FOOD & BEVERAGE: FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH

Brand partnerships are becoming more commonplace in hospitality, particularly when it comes to supporting small local businesses.

Quincy Melbourne, which opened last year, partnered with like-minded brand, Antagonist Spirits, to create a unique gin experience for guests. According to Antagonist’s Chief Distiller, Darren Ivey, Quincy’s KOL gin was made to be enjoyed sky high on the rooftop at The Q.

“Our collaboration with Quincy was born out of a shared passion for gin and a desire for local businesses to support each other during the pandemic,” he said.

“We saw an amazing opportunity to create a drink inspired by brand Quincy.”

In the nation’s capital, Hotel Kurrajong looked to its rich political history – and the nation’s 16th Prime Minister, Ben Chifley – for inspiration for its very own personalised gin, in partnership with Canberra Distillery.

“Our Chifley’s Bar & Grill Cigar Gin is both a tribute to PM Ben Chifley who lived at the hotel for eleven years (and for whom Chifley’s Bar & Grill is named after), and a nod to the elegance and flair of the roaring 20s,” said Hotel Kurraong General Manager, Faisal Sayed.

In Sydney, Vibe Darling Harbour has partnered with local 4 Pines Brewing Company’s to brew a modern take on a classic Aussie ale with the newly launched Above 319 Refreshing Ale. And in a bold move that’s great for the planet, 4 Pines is donating 1% of sales revenue from the brew to Landcare Australia to support biodiversity and sustainable agricultural outcomes.

In a similar vein to creative brand partnerships, many hospitality businesses are opting to team up with well-known and highly-respected chefs to take their culinary experiences to the next level.

EVT says it seeks partners to help its venues deliver the best premium experiences to customers.

“A great example of this is the F&B precinct at QT Sydney, bringing the best creative minds to our F&B experiences,” said EVT CEO Jane Hastings.

“The collaboration between Gowings and F&B CreativeDirector Sean Connolly has redefined the hotel dining experience. Alongside the exclusive collaboration between Perrier Jouet and Adriano Zumbo resulting in the reinvention of High Tea as QTea.”

This aligns with EVT’s mission to be loved by locals, not just by guests.

“We know hotel guests want to explore the best authentic local F&B experiences,” Hastings said.

“When our venues are loved by residents of the area, then they will typically be loved by guests. Success is when we are recognised as the best restaurant and bar in the area, not just the hotel market. This includes everything from locally sourced and ethically aligned suppliers to the design and service experience.”

At Parkroyal Darling Harbour, award-winning restaurant Abode Bistro Bar has recognised the importance of sourcing sustainable produce, adopting sustainable practices and partnering with local producers to combat industry challenges emerging from the pandemic.

“Our chefs upcycle ingredients across our menu to give dishes new life and minimise waste,” explains Head Chef, Vico Betguen.

“I believe this trend has stemmed from a huge focus placed on health, the environment and supporting local businesses during the pandemic and lockdown.”

The hospitality industry has experienced hardship arising from environmental impacts and stock shortages. Betguen says this has propelled restaurants and cafes across the industry to support each other and build a stronger sense of community.

-Jane Hastings, CEO, EVT

“Along with impacts from the floods, due to border restrictions and less visa applications, there are less people working on the farms which is also impacting prices and shortages,” he said.

“As a Chef, the challenges with ingredients, fluctuating prices and stock shortages have driven myself and the team to become more creative and flexible with the menu and the ingredients we use,” Betguen said

Many hospitality businesses are opting to digitalise the customer experience – a trend that has continued to emerge over the last few years.

“We have invested in technology to enable customersto order straight from their phone and also the mostinnovative kitchen technology to elevate F&B quality andefficiency,” said EVT CEO Jane Hastings.

Samsung Electronics Australia Senior Director of Display and Brand Memory, Phil Gaut, says demand for self-service solutions has increased, with contactless food and beverage solutions a common request from customers.

“Currently, common contactless F&B solutions include installing QR codes and tablets on dining tables for guests to order from directly, or quick service restaurants implementing contactless kiosks that enable guests to select and pay for their F&B items independently,” Gaut said.

“The hospitality industry is currently facing two key challenges: the need to provide exceptional, memorable guest experiences despite staff and resource shortages; and the need to demonstrate new heightened standards of health and hygiene to guests. Contactless technologies such as tablets and kiosks address both issues by automating transactional processes, eliminating the need for guests to engage staff and to come into contact with other patrons while queuing.”

Interactive technologies are also playing a role in reducing human error in ordering processes which can contribute to operational loss due to returned incorrect orders.

Key decision makers in hospitality businesses are turning to single-serve condiments to tackle several business challenges, according to a recent survey undertaken by fine food producer Birch and Waite.

Time pressure, hygiene and wastage were the key reasons why 78% of industry professionals said they were interested in using single-serve condiments.

Birch and Waite, which launched premium single-serve product range On-The-Go in 2021, says the results are not surprising.

“Our customers have been adopting single-serve products because they reduce pressures on staffing, as there is no need for decanting or container sanitisation, and product wastage,” said Birch and Waite CEO Paul.“These are great benefits for businesses of all sizes.”When it came to the most desirable attributes for single-serve products, the survey found that premium quality (63%), fresh ingredients, real flavour (60%), and Australian-made (56%) were top of the list.

Alongside the oft-discussed “revenge travel” trend in the hospitality industry, this year, lies a counterpart trend in the F&B sector, according to Future Log Oceania Vice President Operations, Benjamin Krieg.

“Unable to dine in their favourite hotels and restaurants for so long during the global pandemic, customers are now trying to make up for lost time and exhibiting “revenge dining” behaviors,” explains Krieg.

“While this growing trend is a relief to the industry, it’s now putting renewed pressure on chefs, kitchen teams and all those involved in the F&B e-procurement journey to stay in control of their ordering, inventory-taking, and recipe management processes.”

Future Log’s Recipe Module – designed with the hospitality and gastronomy industry in mind – brings time-saving automation to tasks such as adding nutritional and allergen information to recipes. With full POS integration, inventory decrementation is recorded automatically, and efficient, real-time menu engineering can be completed in just a few clicks.

“To further meet the growing demands of the “revenge dining” trend, our development pipeline is focused on simplifying and expediting F&B procure-to-pay activities,” said Krieg.