Hospitality Business April 2018

DINING AT THE BEEHIVE • FOOD FORAGING • BARISTA TALK

www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz APRIL 2018 Vol.5 No.3

NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST HOSPITALITY AND LIQUOR AUDIENCE

contents

24

Coffee – It’s All About The Taste Let’s talk café culture & coffee

30

16

REGULARS 06 NEWS & EVENTS The New Zealand Chef textbook unveiled 09 IN SEASON ‘Tis the season of feijoas, & bluff oysters !

FEATURES HUMMING AT THE BEEHIVE

Top tables open to the public

33

10 PREPPED FOOD! Taking delicious preprepared food to market!

28 WINNING CHEESE PLEASE! NZ Champions Of Cheese Award Winners For 2018 18 FORAGING EXPERTISE Peter Langlands' wild secret treasures

USE YOUR LOAF!

Baking on the rise

RAMADA HOTEL

Opening 2019 – strategic partners Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2018 | 3

editorial APRIL 2018 Vol 5 No 3

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

Autumnal April April is one of my favourite months of the year! Firstly Bluff Oysters are in season and that means I can indulge my passion for the tasty mollusc, secondly the weather generally makes a subtle Autumnal crispness in the mornings. This sparks the imagination for new menu treats at Chateau Dixon, (albeit a humble galley compared to the designer kitchen fitouts of our ever- growing repertoire of brilliant restaurants!)

I look forward to award winning cheeses, hearty and healthy vegetable dishes to accompany beef and lamb roasts and as the evenings draw closer an array of Mediterranean spices to warm the soul! And if I do go out to dine, I look for inventiveness in the dishes, especially at gastropubs, and I’m currently on the hunt for the great kiwi Zucchini Chip!

April also brings about Coffee & Barista competitions as our talented culture vultures create caffeine delights for customers who need a variety of daily fixes ! This issue of Hospitality Business asks key barista professionals in the industry about their café culture preferences and it makes for an aromatic, strong reading!

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 - HOSPITALITY Business 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 Sam Wood swood@intermedianz.co.nz 021 256 6351 CONTRIBUTORS Sue Fea 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

ON THE COVER: MEADOW FRESH Meadow Fresh is passionate about making a great cup of coffee every time! They are thrilled to discuss how their Permeate Free milk performs in coffee and their support of the coffee industry.

For more details to go pages 22 & 23 and visit www.meadowfresh.co.nz

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Copyright © 2018 - The Intermedia Group Ltd ISSN 2382-1892

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The difference comes down to three words and one simple and effective concept: on-job training.

It’s the difference between just doing the job and doing it brilliantly. So brilliantly in fact, that your customers come back more often, spend more, bring their friends and colleagues, write favourable reviews and recommend you to others.

Some people have a talent for service, but they still need to learn the right skills to do it well. The tricks of the service trade. The art of satisfying customers.

IT TAKES A LOT MORE THAN WEARING AN APRON, AND CARRYING A COFFEE, TO BE A WAITER.

TRAINED

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NEWS

A Textbook

CHEF

Colleagues, authors, contributors, publishers and chefs attended the recent launch of the Fourth edition of The New Zealand Chef – considered an invaluable guide for the industry – at AUT’s Pikko Restaurant.

Co-authors, Lindsay Neill and Lesley Christensen Yule, pictured along with recent graduates from New Zealand culinary schools who contributed to the thoroughly updated tome, celebrated the culmination of many hours of compilation!

The New Zealand Chef, published by Edify, provides in-depth information on classical techniques and contemporary styles to all levels of chef training. The book is considered an invaluable guide for trainee chefs , tutors and lecturers as well as enthusiastic chefs wanting to enhance their skills. The new edition includes updated food related regulations, along with more recipes using New Zealand ingredients such as pikopiko, mussels, karengo and tawea.

The book also has an interactive study guide. Spanning 30 chapters the guide provides fully interactive questions, exercises, quizzes and activities covering all topic in the textbook, plus extension chapters on nutrition, food costing, stock control and menu planning. For further information: www.edify.co.nz

The New Zealand Chef launched in Auckland.

NEWS

MEAT FREE MILLENIALS ?

Eco conscious millennial consumers are reshaping demand for alternative sources of protein according to the country’s largest manufacturer of vegetarian foods.

Mark Roper spokesperson for Life Health Foods - which makes plant based Bean Supreme and recently launched Alternative Meat Co. products, says growing concern for the environment is leading this demographic to seek out other options to integrate into their diet.

A nationwide survey commissioned by the company has found that millennials aged 18-34 are the most likely demographic to adopt a mostly meat-free lifestyle in the next decade.

“Among this age group, factors such as concern for animal welfare and the environment were some of the most important drivers of purchase choice; whereas if you look at older consumers, health considerations and cost of meat were the primary reasons for choosing vegetarian foods,” he says.

Roper says New Zealand is well positioned to take advantage of this emerging trend - which has seen accelerated growth in the global meat substitute market.

“Our research is showing that many consumers are not completely replacing meat in their diet - instead, they are integrating more meat-free options throughout the week. This makes development of a plant protein market complementary to our existing agricultural exports,” says Roper.

A nationwide survey commissioned by Bean Supreme has found that millennials aged 18-34 are the most likely demographic to adopt a mostly meat-free lifestyle in the next decade.

He says the new consumer driven trend is something that farmers should not fear, but rather capitalise on.

“As a producer we are looking at this growth as a promising future market. As well as a growth industry locally, there is increasing demand for these products in the more well-established markets of the US and Europe where there are potentially large export opportunities for us,” he says.

Roper says at the same time, New Zealand is well positioned as a producer nation to capitalise on millennial’s demand for plant based products.

“As a country, we have a strong agricultural research base, we are great at growing crops here, and the development of a more environmentally friendly, alternative protein market will potentially enhance the ‘pure NZ’ brand equity.

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Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2018 | 7

IN SEASON

MEAT

Amazingly versatile Bluff oysters.

SEAFOOD c BLUFF OYSTERS There are only a few things that manage to get Kiwis from Kaitaia to Stewart Island excited the way Bluff oysters do. From March to August, when this prized delicacy is harvested in the waters of the Fouveaux Strait around Bluff, the oysters make their way around New Zealand, from fish and chip shops to upscale fine dining establishments.

Bluff oysters are a prized delicacy that are amazingly versatile to cook with. Their meat is delicate and succulent, with a medium oil content. The oysters can be smoked, baked on the half-shell, fried, steamed or added to a chowder.

But they are (arguably) best eaten fresh and raw, slurped straight from the shell, with a splash of lemon juice being the only recommended addition.

The majority of Bluff oysters available in shops are in pottles. This keeps the oyster meat fresh and tasty, and means that Kiwis all over the country can enjoy these treats.

If you purchase live Bluff oysters, their shells should be tightly closed or close slowly when tapped. Live Bluff oysters should be stored in an open container with a damp cloth over them, in the fridge, and served within 48 hours of purchase.

To learn more about Bluff oysters or find recipes, visit www.seafood.co.nz

FRESH PRODUCE d FEIJOA A fantastic addition to autumn desserts, Feijoas are coming into season this time of year. Feijoas are predominantly grown in the Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Northland in New Zealand as well as in many kiwi back yards.

It’s one of the tastiest fruits around and baking it into a nostalgic kiwi crumble for a warm dessert on a cold evening at this time of year is a treat when it’s in season. Feijoas can also be used in muffins, cakes, jams or chutneys. Ripen at room temperature then store in the refrigerator. Handle all fresh produce with care and wash before eating.

d HANGER STEAK Hanger steak is popping up on restaurant menus as chefs love its intense flavour and loose texture and, being a secondary cut, it is excellent for keeping menu costs in check.

As it is a thin steak, cooking to medium rare is essential to ensure tenderness. Using a method such as sous vide – with a quick sear to caramelise the meat before serving – ensures customers will enjoy trying this more unusual cut of steak.

Pictured here is a Wagyu hanger steak paired with a chipotle coffee rubbed short rib, white bean corn mole and coriander lime emulsion by Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef, Kate Fay of Cibo Parnell. www.nzexcellenceawards.co.nz\food-service

Medium rare, tender unusual cut of steak.

