed on a double Expertise in Auckland. He was very impressed with the performance andOven features the CHEFTOP stacked solution being the 10 and 7 tray combination the performance and features of the CHEFTOP MIND.Maps™ Combi Oven and agreed on a double for the Grand Mercure kitchen. MIND.Maps™ Combi Oven agreed on a double stacked solution being the and 10 and 7 tray combination stacked solution beingkitchen. the 10 and 7 tray combination for the Grand Mercure Contact Aitkens Hospitality Expertise for the Grand kitchen. demonstration For a Mercure free no obligation Contact Aitkens Hospitality Expertise sales@aitkens.co.nz For a freeAitkens no obligation demonstration Contact Hospitality Expertise 0800 424 853 For a free sales@aitkens.co.nz no obligation demonstration www.aitkens.co.nz 0800 424 853 sales@aitkens.co.nz www.aitkens.co.nz 0800 424 853 www.aitkens.co.nz
Commercial Bay Shopping Precinct Commercial Bay Shopping Precinct Auckland is quickly transforming a major Commercial Bay Shoppinginto Precinct business with the likes of theinto Grand Aucklandhub is quickly transforming a major Mercure and Commercial Shopping Auckland is quickly transforming into a major business hub with the likesBay of the Grand Precinct. business hub with the likes of the Grand Mercure and Commercial Bay Shopping AHI, Gochu, Press andBay MERW law firm all Mercure andCali Commercial Shopping Precinct. have one thing in common A UNOX Precinct. AHI, Gochu, Cali Press and MERW law oven. firm all Commercial Bay iscommon fastand becoming known AHI, Gochu, Cali MERW law oven. firmfor all have one thing inPress - A UNOX being a place where world-class retail and have one thing in common A UNOX oven. Commercial Bay is fast becoming known for food beverage experiences and world Commercial Bay is fast becoming known beingand a place where world-class retail andfor class hospitality needs a world-class oven! being a place where world-classand retail and food and beverage experiences world food beverage experiences and world class and hospitality needs a world-class oven! class hospitality needs a world-class oven!
Contact UNOX New Zealand To find out how a UNOX combi oven can transform your business. Contact UNOX New Zealand +64 27 340 0404 | arobin@unox.co.nz To find out howNew UNOX combi oven can transform your business. Contact UNOX Zealand To find out how a UNOX combi oven can transform your business. +64 27 340 0404 | robin@unox.co.nz Follow us on +64 27 340 0404 | robin@unox.co.nz
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COMMERCIAL BAY REVISITED
Rosé flows at The Poni Room, one of Commercial Bay's world class restaurants. 16 SEPTEMBER 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
COMMERCIAL BAY REVISITED
Form & Function
How Commercial Bay ticks Despite its challenges, New Zealand’s most expensive, at $NZ 1 billion, and ambitious retail, commercial and hospitality development is judged – a resounding success. By Jes Magill
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o one denies it – Commercial Bay was a complex project. A rebuild of the former Downtown Shopping Centre, the redevelopment involved multiple principals and stakeholders (some in different time zones), numerous contractors and consultants, and that was before Covid-19 struck. “Key to making it all work was a lot of collaboration and over communicating,” says Dana Johansen, partner with Public Assembly. “With projects of this scale, it’s inevitable some things won’t go to plan but with AvroKO’s global hospitality design experience, solutions were quick and creative. “We were grateful too, working with a team of local consultants, the Architects of Record, Mitchell Addison, and kitchen consultants Wildfire. They were agile and committed to ensuring the best possible outcomes for us, as opposed to taking shortcuts or the easiest path.” The main functional nuts and bolts that make this multi-level, CBD, mixed-purpose development tick begin at the communal loading dock. This is managed by an online booking system, implemented for the security and safety of occupiers and to efficiently manage the large amount of deliveries that come into the precinct. Occupiers are responsible for receiving and receipting their own deliveries, which makes solid relationships and communication with suppliers critical.