A versatile fruit, apples are harvested from now until May.

c APPLES Grown in Nelson, Hawkes Bay and Otago the apple harvest is well underway in New Zealand, with most varieties being harvested from now until May. Great on their own as a snack, or for chefs as part of a coleslaw or salad, apples are more versatile than many of us think.

Combine a JAZZ apple with shredded red cabbage, kale leaves, carrot, fig and add a handful of coriander and you get a solid dose of fruit and vegetables in a zesty coleslaw. Dress with your favourite zesty dressing and combine it with any protein from chicken to pork, or by itself, and you get a bowlful of summer at this cooler time of year. Store in the refrigerator. Handle all fresh produce with care and wash before eating.

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2018 | 9

PRE-PREPARED FOODS

Variety Adds Spice to the Menu

The Duke of Clarence’s Scotch egg

International trends in delighting customers with new ideas take on a new level with pre-prepared foods.

Hospitality Business takes a peek at what's hot!

C

rispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside – oh the joy of hot and tasty thick cut classic potato chips! A staple menu item that remains as popular as ever, right up there with mini sliders, and corn and courgette fritters, the humble potato chip continues to dominate the pre-prepared food market.

Yet looming in the background, possibly ready to make a strong stand in the bistro, bar, and restaurant scene are a number of other options it might pay to take a second look at if international trends are an indicator.

Barrelhouse Group, one of Sydney’s premier small bar groups has recently opened a small tavern in the city’s CBD, inspired by 19th Century Britain, called The Duke of Clarence. It features furniture , floorboards and pub items which are over 100 years old, sourced from pubs, churches and warehouses. And while the English heritage theme is dominant in the décor, it can also be found in the food and beverage.

Fish finger sandwiches, potted crab with soda bread and butter, and salt and pepper prawns are three of the dishes which have made it to the menu! The list of snacks and meals elevate the traditional gastro pub fare and the humble Scotch Egg and easy to handle finger sandwiches are proving tasty additions to the offering.(source, Australian Hotelier) In the UK exotic offerings like Halloumi chips – a product that has rapidly gained popularity in London bars, -have grown out of the need to improve vegetarian offerings to a generation of millenials keen to enjoy the pub scene while experiencing new taste sensations.

Halloumi is easy to cut into strips, deep fry and serve with a variety of yoghurt mixtures that include chilli flakes, mint or a spot of paprika.

Spicy and nice. Next up there in the new taste trend are Zucchini fries.

Across the ditch in Sydney, wine bar and restaurant Firefly has made this almost a “signature dish” – the idea of removing it from the menu would be “uneconomic’!

“Zucchini fries outsell everything else on the menu – it’s amazing,” says owner Daniel Sofo.

“We use a hand –operated chipper which you pull down almost like a guillotine. From there we trim them all up, put them into a sea salt bath >> 10 | April 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

Fish Finger sandwiches

Sal & pepper squid

Potted crab with soda bread and butter

T STIER TA

F STER FA

FISH CAKE RAB & S— —C THAI FISH CAKES CRAB CAKES

INSPIRED STREET T FOODS OQUETTES — — CR PRAWN CROQUETTES TUNA CROQUETTES

OLD fa fav avouriteS IN NEW WAY AS AY N A DA S — — E M PA BLUE SWIMMER CRAB & CORN EMPANADAS PRAWN & SQUID EMPANADAS

F ST FA T FRESH AND EASY FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THESE PRODUCTS PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL UNITED FISH CO REPRESENTATIVE

PRE-PREPARED FOODS for two to four hours and that just extracts some of the bitterness. We pat them dry and leave them in the cool room to dry for a day.”

Sofo says the salt bath acts as a preservative, allowing the courgette to be stored before frying.

Next the fries are battered in cornstarch and fried in cottonseed oil at 180 degrees Celsius for three to four minutes before being tossed in za’atar and salt.

“It’s all done by hand because the zucchini is substantially more fragile than a potato or sweet potato. There’s a little bit of patience involved.”

But this patience reaps rewards in terms of revenue, as the product is priced around $.4.00 more per serve than the standard potato chip offering. Regardless of the price the customers still flock to Firefly and the restaurant goes through five tonnes of zucchini a year!

Croquettes & Pizzas Potato bacon croquettes, served with a variety of aioli; mini pizzas – large pizzas cut into finger sized bites, which can all be made in advance for functions and sporting events are quick and easy to serve food initiatives. The Botanist at Auckland’s City Works Depot offers a great range of toppings to suit the dietary needs that please the palette and are easy finger food for events . Crowd pleasers include:_ • Roasted vegetables, pesto, olives, crumbled feta and mozzarella • Pepperoni caramalised onions and capsicums, baby spinach and cheese • Potato, pancetta, blue cheese, brocollini and chillies • Thai style chicken mung beans, coriander and chilli peppers.

Owner Jacob, believes the recipe for the success of the café by day, event venue on weekends, lies in the quality of the produce and the skills of the chef and prep staff and keeping up to date with customer taste trends. “We evolve and listen to customer feedback , all the time.” ■

Zucchini fritters & fries on the rise!

Customers want it simple.

Lamb Weston House Cuts® Simple Recipe Fries deliver great house-made taste with just three ingredients.

• Nearly 100% of consumers are actively trying to be healthier,1 choosing foods with fewer, easy-to-pronounce ingredients • Two-thirds say food is healthier when made without additives2 – “no additives or preservatives” was the most-launched food claim in Australia in 2016 3 • 70% of consumers want to know where their food comes from4 Your guests want three things from their food: they want to know what’s in it, they want fewer artificial ingredients, and they want it to be delicious.

Three simple ingredients

House-made appearance

Potatoes, oil and sea salt. That’s all

Our fries have a natural shape and colour

With mypotatofarmer.com, operators

we need to make great fries. And we

to deliver an authentic hand-cut look.

can hear from the farmers behind their

don’t just use any oil. Our House Cuts®

We select potatoes with the best natural

fries, and share the story with guests

Simple Recipe Fries are par-fried in

characteristics for an appetizing appearance

through customizable merchandising.

expeller-pressed canola oil with a

without additives or preservatives. Plus,

neutral flavour that lets true potato

our fries offer more consistent length and

taste come through. That’s a fry your

a higher yield – up to 36% more servings*

customers can feel good about.

vs. fresh-cut back-of-house fries.

Share your fry story

At Lamb Weston, we see possibilities in potatoes. Founded in 1950 as a small family business, we’re now one of the world’s leading suppliers of frozen potato products, and we’ve earned our reputation as an industry pioneer. We’re committed to safety and quality, being good stewards of the land, and enriching our communities.

Request a sample of Lamb Weston House Cuts® Simple Recipe Fries today – visit LambWeston.com/SimpleRecipeAU. The Futures Company, Australia Country Summary, 2015 Healthfocus International Survey, Australia, Japan, S. Korea, 2014 3 Mintel GNPD/Mintel Food and Drink, 2016, Australia Claims Analysis 4 Technomic GPP Consumer Restaurant Behavior, Australia, 2016 *Based on Lamb Weston internal data as of June 2017; actual yield may vary based on various factors including variances in processing, fluctuations in market prices, and exact ingredients used in product preparation 1 2

©2018 Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

PRE PREPARED FOODS

And Now For Dessert!

Palmerston North based Emma-Jane’s range of imported European desserts are selected to add a quality pre-prepared sweet range for Chefs wanting a premium product. The company’s motto is “Made

by Chefs, For Chefs” and authenticity of ingredients is key to their success, along with the ease of presentation for foodservice.

Products such as Tiramisu, from the La Donatella range in Italy arrive in a 1 kg log that allows kitchens to supply the favourite dessert from frozen, knowing that the ingredients are true to their provenance and allow portion control. Another popular dessert, especially with hotels, restaurants, and cafes wanting to offer top quality temptations is the Red Berry Charlotte which has an elegant look and a sweet, tangy combination of flavours.

This dessert includes a gourmet genoise sponge cake with raspberry pieces, a vanilla flavoured mousse and a red berry jelly.

As a final touch, it is decorated with whole red berries (raspberries, blackberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants) and pistachio pieces.

For more information go to www.emmajanes.co.nz

Imported from France – Red Berry Charlotte.

Perennially popular Tiramisu from Emma-Jane’s.

TASTE THE DIFFERENCE Gourmet, homestyle burgers

Wherever time and space are limited and extraordinarily high standards are demanded Angel Bay provides the perfect solution, with a range of convenient, part-cooked products. Specifically designed to give busy chefs more ways to delight diners, our Angel Bay products are versatile, delicious and New Zealand made.

Angus Beef Burger Patties - 150 g Beef Burger Patties - 180 g Beef Burger Patties - 150 g Beef Burger Patties - 120 g Gluten Free Beef Patties - 100 g Kofta Spiced Lamb Patties - 120 g Lamb Burger Patties - 120 g Moroccan Spiced Lamb Patties - 120 g Beef Sliders - 40 g Angus Sliders Lamb Sliders Beef Meatballs

www.angelbay.co.nz

14 | April 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

PRE PREPARED FOODS

A SALMON LOVER'S DREAM - TYEE LAUNCHED IN NZ Ōra King and Harbourside presented an exclusive four course meal dinner prepared by four Ōra King Awards finalists Marc Soper - Wharekauhau Country Estate, Mark McAllister – Welcome Eatery, Makoto Tokuyama – Cocoro and Shaun (Himanshu) Tyagi – Harbourside Ocean Bar Grill.

The four chefs provided guests with an experience like no other including sashimi, a three course meal with matched wines and the opportunity to taste Ōra King Awards 2017 winner Marc Soper’s baked salmon.

A modern-day equivalent of the legendary Tyee salmon is now available to a few discerning chefs and diners worldwide, thanks to a new discovery at New Zealand King Salmon.

With their classical breeding programme now established for more than 24 years, New Zealand King Salmon’s knowledge of their own Ora King breed - and its life cycle - has resulted in the expertise to grow a very limited number of Tyee salmon, branded Ōra King TYEE. Tyee are extraordinary King salmon that have not matured in the usual time frame, continuing to grow while maintaining a premium condition. While the average weight of an Ōra King salmon is around 5 kg, Ōra King TYEE grow to over 30 lb (13.6kg). Ōra King TYEE grow to around four years of age, compared to the normal Ōra King salmon life-cycle of two years. Raised in the clear waters that flow from Te Waikoropupu Springs in Takaka, the clean, pure waters, chemical-free environment, low

stocking densities and attentive husbandry all contribute to the creation of TYEE. General Manager Marketing at New Zealand King Salmon, Jemma McCowan, says, “We are very excited to launch this extremely premium, world-first product to discerning diners. Ōra King TYEE now makes it even more possible to have a luxury sustainable sushi experience.”

She says, “Because of their longer-life cycle, Ōra King TYEE have a more developed flavour and oil profile. The flesh is refined with dramatic white marbling and the natural oil content in the belly is notably high, drawing comparisons to Bluefin tuna.”

One chief fish! The Ora King Tyee takes four years to grow and can cost up to $600.00 per fish.

NEW LOOK NEW PRODUCTS NEW BROCHURE GET IN TOUCH TODAY! 0800 366 252 | info@emmajanes.co.nz Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2018 | 15

FEATURE

Making a

Beeline

for Bellamy’s!

Bellamy’s, once renowned as one of the classiest restaurants in New Zealand was modelled on the British parliamentary institution. The Beehive’s main restaurant was founded in the 1850’s and is still going strong today – with a new vision and menu and is open to the public – not just parliamentary staff!

A

breath of fresh air has blown through the 60-seater restaurant, perched on the third floor of the Beehive. Newlyappointed parliamentary catering company ICON Venues has brought in renowned Wellington restaurant Logan Brown to inject some of the old glory days pizzazz and style back into Bellamy’s, now Bellamy’s by Logan Brown.

The exclusive gathering place for MP’s until recently, Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard allowed the new managers of Bellamy’s by Logan Brown to open the restaurant up to the public, so people can now mingle with the country’s representatives.

Logan Brown’s Steve Logan and Shaun Clouston have invested two of their top staff into the new venture, in which they act as consultants to ICON, operating Bellamy’s by Logan Brown.

Bellamy’s by Logan Brown’s new restaurant manager Leeann Burtenshaw and the restaurant’s new head chef Josh Ross are passionate about infusing the Logan Brown philosophy and values into their new roles.

Some of the age-old traditions of the classy New Zealand parliamentary eatery, that had been done away with during the past 10 years, have already been revived.

“Parliamentary Service staff have helped us dig out the old Bellamy’s silver, which has ‘Bellamy’s’ and ‘House of NZ Representatives’ engraved on it,” says Leeann. Traditional white dinner plates with a fine green trim, also embossed with ‘House of NZ Representatives’, have also been 16 | April 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

unearthed, as have silver salt and pepper shakers, old teapots, sugar bowls and butter dishes.

Buried away for a good 10 years, the front of house staff do a ‘sterling’ job of keeping these buffed and shone for guests.

Josh heads up a kitchen team of five, while Leeann has five others working front of house. They’re expecting to have to take on additional staff as word gets out that the parliamentary exclusive is now open to the public. “We’ve already had a lot of our Logan Brown regulars in,” says Leeann.

However, there are a few security measures that need to be applied with each public booking. “We have to let the security staff know their names, and they’re given a security tag to swipe when they come in and when they go out,” she says.

Josh and Leeann are passionate about bringing the ‘Logan Brown experience’ to Bellamy’s. “We’re getting a lot of people in who aren’t in Parliament, but they’re into great food. It’s fun.”

Foraging is a big focus for Josh. “We’re all about offering that genuine spirit of hospitality – even when it comes to dealing with our suppliers,” he says. “We always try to be consistent and train our staff the best we can. He and his chefs head out most mornings on foraging missions in search of wild ingredients, which, even in the heart of Wellington city, are freely available. “We go as a kitchen team. There are a lot of spots around Wellington offering plenty of wild herbs or native ingredients.” It’s imperative that staff are

FEATURE well trained in identifying what’s clean and safe to eat, and they never forage close to roads or unclean streams. Bush walks and tracks unearth New Zealand native bush herbs like kawakawa and horopito – traditionally used by Maori for their health benefits.

“Kawakawa has a slight numbing sensation and was used to relieve toothache,” says Josh. “We use horopito as a replacement for normal black pepper, as it’s good for the gut.” Both herbs are dehydrated and blended into powder. The kawakawa is used in a mustard with the Duck Rillette, while the horopito currently stars in Bellamy’s by Logan Brown’s tomato dish. Fresh flowers like radish and brassica are collected for garnishes and sea succulents, like native celery and New Zealand spinach are collected from coastal areas. MP’s and other diners have really embraced these true Kiwi flavours on the menu, says Leeann.

Fresh, seasonable and sustainable is the Logan Brown catch cry and this ethos has been transported across to Parliament. “We don’t want to serve anything that isn’t going to be around in 15 years – no endangered tuna, or fish that isn’t sustainably-caught,” says Josh. “We always use fishing companies that use sustainable fishing methods. The fish aren’t dragged along or bruised either.”

Market Fish – anything from groper, to tarakihi or gurnard – served with fennel puree and greens is a firm favourite with MP’s, as is Coastal Lamb with harissa and kumara gratin.

Vegetarian options are offered with each course, and dietary requirements are all easily accommodated.

Most popular on the dessert menu lately has been the Pohutukawa Honey Roasted Peach with vanilla cremeux, topped with raspberry and hokey pokey. As autumn sets in Josh is working on a feijoa dish.

He’s always introducing new initiatives, such as preserving summer fruits and making vinegars and fruit preserves for the cheeseboards and chutneys. Black boy peaches are blanched, peeled and pureed.

The almond-flavoured seed in the stone is extracted by smashing the stone. It’s then infused into a sugar syrup, mixed with the pureed pulp and made into a delicious sorbet. Fermentation is also used to develop different flavours and Josh has been fermenting turnips and making Damson plum vinegars and gin to use in his cooking.