Tenants and contractors shared similar site challenges at Commercial Bay. The main challenges during the fitout for Bird on a Wire was access to the CBD site, deliveries going to a central dock and working within the restrictions of an existing build. “Compared to other openings we’ve been involved with though, this one was relatively smooth,” says Kelly Bain. For Wildfire, it was co-ordinating lift access with other fit out companies and ensuring appliance and plant deliveries were all onsite before the building opened at 7am. “In the planning stages, careful coordination was essential with architects and designers to get the penetrations we needed for drains, power feeds, ducting and gas supplies etc. Luckily, the teams we worked with throughout the project were fantastic.” “It’s great to see everything up and running and considering the challenges, we are delighted we didn’t have to compromise on design,” says Andy. “We think Commercial Bay is outstanding and what’s even better is how much people are loving it.” The entire Commercial Bay precinct has an ambition of zero waste to landfill and has sought to achieve this through collectively using compostable packaging throughout, eliminating single use plastics and the communal waste room makes it easy for tenancies to separate waste into compost, recycling and cardboard, and as a last resort, landfill. n
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - SEPTEMBER 2020 17
Ready get set…. stop! Auckland's hottest food and beverage concept with New York style!
Commercial Bay offers an abundance of world class, playful dining experiences.
I
t was a long time coming and hugely anticipated; the luxury $1billion waterfront retail, office and hospitality precinct that is Commercial Bay. It claims prime position in Auckland’s CBD, overlooking the Waitemata Harbour and boasts some of the hottest food and beverage concepts created anywhere in the world. Back in mid-March and all systems were go, with tenancies preparing for a glittering opening event just days away. The finishing touches were lavishly, feverishly applied, and then … everything stopped. What were the chances? The stellar unveiling for a development that took four years for the complete refurb, and double that for the planning; fell victim to a one in 100 year event. The global pandemic Covid-19 stops the world in its tracks, confining people to their homes and all but bringing the hospitality industry to its knees. It was a shock too for Commercial Bay’s international tenants, AvroKO Hospitality Group (AHG), the owners, pioneers and designers of award-winning restaurants that were scheduled to open their antipodean outposts – the Poni Room, Ghost Donkey, Liquorette and soon, Saxon + Parole – that would mark AHG’s debut in New Zealand. Fast forward three months, to June 11 and resilient Kiwis emerged joyfully back into public life, albeit Alert Level 1-style, and Commercial Bay hospo operators finally reclaimed what they love and live for – delighting and serving its customers. Unveiling its splendour to an adoring public, excited to at last feast eyes, hearts and appetites on the best the city has to offer, Commercial Bay did not disappoint. The response was rapturous. Precinct’s long-term vision for transformational change on Auckland’s Waterfront is brilliant and infectious, according to Dana Johanson from Public Assembly, a new hospitality and events company formed to partner with AHG and oversee their New Zealand operations.
18 SEPTEMBER 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
COMMERCIAL BAY REVISITED
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Kiwi hospitality experts, employing over 150 local kitchen, bar and wait staff and supporting local suppliers to offer Kiwis food lovers the best of both worlds when they dine or drink at one of AvroKO’s venues.”
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Loving that Wildfire sizzle Known for bespoke, edgy design and premium fitouts, Wildfire Commercial Kitchens & Bars worked closely with AHG on their four head-lining Commercial Bay venues. Wildfire’s senior project manager Andy Cook says there was a lot of prestige for the local team, working with the leading international hall caters hospo brand. ood for s' f “AvroKO’s cool t al l Ea concepts totally aligned with our business and it was an honour helping play our part in delivering a stunning selection of cool F&B outlets for New Zealand,” Andy says. >>
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“Precinct has been and continues to be incredibly supportive and committed to the success of Commercial Bay as a whole,” says Dana, who works alongside Public Assembly partners Paul Franich, Warren Ford (ex Depot + Federal Delicatessen) and Vinci Gin-nen (ex Savor Group). While Commercial Bay signals AHG’s foray into the New Zealand hospitality scene, their ties with Kiwis run deep. “We’ve admired Auckland’s ever-evolving hospitality industry and abundance of world-class produce for a long time and we’re here to offer New Zealand food lovers playful dining and drinking experiences,” says AHG partner Marion Emmanuelle. “Our executive chef Brad Farmerie is overseeing the menus for all four AHG venues. Brad has worked alongside his Kiwi mentor Peter Gordon for many years at the Sugar Club in London and AHG’s first restaurant, the NZinfluenced PUBLIC in NYC.” Farmerie says the new restaurants and bars have a uniquely New York feel with a New Zealand twist. “We’ve worked very closely with a team of
The Poni Room, Ghost Donkey, Genuine Liquorette & Saxon + Parole