Naturally Bellamy’s by Logan Brown hosts some important dignitaries and dinner parties from time to time. “We have to be quite flexible with our timing and what we can offer, and it’s really important to show off New Zealand produce,” says Leeann. “They love the food story – where the ingredients are from and how they were raised or caught.”

All Bellamy’s by Logan Brown bread is now baked on site. A sourdough using part of the Logan Brown starter turns out just the right level of ‘sour’ with a nice crust.

The background security checks all passed long ago, Leeann and Josh are now part of an exclusive work environment. One MP (who can’t be named) even remembers their names, which Josh and Leeann find impressive. And no, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has not made an appearance at Bellamy’s by Logan Brown as yet. So far they’ve only had a glimpse of her around the precinct.

“The best thing about this job is being able to share what we do with the leaders of our country and show them what our industry is like in New Zealand, and what we work towards in Wellington,” says Leeann. “We get to come to work every day and cook with wonderful ingredients and the best produce, in a nice environment with a great team behind us backing us up,” says Josh. ■

Lofty views from the Beehive’s parliamentary restaurant

Josh Ross & Leeann Burtenshaw

TOP TRENDS 2018 FOR CATERING Clean Eating: The push for healthy whole foods shows no sign of dropping Vegan: Animal free diets continue to be embraced by diners Sustainability: Food waste reduction and sustainability are subjects constantly on consumer’s radars Well plated meals: Nothing changes here, diners eat with their eyes first and creativity in plating remains as important as taste. my’s Logan Brown at Bella ng – the new managers bri a new menu.

Locally sourced produce: Cuisine driven by local suppliers’ ability to deliver – continues to grow.

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2018 | 17

PROFILE Peter Langlands foraging for watercress.

PROFESSIONAL FORAGER –

Peter Langlands F

or one of New Zealand’s leading foraging experts, Peter Langlands, fossicking about for hours on end has become a fulltime job; sifting out edible delights that most of us would trample on as weeds.

It’s a skill and a tradition long lost since the days of our ancestors, who constantly foraged this beautiful land of Aotearoa in search of fresh food.

Peter is believed to be the country’s only ‘professional forager’ employed by award winning restaurant Amisfield Bistro, to forage the land for these fresh delights.

He’s then responsible for keeping cool and delivering, by courier if out of the region, back to Amisfield’s acclaimed executive chef Vaughan Mabee, who’s been Peter’s foraging inspiration. Together with head chef Adam Harrison and the restaurant’s charcuterie specialist, Tray Anderson, Vaughan and Peter work on delivering truly unique foraged food to guests.

“Vaughan’s given me a deep grounding in using wild and foraged foods and herbs, game, berries and mushrooms,” says Peter. It was during time spent working at the award-winning Noma Restaurant in Denmark, renowned for its diversity of wild foraged foods and true Nordic cuisine, that Vaughan learned how to truly forage. “It’s a highly sought after restaurant,” says Peter. “You don’t get much change back from $700Euro.”

Both regular posters of foraging finds on social media, Vaughan and Peter met at an international food design conference in Dunedin in 2016. “That’s how it all started,” says Peter, whose background is in national history and primary conservation research on endangered birds. Prior to that he worked as a fly fishing guide and a fisheries officer – both perfect grounding for his professional foraging role.

He’s equally as interested in seafood finds as plants and regularly explores the southern coastlines unearthing tasty new treasures. “It just seems that the interest in foraged plant foods has really eclipsed. People want that diversity of local food,” says Peter.

“I know where everything comes from on my plate and that gives the food a real authenticity.”

It’s a highly variable, year-round job, which can require 50 to 60-hours some weeks with 30 hours on others, depending on the season.

18 | April 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

Amisfield's autumn menu: snowberry tart.

PROFILE

Amisfield Bistro executive chef Vaughan Mabee (left) and head chef Adam Harrison prepping some of Peter’s finds.

Amisfield's autumn menu includes a wide range of foraged foods.

Peter is mostly scanning Central Otago, and other South Island regions on occasion. Amisfield has a fisherman in Bluff, and several local market gardeners who often grow product to order. “Rocketman has just grown us an oyster leaf plant that tastes incredibly like a real oyster.

It’s a greyish, green leaf plant and is now on our menu as a ‘Vegetarian Oyster’. We’re always doing new stuff like that.”

Peter’s contribution is probably five to 10 percent of the entire Amisfield product and includes a wide range of mushrooms never used before on the same scale. With a Masters in Zoology and Natural Sciences, he knows what he’s gathering and food health and safety hygiene is absolutely paramount. “It’s so easy to accidentally pick hemlock and nightshade that grows amongst the edible stuff, so all the foraged produce is double checked.”

Knowing the taxonomy – shared characteristics and relationships between plants – enables him to decipher what’s poisonous and what’s edible when something new is unearthed.

Fat Hen, best known as a pesky weed, is an opportunistic green plant that Peter says most people wouldn’t bother with. However, he collects large amounts for Amisfield Bistro where they’re condensed into compressed sheets. “We’re incredibly resourceful almost to the point of being alchemists.”

Wood Sorrel is also seen as a pest, but has an amazing punchy, citrus flavour and delivers the perfect complement to fish dishes. Sheep’s Sorrell is another favourite garnish.

Wild pea flowers are often found along scrubby roadsides and their pink, white and purple flowers also make for the perfect edible garnish for fish and meat dishes.

Large white alpine snow berries, located high on the Soho Basin Ski area near Queenstown, deliver a beautiful marshmallow texture. “They have a really nice floral fragrance and flavour.”

The Amsifield team made a snowberry tart and did a yin and yang presentation using red and white snowberries. “I think it was the first restaurant in New Zealand to serve snowberries,” says Peter. “That’s what makes turning up at work truly exciting.” He obviously targets what’s in season and spends a lot of time on the Bluff coastline, and along the Otago Peninsula where coastal succulents like native ice plant and beach spinach prevail. Amisfield chefs also extract the guts from paua and ferment them down at the right temperature for four or five months creating a powerful garum – Roman-style fish sauce. This is used in tiny amounts to power the complexity of flavour in certain dishes, he says.

New finds are always exciting for Peter, like the large coastal barnacle that grows on a stalk, which can’t feature on the menu until a fishing quota is obtained – and an Australian ice plant species that he stumbled across in Bluff. “I’ve nicknamed it the Jelly Bean Ice Plant. It’s incredibly salty, crunchy and tangy and goes really well with our seafood dishes.”

With the muttonbird season about to crank up Peter’s focus will soon be on finding foraged coastal succulents and native berries to accompany these tasty indigenous delicacies to star on the Amisfield menu. n Amisfield Spring

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2018 | 19

INDUSTRY LINKS

Hospitality New Zealand Vicki Lee, CEO

As We See It When connectivity doesn't click

Recently there was a war of words between the newly appointed Regional Development Minister, Shane Jones and our national carrier Air New Zealand. The issue was the surprise demise of a well-used regional connection, the Kapiti Coast Paraparaumu to Auckland flights.

For corporate professionals living up ‘the Coast’ this handy service meant far fewer 4.30am dashes to Wellington Airport. It also meant greater connectivity for everyone living in this rapidly growing region which is no longer just the domain of retirees.

This schedule change took Kapiti-coasters by surprise and also resulted in a number of members from around the country asking me; what is Hospitality NZ doing to protect its regional members from the significant impact changes like this can have on them? My initial thoughts were, what can we do? If an airline decides to change its schedule there isn’t a lot we can do to stop that. Sadly, we won’t be investing in planes anytime soon but, we actually do a lot of work in this space through our relationships with local Councils, RTOs and also through various Ministers.

When the road to Kaikoura was closed we worked closely with the local community and members to ensure they were okay and had the

Owner-operators John Collins and Alesha Bilbrough-Adams outside BearLion Foods.

resources and information available to them to make good business decisions. Equally we helped our members on the alternate state highway route between Picton and Christchurch upscale, at speed, for the influx of visitors. More recent assistance has been provided in Golden Bay which was cut off by slips right in the middle of the busy season.

What often fails to be addressed when connectivity doesn’t connect is the long-term impact this has on a community. Our members are scattered from one end to the country to the other, many of them out in the regions and they benefit greatly when road, train or air transport connections into their region are introduced, enhanced or (as happens all too frequently lately) repaired.