Wildfire are proud to design and fit-out the four AvroKO Hospitality Group’s international restaurants and bars in Auckland. Working together with AvroKO’s New York and New Zealand based teams, the innovative kitchens, bars and restaurants are exciting new destinations in the Commercial Bay Precinct. Wildfire is New Zealand’s leading specialised commercial kitchen & bar design and fit-out company. With comprehensive experience in all areas of kitchen design, operation and installation, our reputation is built on dynamic design and attention to detail. For more information or to discuss innovative design, sourcing or supply of kitchen equipment contact us at: Wildfire Commercial Kitchens & Bars, 3 McDonald Street, Sandringham, Auckland. Tel +64 9 815 1271 Email sales@wildfire.co.nz www.wildfire.co.nz
COMMERCIAL BAY REVISITED More than two years ago AvroKO started planning the Saxon + Parole project and soon after, the talented Auckland company was asked to fit-out and project manage the other three venues. “We sourced locally made equipment to meet AvroKO’s brief, such as the authentic gas fired pizza oven at Liquorette and the bespoke gas fired grill at Saxon + Parole. Design, procurement and fit-outs for Poni Room, Ghost Donkey & Liquorette were all delivered despite delays caused by Covid-19.” Liquorette is a self-serve cocktail bar with a master pizza chef driving the oven. Poni Room specialises in rosé (think self-help pours), paired with sublime, Japanese-fusion platters to share. And for the best late night place to be in Auckland, Ghost Donkey is a mezcal/tequila bar with galaxy of lights festooning the ceiling and the coolest barman at your service. Named by Esquire magazine as one of the best bars in America, Saxon + Parole is set to raise the bar even higher here when it opens soon. The 140-seat bistro flows between two levels and displays international finesse alongside Kiwi flair.
From burgers to sushi, to dumplings and much more at the unrivalled Harbour Eats food hall.
“Commercial Bay hospo operators finally reclaimed what they love and live for – delighting and serving its customers.”
20 SEPTEMBER 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
COMMERCIAL BAY REVISITED
Harbour Eats – unrivalled food hall dining Commercial Bay’s internationallyredefined food hall on Level 2, with its intriguing laneways and soaring ceilings, showcases 28 of the country’s top, great fast food chefs and operators including Bird on a Wire, the bighearted free-range brunch, lunch and dinner rotisserie chicken restaurant. “Opening Day exceeded our expectations and the public’s response
to Commercial Bay has been so positive. This is just what the city needed,” says BOAW co-director and general manager, Kelly Bain. “This is a smaller tenancy than our usual footprint so the most important thing for us was still achieving the right amount of seats without losing the comfort and ambience needed for a great dining experience. With seating for 60 we’re really happy with the result.” When Bird on a Wire directors signed their tenancy two years ago, what helped clinch the deal was Commercial Bay’s primo CBD address boasting tens of thousands of office workers in walking distance, and its attraction to tourists with the international ferry terminal just over the road. Responding to queries on Covidera restrictions, Kelly says, “Even though the numbers are down we’re feeling positive. Support from the local community and workers at PwC Tower has been wonderful. “And we haven’t turned Uber Eats on here yet. This is a challenging site for drivers and we want to focus more on our instore customers. Uber Eats can be
distracting and turn us away from our core business, and that’s the people right in front of us.” For Inter-fridge, a long-time supplier to Commercial Bay and four other Bird on a Wire sites, nothing was a problem, priding themselves on adapting to any situation to meet clients’ needs. “We like to work with professionals who understand the pressures we’re under, and take some of that pressure away to help make things work. We think of our suppliers more as partners,” says Kelly. Supplying stand-up open door chillers, under bench refrigeration and outside chilled cabinets, James Holdich from Inter-fridge worked with the site’s demanding design standards and solved the high-spec challenges to ensure his client’s efforts and essence shone through. As Hospitality Business went to print Auckland was at Level three, and the rest of the country at two. While Auckland’s re-emergence into Level 1 is still uncertain, the enthusiasm that the public has to get back to a fully operational Commercial Bay is undeniable. n
REGIONAL EXCELLENCE
Northland names its top places to dine
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he finalists have been announced in the Restaurant Association of New Zealand’s first Northland Hospitality awards, representing the region’s top-notch dining establishments as voted by the hospitality industry. The winners will be announced on September 14. Popular Asian fusion restaurant No.8 situated in Whangārei’s town basin has taken out four nominations for Outstanding Ethnic Restaurant, Ambience & Design as well as accolades for Chef de Partie Reejo Joseph as Emerging Chef and Mike Aldred for Outstanding Bartender. Situated within the Wharepuke Subtropical Garden in Kerikeri Māha Restaurant, noted for its fresh, local and seasonal products and a fusion of flavours and cooking techniques is nominated in the categories of Outstanding Restaurant and Front of House Team. Whangerei’s The Quay also picks up four nominations including two for its back of house team with Juanita Woodbury and Stephen Pashley both contenders for the award of Outstanding Emerging Chef.