In short, our message when speaking to local and central government is think of the little guys when making decisions about connectivity. People have choices and if its too hard to get somewhere they will simply take the easier route. This doesn’t disperse visitors around the country, nor does it bring money into small town NZ or create jobs and business opportunities for locals. These are all things this government wants to see happen and good connectivity is a big part of that.

Christchurch café takes Unilever Innovation Award

John Collins and Alesha Bilbrough-Collins own and operate the Christchurch favourite café BearLion, with a well-deserved following.

Everything the café does is done with the environment and sustainability in mind. From offering customers discounts for recycling glass containers, to only using biodegradable packaging and selling metal straws to discourage the use of plastic, they have become one of the top 10% of Conscious Consumer companies in New Zealand. If that wasn’t enough, they have shown innovation by recycling all clingfilm they get via deliveries through a company called Terracycle, and have made a video encouraging all hospitality businesses to do the same.

“BearLions Foods is your real-food option, creating magic and love with organic, local and seasonal produce, good fats and natural sweetness.”

One of the reasons Unilever Food Solutions awarded BearLion Foods the winner of the Innovation and Sustainability award in the 2018 Meadow Fresh Cafe of the Year Awards, is for one of the main reasons Unilever Food Solutions awarded BearLion Foods the winner of their Innovation and Sustainability award is for their forwardthinking approach, not only to the environment, but to those less fortunate by donating any leftover food to the local community fridge.

20 | April 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 October 2018 The Cloud, Auckland Waterfront Stands and partnerships now available!

Contact Sam: swood@intermedianz.co.nz

SPONSORED

MEADOW FRESH C O N G R AT U L AT E S ‘ T H E D A I LY C A F É ’, T E P U K E THE SUPREME WINNER 2018 Meadow Fresh New Zealand Café of the Year The Daily Café is a unique charity, focused on giving back with all profits going to the local Te Puke community through community initiatives.

ALSO WE CONGRATULATE THE

2018 NATIONAL CATEGORY AWARD WINNERS Best Regional Town | The Daily Cafe | 3 Commerce Lane | Te Puke | Western Bay of Plenty Best Rural | Orepuki Beach Cafe | 33 Stafford Street | Orepuki | Southland Best Suburban | Sweet Vanilla Kitchen | 49 Pretoria Street |Lower Hutt Best Metro/CBD | Welcome Eatery | 181 Grafton Road | Grafton | Auckland ICG Classic Kiwi | Nick’s Café | 30 Constable Road | Waiuku | Auckland Unilever Food Solutions Innovation & Sustainability Award | BearLion Foods | Christchurch Meadow Fresh People’s Choice Award | Portershed Cafe | 322 Lincoln Road | Addington | Christchurch

PUSH COFFEE PERFECTION

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So, Meadow Fresh put its milk to the test with a group of experienced baristas. And the results were clear; Meadow Fresh Original Milk is significantly preferred for making a flat white in comparison to Anchor Original Milk*.

Meadow Fresh can confidently say that its milk helps baristas push coffee perfection creating the perfect flat white that attracts the loyalty of coffee lovers - your customers.

Meadow Fresh Original is a Barista’s best friend – order today!

For further information, please contact your Goodman Fielder Sales Representative or FREE phone 0800 438 3663 www.getfood.co.nz www.meadowfresh.co.nz meadowfreshforcafes

* Source: Colmar Brunton, 2017, Project Barista, N=31 ** 25% more protein than minimum standards averaged annually

PERMEATE FREE

BARISTA TALK

Top Baristas Say: S pecialty coffee industry is a fascinating one! More often than not we find people from various backgrounds working in cafes, simply because they fell in love with coffee. For those working in the specialty coffee sector it is natural to

MASAKO YAMAMOTO

Training Manager, Atomic Coffee

Q: What is your piece of advice for anybody starting a career as a barista?

A: Start expanding your palate in every way, with food, wine, coffee and perfume. Also have an open mind about what you think you know. The industry is rapidly evolving and just when you know something, you don’t anymore.

Q: What qualities set a good and a great barista apart?

A: A palate, curiosity and a love of sharing great coffee with others.

Q: What is your favourite machine – or piece of equipment you REALLY need to perfect your craft?

A: A good grinder. The simplest of brewing methods taste incredible with a consistent grind.

Q: Would you serve filter coffee with milk, if asked for it?

A: Absolutely. Good Baristas are here to educate people about the industry and coffee but we are not here to dictate how people can enjoy their coffee. I think that kind of thing is exclusive and runs the risk of becoming elitist.

Q: Do you ever take sugar with your coffee?

A: No, I don’t have a sweet tooth. If I want a sweet coffee I will have a single origin that is particularly sweet or I will have an espresso with milk or maybe cream.

Q: Espresso or Filter coffee?

A: I drink both in a day. It depends on the origin or blend.

Q: Looking back, what one thing would you wish to know when you were starting to work as a barista?

A: So many things! When I first started I was so oblivious. Maybe just how many variables there were in coffee, I had no idea how much flavour you could manipulate just by changing one of those variables.

KIM BOYD

World Coffee Events Judge & Project Manager Mojo Coffee Cartel

Q: What is your piece of advice for anybody starting a career as a barista?

A: Keep an open mind because coffee will constantly surprise and challenge you. Ask lots of questions, read, experiment and taste, taste, taste!

Q: What qualities set a good and a great barista apart?

A: Someone who not only loves coffee, but who also loves taking care of people. Furthermore, someone who is not complacent and continues to develop their skills and knowledge.

Q: What is your favourite machine – or piece of equipment you REALLY need to perfect your craft?

A: There are a lot of great pieces of equipment available but understanding the benefit of a great grinder, and how to operate it, is the key.

Q: Would you serve filter coffee with milk, if asked for it?

A: Absolutely. The barista’s role is to create a welcoming and enjoyable experience for our customers. Our personal preference doesn’t come into it. If the customer asked and wanted to try something new, I would suggest some different options for a different experience. Cream in coffee can also be amazing and elevate the coffee in another way.

24 | April 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

ask questions, dig deeper to reach a higher state of coffee knowledge every time, and to pay respect to the product they are selling, serving, enjoying! Hospitality Business presents a few questions to key baristas we know on their preferences! n

Q: Do you ever take sugar with your coffee?

A: No, I find that I enjoy the natural sweetness of coffees.

Q: Espresso or Filter coffee?

A: I usually start and end the day with filter coffee and enjoy espresso at work during the day.

Q: Looking back, what one thing would you wish to know when you were starting to work as a barista?

A: The reasons behind the steps I was taking. I was shown how to make espresso by another colleague and I just followed those steps for a long time without questioning it. That and also the importance of freshness in coffee!

EMMA MARKLAND WEBSTER

Event Manager for Meadow Fresh NZ Barista Championships, Owner New Zealand Coffee School

Q: What is your piece of advice for anybody starting a career as a barista?

A: Be humble, you are not always going to be on the machine. And remember it’s just coffee, yet it should always be good coffee! Customer service and giving the customer what they want is king.

Q: What qualities set a good and a great barista apart?

A: Being open minded, engaging and listening to the customer, fluidity, consistency and confidence.

Q: What is your favourite machine – or piece of equipment you REALLY need to perfect your craft?

A: My grinder! Without it the coffee has no chance of standing out, too many people forget that it is number one on the list to great coffee.

Q: Would you serve filter coffee with milk, if asked for it?

A: Is this even a question? If the customer wants milk they can have it. I personally wouldn’t but it’s not about me.

Q: Do you ever take sugar with your coffee?

A: I occasionally have been known to have a brown sugar crust on an afternoon white coffee as a pick me up.

Q: Espresso or Filter coffee?

A: Both. I start with long black or two and then a few tasty single origin soft brews.

Q: Looking back, what one thing would you wish to know when you were starting to work as a barista?

A: Mmm that the coffee world is an addictive place to be. In more ways than one. The more you know the more there is to know, in a good way.

DAVID GREEN

Account Manager & Barista Trainer, L’affre

Q: What is your piece of advice for anybody starting a career as a barista?

A: Don’t expect to be perfect straight away… Making coffee is a craft that takes time and dedication to perfect. Have an open mind and ask questions to learn more and keep learning. Taste your coffee, keep tasting your coffee, and don’t stop tasting your coffee.

Q: What qualities set a good and a great barista apart?

A: Great skills are obvious, but the less obvious is the care and attention

BARISTA TALK a great barista provides when dealing with their customer. Customer service is a key ability that often overlooked. Great barista’s focus on the want/need of a customer first and foremost.

Q: What is your favourite machine – or piece of equipment you REALLY need to perfect your craft?

A: A grinder every time…

Q: Would you serve filter coffee with milk, if asked for it?

A: Absolutely! The customer wants what the customer wants… It can be an opportunity for conversation about coffee and the unique flavours that can be discovered by trying it black but you need to pick your moment for this.

Q: Do you ever take sugar with your coffee?

A: Personally no. I prefer the natural sweetness of coffee. However there are some coffee based drinks that do need a touch of sugar to sweeten the deal.

Q: Espresso or Filter coffee?

A: Both. Espresso generally first up and filter throughout the day.

Q: Looking back, what one thing would you wish to know when you were starting to work as a barista?

A: Ask why… don’t just follow the steps, understand the steps. The skills and knowledge you gain by asking why are so key in your personal growth and development.

MIKE TAN

Barista – Meebz Coffee Roasters

Q: What qualities set a good and a great barista apart?

A: Attention for detail and passion for continually learning.

NICO REFITI

Barista trainer/client manager ozone coffee roasters

Q: What is your piece of advice for anybody starting a career as a barista?

A: Never stop learning and always be open to new ideas around coffee.

The day you decide you know it all is the day you become the past.

NIC BERRY

The Barista Academy

Q: What qualities set a good and a great barista apart?

A: Good baristas understand details, Great baristas understand people.

Nic Berry - The Barista Academy

BARISTAS TAKE TO THE STAGE Watch as the best baristas in New Zealand compete to become the Meadow Fresh New Zealand Barista Champion 2018. The national heats start on Saturday 14 April and continue with the top six final round on Sunday 15 April at Expressions Arts and Entertainment Centre, Upper Hutt, Wellington.

Twenty of New Zealand’s most talented baristas will contend in a bid to win the national title and the opportunity to represent New Zealand at the World Barista Championship 2018 in Amsterdam this June. The aim is to establish who is deserving of the coffee equivalent of an OSCAR for best performance as a barista in New Zealand according to a specific set of rules.

Each barista’s 15-minute demonstration will be scored on the taste of beverages served, cleanliness, creativity, technical skill, and overall presentation. The ever-popular signature drink allows baristas to stretch their imagination and the judges’ palates to incorporate a wealth of coffee knowledge into an expression of their individual tastes and experiences.

The World Barista Championship focusses on promoting excellence in coffee, advancing the barista profession, and engaging a worldwide audience with an annual Championship that serves as the culmination of events around the globe involving more than sixty nations.

The New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association (NZSCA) is the national representative for World Coffee Events, the owners of the World Barista Championship.

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2018 | 25

CAFÉ OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Trustees Richard Crawford (far left) and Chrissi and Marty Robinson (centre) and with The Daily Café team.

Triple win for Te Puke cafe Community spirit takes top billing in 2018 cafe of the year awards!

T

he Daily Café in Te Puke has been named the 2018 Meadow Fresh New Zealand Café of the Year at a special event held recently in Auckland. For the sixth consecutive year, the awards have highlighted the diverse, the delicious and most delightful of café culture throughout New Zealand.

The Daily Café is owned by The Search Party Charitable Trust, a registered charity. Its not-for-profit ethos, focuses on giving back, with all profits going to the local Te Puke community through community and crisis meals, lending a helping hand and training. The

26 | April 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

focus of the four local trustees Marty and Chrissi Robinson, Richard Crawford and Andrew Reid, is on making the local community better than it is now, serving Te Puke and promoting goodness to grow there. Even the coffee beans used at The Daily Café give back, with every coffee sold providing one week of fresh water in Cambodia through the Good Trust.

More than a cafe and more like a community centre, The Daily Café was a two and a half year project to create - a dream that became a reality in 2016 due to the support of the community behind them.

CAFÉ OF THE YEAR AWARDS Judging, tasting and deliberating was conducted by a highlyexperienced panel led by NZ’s pre-eminent food and restaurant authority, Kerry Tyack.

“What a find! Tucked away just off the Te Puke highway, sits one of the most interesting cafes we came across. Its cheekiness brings an immediate smile as you approach through an outdoor seating area into a vast mélange of mismatched seating. The service is coordinated and uncomplicated. The sweet and savoury fare is home-made and certainly tasty.

“When the food and coffee arrive, you know someone in the kitchen knows how to satisfy a Kiwi appetite with generous portions. Instead of having 30 different menu items, The Daily Café provide three to six fresh meals daily to choose from, made of good wholesome food according to the season and reasonably priced.

“The freshness of the garden vegetables – often from the community garden across the road or from the community members, the use of the herbs from the café’s garden and the menu that changes daily show a commitment to excellence that is as welcome as the discovery of its generosity,” says Kerry Tyack.

Along with being announced the 2018 Meadow Fresh Café of the Year, The Daily Café was also presented with the National Best Regional Town award after winning the Upper North Island region Best Regional Town award in December.

Katherine Jensen, Meadow Fresh Marketing Director says “Congratulations to the trustees, manager, staff and local community of The Daily Café – the 2018 Meadow Fresh NZ Café of the Year! We are extremely proud to sponsor the awards that acknowledge the important role cafes play in New Zealand’s culture and lifestyle. We truly have a dynamic Kiwi café scene throughout the nation.” n

2018 NATIONAL CATEGORY AWARD WINNERS: 2018 MEADOW FRESH NZ CAFÉ OF THE YEAR

The Daily Café, 3 Commerce Lane, Te Puke

BEST REGIONAL TOWN

The Daily Cafe, 3 Commerce Lane, Te Puke, Western Bay of Plenty

BEST RURAL

Orepuki Beach Cafe, 33 Stafford Street, Orepuki, Southland

BEST SUBURBAN

Sweet Vanilla Kitchen, 49 Pretoria Street |Lower Hutt

BEST METRO/CBD

Welcome Eatery, 181 Grafton Road, Grafton, Auckland

ICG CLASSIC KIWI

Nick’s Café, 30 Constable Road, Waiuku, Auckland

MEADOW FRESH PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

Portershed Cafe, 322 Lincoln Road, Addington, Christchurch

UNILEVER FOOD SOLUTIONS INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

BearLion Foods, Christchurch

TM

your customers won’t be able to resist info@loaf.co.nz | www.loaf.co.nz Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2018 | 27

2018 NZ CHAMPIONS OF CHEESE

Big awards for small cheese!

I

n a year where the international Master Judge said the quality of New Zealandmade cheese has never been better, the top two awards have gone to small, independent cheesemakers.

Countdown Champion of Champions Cheese – Commercial, was awarded to The Cheese Barn Organic Cumin Seed Gouda, and Puhoi Valley Champion of Champions Cheese – Artisan was awarded to Clevedon Buffalo Ricotta.

Master Judge Russell Smith, from Australia, who judges cheeses at competitions around the world, said the quality of New Zealand cheese continues to improve. He says New Zealanders should be proud of the local cheese available from their supermarket or cheesemonger.

THE CHEESE BARN ORGANIC CUMIN SEED GOUDA: For more than 20 years Kelvin and Cathy Haigh have owned and run The Cheese Barn in the Thames-Coromandel district. They make BioGro certified organic cheeses and yoghurts that are unhomogenised, gluten free, have no GMO, no artificial additives, no antibiotics or growth hormones and no chemical sprays. They have entered cheese in the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards since 1998 winning many medals.

This is the first trophy-winning cheese, and so the first time they

have also been awarded the commercial champion of the show.

Master Judge Russell Smith said “this Cumin Seed Gouda was an absolutely superb cheese and that’s why it’s been named champion. The flavour profile exhibited all the best characteristics of this traditional style. The piquancy of the cumin blending beautifully with the slightly sweet yet savoury notes of the cheese.” To be eligible for the Champion of Champions Commercial cheesemakers must produce over 25 tonnes per annum.