Great cafes are not lacking in the region with Helena Bay Café, Milk and Honey Kamo, Nook Espresso and The Cove Café all receiving nominations in the category of Outstanding Cafe. Those looking for the region’s best flat white have ample selection with Miles Toto, of Barrow Boys Coffee, Laura Hosznyak of Hello Pickle, Brittany Chez Cox of Nook Espresso and Tom Richardson of Third Wheel Coffee Co. all finalists in the category of Outstanding Barista. Those looking for a place to get a great drink also won’t be disappointed with the region’s growing assortment of top-notch bars recognised. Pure Bar, Split Bar & Restaurant, The Butter Factory and Tipsy Oyster all receive nominations for the title of Outstanding Bar. Sixteen awards will be presented to the best of the Northland hospitality industry. From crew members, to suppliers, to establishments – the best of the best will be celebrated for their contribution to creating a world-class hospitality scene in the region.
CEO Marisa Bidois says, “with its fertile land and subtropical climate, Northland is home to some of New Zealand’s best produce which is expertly prepared and served by the region’s dining establishments. “Our industry has had an incredibly challenging year so it’s now even more important that we take time out to recognise those people who showcase our incredible produce and welcome us into their establishments.”n
Northland Hospitality Awards 2020 Finalists Meadow Fresh Outstanding Barista • Miles Toto, Barrow Boys Coffee • Laura Hosznyak, Hello Pickle • Brittany Chez Cox, Nook Espresso • Tom Richardson, Third Wheel Coffee Co. Restaurant Association of NZ Outstanding Bartender • Mike Aldred, No. 8 • Venezuela Pomare, RED MexiCasa • Sam Tarrant, The Butter Factory • Lucy Best, The Duke Tavern Restaurant Association of NZ Outstanding Front of House Team • Māha Restaurant • Sage Restaurant • The Duke of Marlborough • The Quay NorthTec Emerging Chef • Te Marie Beirne, Jolt Café • Reejo Joseph, No. 8 • Juanita Woodbury, The Quay • Stephen Pashley, The Quay
Southern Hospitality Outstanding Chef • Daniel Fraser, Sage Restaurant • Josh Brandso, Split Bar & Restaurant • Marcus Berndt, Terra Restaurant • Michael Oliver, The Gables Bidfood Whangārei Outstanding Café • Helena Bay Cafe • Milk and Honey Kamo • Nook Espresso • The Cove Café The Hits Northland Outstanding Bar • Pure Bar • Split Bar & Restaurant • The Butter Factory • Tipsy Oyster The Northern Advocate Outstanding Casual Dining/ Street Food • Biggie Bagels • Coastal Kitchen • McLeod’s Pizza Barn • Wingless Angel BBQ
22 SEPTEMBER 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
Restaurant Association of NZ Outstanding Ambience & Design • Hone’s Garden • No. 8 • Omata Estate • RED MexiCasa Whangārei District Love It Here! Outstanding Local Establishment • Hone’s Garden • McMorrissey’s Irish Bar • The Dune • Quail Café Eftpos NZ Outstanding Ethnic Restaurant • Mean’s Vietnamese Café • No. 8 • Sukjai Thai Restaurant • Turmeric Indian Restaurant dinefind Outstanding Restaurant • Māha Restaurant • Sage Restaurant • Terra Restaurant • The Quay
nib Health Insurance Outstanding Sales Rep • Rebecca Neill, Bidfood Whangārei • Kelvin Long, Hospitality Supply Company • Miranda Paisley, Negociants NZ • Robert Tadman, Northland Hospitality Eat New Zealand Outstanding Food & Beverage Producer • Black Collar Distillery • Fish to Fish • Grinning Gecko Cheeses • McLeod’s Brewery Restaurant Association of NZ Outstanding Supplier • Bidfood Whangārei • Far North Foods • Okaihau Village Butchery • Omak Butchery
DELIVERY TIPS
6 best practices for restaurant delivery, especially during Coronavirus
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here’s a lot restaurateurs can do to make the order-handoff to drivers go smoothly and safely. Masks, hand santitiser and frequent handwashing help protect delivery drivers as they make the rounds during the pandemic. Despite a patchwork of restaurant reopenings across the country, diners continue to rely on take-out and delivery options from their favourite providers. To keep up with the influx of off-premise orders, restaurants have overhauled their delivery procedures to optimise fulfillment, comply with health guidelines, and still make enough to stay in business. Six things to keep in mind for smooth delivery service Whether operating your own driving fleet or contracting with a 3rd-party, there are best practices to ensure orders get to customers as anticipated. Six recommendations below are a mix of tried-and-true approaches and those newly adopted during the pandemic: 1. Designate staff members to be your delivery specialists. If customers get the wrong order, or parts of the order are missing, it could be a dealbreaker for future business. Designate a staff member each shift to handle all aspects of the delivery process to… • ensure order accuracy • double-check special requests (allergies, extra sauces, pie-cut vs. square, cheese/no cheese, etc.) • add in condiments, utensils and napkins • mark or tag bags for easy I.D. and time stamp when they were ready • set them out in the pick-up area in the right spot. To double-check an order is complete, this employee can put a checkmark by each item on the order summary receipt and attach it to the bag before it goes out. Assigning a delivery specialist each shift gives your operation a single point of contact for all delivery orders and can help eliminate confusion about where orders are in the pipeline. 2. Accommodate the increase in orders Preparing for an influx of delivery orders
while maintaining social distancing is a delicate balance. • Set up orders on tables, racks or shelves near the door or by the drive-thru station window. • Mark the shelves by delivery service and alphabetise pick-up sections so drivers don’t have to search through orders (you want to minimise the number of hands touching bags). • Fine-tune timing. What delivery drivers dread is waiting while the order is prepared and packaged for travel. If you’re consistently slow, drivers might choose to collect orders from more timely competitors. 3. Package delivery orders properly. Ensure that delivery orders are packaged to maximise the food’s freshness, maintain temperature and integrity, and make the delivery driver’s job easier. Invest in packaging that’s • Insulated for hot foods • Leak-proof for sauced foods • Ventilated for dishes that would wilt or go soggy from trapped condensation • tamper-proofed with a sticker label, staples or tight bag knot • Many dishes are better “dressed” by the customer, so dressings and sauces on the side is a good practice. Let them “assemble.” • Package hot and cold foods separately. • Opt for packages with clear lids or label the packages with their “particulars” to keep customized orders straight (e.g., extra peppers, no peppers). Keep a supply of permanent markers on hand; they write on all materials. • A major help for delivery drivers is beverages that come in bottles or cans, or in a sturdy beverage carrier that they can place on their passenger seat to avoid spilling during the drive. 4. Ensure that delivery instructions are clear. To ease the difficulties that drivers face when out on food runs, restaurants can help by taking down details about the address when they’re taking orders. Do drivers: • have the proper address? • know which apartment building to go to? • have any gate codes they need? • know about broken doorbells or buzzers?
• know where to leave the food delivery (Front desk? Outside door?) Addresses can be hard to find when they’re part of a large complex, or when an individual house number is hidden or dimly lit. Encourage your delivery customers to leave a porch light on for the driver and clarify the location with a description. 5. Establish a line of communication between the driver and customer. With delivery apps, it can be hard to remedy miscommunications or problems with the delivery. Establishing a line of communication between the customer and the delivery driver helps ensure an order gets delivered properly and on time. If a driver is confused about a delivery instruction, can’t find an address, or has any other issue while making a delivery, the problem can usually be solved with a quick text or phone call. Making sure that the driver and customer can contact one another directly eliminates the need for either of them to waste time calling the restaurant to get in touch. Remind your customers to have their phones with them when they are waiting for an order so that they can receive texts or calls from the driver. 6. Extra safety precautions for drivers during the pandemic. In addition to the general delivery pickup tips above, many restaurants implement extra sanitation precautions to reduce the risk of COVID-19 contact infection. These include: • Wearing masks, and if required by company or locality, gloves. • Using hand sanitizer (minimum 60% alcohol content) before and after package drop off, and stopping to wash hands regularly, for 20 seconds at a time, especially after handling cash, cards, gate and door handles, and pressing doorbells. • Carrying disinfecting wipes in the car to use on car touch-points such as door handles and steering wheels throughout the day. • Using disinfecting wipes on a pen before and after the customer uses it to sign for food (even better: forgo the signing step with contactless payment options). n HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - SEPTEMBER 2020 23
HOTELS
The Hotel Britomart opens with five Green Stars
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A regenerative programme to bring new life to a run down part of Auckland's downtown includes an hotels with sustainability at its heart.