CLEVEDON BUFFALO RICOTTA:Owned and operated by Richard and Helen Dorresteyn, Clevedon Buffalo Co. is in Clevedon, a rural town, south of Auckland city. The first people to commercially farm buffalo in New Zealand, they own 150 head of Riverine water buffalo and use their milk, which contains more protein and calcium and roughly half the cholesterol of cow’s milk, to make a delicious range of mozzarella, bocconcini, yoghurt, marinated cheese and ricotta.

Clevedon Buffalo were awarded four trophies including the Puhoi Valley Champion of Champions Cheese – Artisan, to qualify for the Champion of Champions Artisan cheesemakers must produce less than 25 tonnes annually. n

3,000 proud members choose Hospitality New Zealand!

From starting a new business, to running a successful one, you will always be a proud member of Hospitality New Zealand.

Hospitality New Zealand are the best at what we do, because: We go beyond expectation – here when you need us, 24/7 We don’t give up easily – in your corner for as long as it takes We’re a trusted advisor – give sound advice that protects your business We have service in our DNA – passionate about adding value everyday Hospitality New Zealand, a trusted ally to 3,000 members focused on reducing stress levels for members by offering the best advice on employment, industry compliance, training and advocacy – saving members time and money.

Experience for yourself why Hospitality New Zealand is the best and call us for membership on 0800 500 503.

2018 NZ CHAMPIONS OF CHEESE

TOP TROPHY CHEESE COUNTDOWN CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS CHEESE AWARD – COMMERCIAL The Cheese Barn Organic Cumin Seed Gouda – The Cheese Barn PUHOI VALLEY CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS CHEESE AWARD – ARTISAN Clevedon Buffalo Ricotta – Clevedon Buffalo Co MILK TEST NZ CHAMPION CHEESEMAKER AWARD Geert Meyer – Meyer Cheese GREEN VALLEY DAIRIES CHAMPION FRESH UN-RIPENED CHEESE AWARD Clevedon Buffalo Ricotta – Clevedon Buffalo Co KIWI LABELS CHAMPION FETA CHEESE AWARD Zany Zeus Creamy Feta – Zany Zeus CHR HANSEN CHAMPION SOFT WHITE RIND CHEESE AWARD Thorvald Sheep Milk Camembert - Thorvald 180 DEGREES CHAMPION GOAT CHEESE AWARD Talbot Forest Goat Parmesan - Talbot Forrest Cheese SHEEP MILK NZ CHAMPION SHEEP CHEESE AWARD Thorvald Sheep Milk Curado- Thorvald THERMAFLO CHAMPION WASHED RIND CHEESE AWARD Puhoi Valley Cellar Range Washed Rind – Puhoi Valley Cheese

ECOLAB CHAMPION BLUE CHEESE AWARD Puhoi Valley Matured Kawau Blue – Puhoi Valley Cheese EUROFINS NZ CHAMPION EUROPEAN STYLE CHEESE AWARD Meyer Maasdam - Meyer Cheese ASUREQUALITY CHAMPION DUTCH STYLE CHEESE AWARD Barrys Bay Aged Cumin Gouda – Barrys Bay Traditional Cheese MINISTRY FOR PRIMARY INDUSTRIES CHAMPION NEW CHEESE AWARD Clevedon Buffalo Cherry Mozzarella – Clevedon Buffalo Co FONTERRA CO-OPERATIVE GROUP CHAMPION ORIGINAL CHEESE AWARD Over the Moon Southern Cross by Neil Willman - Over the Moon Dairy NEW WORLD CHEESE LOVERS’ CHOICE AWARD Kapiti Kahurangi Creamy Blue – Fonterra Brands NZ CHEESE LOVERS’ CHOICE FAVOURITE NZ CHEESE COMPANY AWARD IN ASSOCIATION WITH NEW WORLD Whitestone Cheese Co CAS-PAK PRODUCTS LTD CHAMPION CHEESE PACKAGING AWARD Clevedon Marinated Buffalo Cheese – Clevedon Buffalo Co CURDS & WHEY CHAMPION HOME CRAFTED CHEESE & CHEESEMAKER Tony Hamblyn, Karaka Brick Gold

Our NZ Cheese Awards 2018 matured kawau Blue

Cellar Range washed Rind

CATEGORY CHAMPION

CATEGORY CHAMPION

This feisty blue is made in the style of traditional

Puhoi Valley Matured Washed Rind has a distinctive

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produces an award winning balanced blue flavour.

it’s super-oozy soft centre may just make it the chairman of the board.

Matakana Waxed Blue

Farmhouse Brie

Puhoi Valley Matakana Waxed Blue is a spicy, sweet

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FOR TRADE ENQUIRES CALL 0800 4 TASTE | PUHOIVALLEY.CO.NZ

BAKING

BAKERS WANTED! Can you use your loaf?

Leading bakers are struggling to fill ‘roles’.

Photos: Loaf Handcrafted Breads

30 | Apr 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

T

he country’s bakers may be rising to the occasion with the perfect product, but industry leaders say they’re struggling to get the recipe just right when it comes to attracting good staff.

Award-winning Auckland celebrity chef-turned-baker Sean Armstrong made the switch to baking about 14 years ago, launching his now highly-successful Loaf Handcrafted Breads. The former partner in Auckland’s Prime Restaurant discovered the growing demand for handcrafted breads and freshly-baked goods while running Prime with his business partner. These days Loaf turns out about 35,000 baked units a day and employs about 70 staff in Auckland, but Sean says he’s constantly short of four or five, especially bakers.

Only about six of out of about 20 responses to his permanent advertisements for bakers, pastry bakers, cleaners and packers have been suitable. “And you’re lucky if one of those actually turns up for the interview,” he says. “Kiwis and New Zealand residents are the worst at turning up.”

Sean’s becoming frustrated with the difficulty in attracting and retaining good, reliable staff. “They don’t even need training. We just want people with the right attitude, who have some form of personal hygiene and brush their teeth in the morning, and who’ll actually turn up for work every day,” he says. From millennials through to people in their 40’s, he’s concerned that many people simply don’t have any values when it comes to working. “I was so stoked to have a job washing dishes in a restaurant when I left school, but these days they just don’t care,” he says.

He’s concerned young people are lacking in basic family values and responsibilities taught at home, which means many don’t have the commitment to meeting their obligations.

The new government’s tightening on immigration has made the industry’s dilemma much worse, he says. Changes to visa requirements have been a massive contributing factor, says Sean. “We lost 10 or 11 staff in about six weeks. They all left Auckland, because they got more points towards securing their visas if they were working out of Auckland, and Auckland - as the largest city - is contributing more to the New Zealand economy than any other region,” he says.

So many staff have come to work for him and his company helps them obtain their work visa then as soon as they secure it they leave.

“It’s a real pity as I’ve had some amazing people working with me from all over – India, Asia, the Pacific Islands and Kiwis - who all really care and are amazing, passionate staff.” It’s tough on the good staff too when other staff let the side down.

Proposed changes to the government’s 90-day employment trial scheme are another concern for the industry. “If I have a three-month trial period I’ll do it, but there’s no way I’ll take on staff if I can’t prove they’re good,” says Sean. “We normally start them on a very low base rate and if they can prove their worth in a short period of time we’ll pay them more, but we won’t take a chance on people.”

Sean says he had one young woman turn up for an interview recently who had one year’s café experience, described herself as an artisan baker, and wouldn’t work for less than $22 an hour. “I said, ‘For your level of skill, you’ll be lucky to get my usual $17 an hour,’.” However, for Sean, millennial females shine brighter in the workforce than their male counterparts. “The girls aged from 19 to 26 seem to have their head screwed on right and have a better work ethic,” he says.

It’s extremely easy for chefs to make the switch to baking, as many have, says Sean. “All you need to be a good baker is the right attitude.”

It’s a lot less aggressive being a baker than being a chef. It’s a different form of food,” he says. “There’s less pressure – not so much short order

pressure, and you’re not getting hammered during those hectic hours of service.” Just like restaurants, bakeries are constantly having to diversify with new innovations and the two trades have many crossovers.