fficially opening its doors on October 1 2020, the highly anticipated The Hotel Britomart brings more than just great design to the reinvigorated Britomart precinct. The Hotel Britomart, part of the TFE Hotels collection, will be the first 5 Green Star hotel in New Zealand, certified by the New Zealand Green Building Council. The scaffolding came down in July on The Hotel Britomart construction, revealing its breath-taking brick exterior. Work is now focused on the interiors of the guest rooms and suites, with the hotel’s opening scheduled for 1 October 2020. 24 SEPTEMBER 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
The 104-room hotel experienced six weeks of construction delays because of New Zealand’s Covid-19 lockdown, but work on site is now restarted, with the only active Covid-19 cases in the country all in managed isolation. “Work on The Hotel Britomart site is completely back on track,” says Matthew Cockram, Chief Executive Officer of Cooper and Company, owners of The Hotel Britomart. “The current circumstances mean our opening in October will focus mostly on domestic tourists, who we think will recognise the enormous appeal of The Hotel Britomart’s design and the many attractions of the Britomart neighbourhood around it.”
Designed by Auckland-based Cheshire Architects, The Hotel Britomart will be New Zealand’s greenest hotel, with a 5 Green Star rating from the New Zealand Green Building Council. The hotel is a bold new addition to Britomart, the historic waterfront neighbourhood in downtown Auckland that has been the focus of a thoughtful 15-year regeneration process led by Cooper and Company. With 99 timber-lined guest rooms and five luxurious Landing Suites, The Hotel Britomart will be part of the TFE Hotels Collection, managed by TFE Hotels on behalf of Cooper and Company. Hotel General
HOTELS Manager, Clinton Farley, said TFE Hotels was excited to work with Cooper and Company to open The Hotel Britomart. “TFE Collection properties are each designed with individual character and charm,” he said, “and striking design and service are their hallmarks.” “There’ll be no stiff formality at the hotel,” Farley says. “Instead, the hotel team
“The hotel's exterior comprises precast panels using 150,000 hand made bricks.”
will be able to share their enthusiasm in inviting our guests to enjoy all of the richness and variety that Auckland has to offer.” As well as a new brick-clad tower, the hotel project includes the refurbishment of two neighbouring heritage buildings. A new restaurant named Kingi (short for kingfish) will open on the ground floor of historic Masonic House to serve locals and hotel guests, while three other new restaurants are opening just steps from the hotel entrance. n
A room with a view of Auckland's Waitemata Harbour.
The Hotel Britomart’s Top 10 facts 1. Officially opening on October 1, The Hotel Britomart in downtown Auckland, has 99 guest rooms and five luxurious Landing Suites. Three of The Landing Suites have lush sky garden 2. The Hotel Britomart’s exterior is made from precast panels containing 150,000 hand-made bricks. 3. The Hotel Britomart will be New Zealand’s first 5 Green Star hotel, certified by the NZ Green Building Council for design and build, and managed according to the NZ Green Building Council’s Green Star Performance tool. 4. The Hotel Britomart is designed inside and out by Cheshire Architects, who also master-planned the Britomart neighbourhood in 2003, designed the Pavilions on Te Ara Tahuhu, and created the interiors for Ortolana restaurant. 5. Cooper and Company, which owns The Hotel Britomart and the Britomart precinct, took over the Britomart precinct in 2002 when it was a
wasteland of abandoned heritage buildings and a dingy bus depot. Now, after a patient 15-year regeneration process, the heritage buildings have been restored, new architecture has been added, and Britomart has become the character-filled heart of downtown waterfront Auckland: an enticing place to do business among the city’s best cafes, bars, restaurants and boutiques. 6. The Hotel Britomart project involved the refurbishment of four adjacent heritage buildings, as well as the creation of a new public laneway linking two key Britomart streets. 7. Cheshire Architects also designed the bronze-and-paper ‘Fulcrum’ table lamps in every guest room, which are available from New Zealand furniture and lighting brand Resident. 8. Every room at The Hotel Britomart features hand-made ceramics by local artisans, including work by ceramicists Elena Renker and Rachel Carter.
9. The Landing Suites at The Hotel Britomart are named after The Landing, the 1,000-acre property containing luxury accommodation in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands. The Landing has been the focus of a 20-year reforestation and wetland rehabilitation project, which means (among other successes) that kiwi now roam the grounds. 10. The toiletries in every guest room in The Hotel Britomart are by organic New Zealand skincare brand Sans[ceuticals], who recycle their own packaging and whose products contain no artificial colours or bleaches, artificial fragrances, petrochemicals or any other nasties.
And one more for good measure:
All the bedding in this hotel is believed to be made either from recycled plastic or at sustainable factories; This project recycled 33,650 Bottles alone!
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - SEPTEMBER 2020 25
LEGAL TALK
Lease is more A Practical Approach To Renegotiating Your Commercial Lease
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f you are a commercial tenant this may be an opportune time to renegotiate some of the terms of your lease as part of your next lease renewal. In the wake of lockdown, the demand for commercial premises has arguably been slowing. With another recession potentially on the horizon, many landlords will prefer to lock in their existing tenants for another term rather than risk the premises sitting vacant, even if that means agreeing to a reduced rental or shorter renewal periods. Under the Auckland District Law Society form of lease, a tenant can exercise their right of renewal as early as they like, provided they notify the landlord in writing no later than 3 months before the renewal date. You may be able to use the downturn in the market as leverage to negotiate more favourable lease terms in exchange for renewing your lease early (or at all). When notifying your landlord in writing that you intend to renew the lease, you need to make it clear that such renewal is subject to the landlord agreeing to your proposed terms. The terms you choose to renegotiate will depend among other things on your business, your current financial position and goodwill in the location of the premises. As a general guideline, you could consider requesting one or more of the following variations: • Rental and Opex: A rent reduction; a gross lease; or fewer carparks. You may also consider reducing the frequency of any rent reviews. 26 SEPTEMBER 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
• Rights of Renewal: If your lease provides for two rights of renewal of three years each (i.e. 3 x 3), consider requesting a shorter renewal term such as two rights of renewal of one year and two years respectively (i.e. 1 x 1 x 2 x 2). This will give you an easier exit strategy if you are concerned about the future of your business, while still preserving the duration of the lease in the future. • Limitation of Liability: Limit your liability (or your guarantor’s liability) under the lease to 3 months gross rental. • Make Good Provisions: Remove some or all of the make good obligations in the lease to reduce your exit costs if the lease expires or is terminated. • Sublet: If your business operations have become smaller and you require less space, you may consider subletting a portion of the premises. If your business has been marginal this year and you are concerned about your ability to carry on, you may decide not to exercise your right of renewal at all and simply allow the lease to rollover to a monthly tenancy. This means that you or your Landlord
can cancel the lease at any time by giving one month’s written notice to the other. This provides an easy exit strategy if you are concerned about the solvency of your business in the immediate future, although you risk the landlord terminating your lease at short notice. Before you opt for a monthly tenancy, consider the following: • Has your business committed to any fixed term supply agreements? • Will you be able to meet your contingent liabilities if your business is interrupted while you find alternative premises? • Are you considering selling your business and assigning the lease in the future as part of the goodwill? When it comes to renegotiating the terms of your lease, target one or two variations that will provide you with the most comfort going forwards. You will still want to maintain good relations with your landlord so pick your battles wisely. We recommend that you engage a lawyer to facilitate negotiations on your behalf to streamline the process and to distance yourself from the negotiation process to avoid a breakdown in the tenantlandlord relationship.
Claire Vordermann is a commercial solicitor at Steindle Williams Legal Limited whose range of experience includes commercial leasing, residential and commercial conveyancing and sale and purchase of business. She also has a keen interest in advising clients on franchise agreements, shareholder agreements , service contracts and terms of trade. www.swlegal.co.nz
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