It takes a certain type of person to cope with the hours and ‘antisocial nature’ of the baking industry, says Baking Industry Association of New Zealand president Kevin Gilbert.

“We’re seeing this next generation - The iGen – coming through now, and they seem to be a little more engaged having lived through the global financial crisis,” says Kevin. Millennials are usually looking for more instant gratification. They’re the mobile phone age. “Research shows that millennials, who’ve been taught that there are no losers – they’re all winners, expect to go straight out of school and to the top as manager, says Kevin. “Some of them struggle when they get into the workplace, as that’s not the reality.”

Bakeries are hard environments, just like kitchens, he says. “You work hard, the hours are long and there’s a risk of burning or cutting yourself.

While your mates are out partying you have to sweat for a living.”

There’s been some renewed interest in positions, usually from international applicants or females, in what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry. “There are young women coming through, which I think is fantastic,” says Kevin. “It’s raising the level of the conversation from that blokey world of baking.”

However, it is hard to get staff, he says. “Baking is on the endangered species list – the government’s skills shortage list – and has been for years.”

“It’s hard to compete with the sex appeal of TV celebrity cooking shows serving up sexy chefs, money and wine,” says Kevin. “We’re going to struggle until we change and manage to get that same sex appeal and romance into the baking industry.”

Much of the problem is public perception. “Yes, we start early, but you have the afternoon free to do what you want – surf, party or whatever.”

Baking can also take you anywhere in the world, and on many pathways, from specialist pastry chef in a hotel to writing books, as many bakers have done, says Kevin. “You’ve just got to be passionate.” n

“We just want people with the right attitude, who have some form of personal hygiene and brush their teeth in the morning, and who’ll actually turn up for work every day.”

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2018 | 31

IF YOU LOVE SPORT...

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE IT They want it. You’ll have it.

SKY has nine dedicated sport channels, and even now we are finding it hard to fit in all our exclusive sporting events.

A SKY subscription will give your venue all the LIVE sport you need to create that match day atmosphere for your customers.

Some additional charges will apply for premium channels and events.

Call us now on 0800 759 333 to cash in on the benefits of having SKY in your venue.

EVENT PLANNING Austin’s Food Design Events creation, Baklava with freeze dried plum and gold leaf..

Planning Space: Meet. Play. Sleep Expected to open mid-2019 with reservations opening in the New Year, the Ramada Manukau Pacific Centre hotel and suites will offer 200 beds with a configuration of 85 hotel rooms and 67 serviced apartment suites.

V

odafone Event Centre’s sales team will be hard to miss at two upcoming MICE tradeshows – Convene being held at the centre on April 10, and MEETINGS on May 30-31. The name of their campaign, Meet. Play. Sleep. will be emblazoned across the six-stand exhibit space and the mood will be celebratory.

“Our venue is bursting with opportunities,” says Second Nature Charitable Trust (SNCT) chief operating officer Karyn Spencer.

Along with its family of quality partners, Vodafone Event Centre proudly announces zero logistics for event organisers when the Ramada Manukau Pacific Centre hotel and suites open for business mid-2019.

“These developments mean total ease for event organisers and attendees,” Spencer says.“Delegates attend conference during the day; then network or perhaps attend a team-building white water raft experience at Vector Wero Whitewater Park just 50 metres away from your meeting room?

“Then it’s a short stroll across the car park back to your room, to change for the gala dinner.”

Nineteen months ago, extra conference, event and meeting room capacity were added – the Sir Noel Robinson Conference Centre connected to Vodafone Events Centre (VEC).

“This is the outrigger to our waka, the waka being the events centre, and the market is really responding to the additional conference space.

Ramada has further strengthened the centre’s value to the industry.”

Expected to open mid-2019 with reservations opening in the New Year, the Ramada will offer 200 beds with a configuration of 85 hotels rooms and 67 serviced apartment suites. Auckland city’s accommodation squeeze is great news for Auckland South and the Vodafone Events Centre in particular, Spencer says.

“Companies conduct business outside of the CBD and Ramada is capitalising absolutely on that. With the centre adjacent to the Auckland Airport, with direct access of two major motorways, people no longer have to battle the traffic into the congested CBD.”

Karyn Spencer, Chief Operating Officer, SNCT.

Quality partners include Austin’s Food Design Events and MultiMedia Systems Ltd. Multi-Media System’s managing director, Damian Wong, says Austin’s and Multi-Media have been part of the VEC family since the venue opened in 2005.

“The key to our continued success is that we’re not just suppliers to VEC but partners, with a similar business ethos around clients receiving the best service.”

At Convene, Austin’s is focussing on local seasonal produce and international flavours, especially Asian fusion. There will be fun food stations for guests as they enjoy a taster of new executive chef John Nicholson’s flavour vision.

“Restaurant quality dishes will be served across all events, no matter the size of the event,” Morgan says.

Second Nature Charitable Trust is the proud custodians on behalf of the community of the Vodafone Events Centre and Vector Wero Whitewater Park.

A core principle of the trust is a social enterprise model that invests corporate dollars directly back into the development of Auckland’s young people, which is already making a difference.

“One of yours will make a difference for one of ours.” n

ABOUT RAMADA:

MANUKAU PACIFIC CENTRE HOTEL AND SUITES

• Expected to open mid-2019 • Hospitality giant Wyndham Hotel Group and New Zealand developer Safari Group are developing Ramada Suites in Manukau • 85 hotel rooms • Plus, studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, each with a fully equipped laundry and kitchen.

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2018 | 33

INDUSTRY NEWS

Marisa Bidois - Chief Executive

THE 90 DAY TRIAL DILEMMA What will employment legislation proposals mean for hospitality employers?

T

he hospitality industry is watching with interest, and a certain amount of trepidation, the progression of the Government’s proposed amendments to the Employment Relations Act. These proposals will prevent 90-day trials being used by medium to large businesses and will bring back previous requirements around meal and rest breaks, will strengthen collective bargaining and reinstate minimum standards and employee protections. The Bill to make these changes is currently going through a Select Committee process after submissions closed at the end of March.

Over the past three months the Restaurant Association has gathered member feedback to advocate on members’ behalf in our meetings with Ministers and for our own submission. Of greatest concern for members is the proposal to change the provisions around 90 day trials.

If the proposals go ahead only operators with fewer than 20 employees will be able to use 90 day trials. The Government says that this is to balance the insecurity for workers caused by 90 day trial periods, against potential barriers to hiring for small businesses.

We’ve surveyed members on this subject and overwhelmingly they are all using the 90 day trail provisions currently. This is predominantly to check a new employee’s suitability for the job. We believe that the 90 day trial provision is working well benefitting both employers and employees. Unfortunately, Association members have said that if the 90 day trial is no longer available to them they will be less likely to take a chance on someone who they are not sure about for a role. For this reason, we think the changes will fall short of the Government’s aspirations, however, it does look likely that this proposal will go through as outlined.

While our advice for employers is to keep using the 90 day trial provisions as usual, until such time as the legislation is passed and comes into force, we are preparing members for the changes. If you have fewer than 20 employees, you should be able to continue using your trial period as is. If not, you’re going to need to delete any trial period provision from your employment agreements. When the time comes the Restaurant Association will update all of our employment agreement templates and provide these updates free of charge to members.

Members may choose to use a probationary period clause instead, which the Association can provide guidance on. The Association already has such a clause available for use.

34 | April 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

Proposed changes to meal and rest breaks will also impact the hospitality industry. Three years ago flexibility around breaks was introduced. It meant that the time that breaks were taken could be agreed upon between employer and employee to fit around the particular needs of the business. This is useful for the hospitality industry as it’s not particularly convenient for an employee’s meal break to co-incide with the busy lunch or dinner rush. The Bill seeks to reinstate the prescriptive nature of meal and rest breaks of the past, whereby employees will be entitled to their breaks at set stipulated times in their shift. Except for very limited exceptions, if an employer fails to provide breaks as set out in the legislation, a penalty could be awarded against them. We see that if the Bill is passed into law, some hospitality businesses will find it difficult to meet the strict requirements, however, as with 90 day trials we will update our agreement templates to ensure that members can remain compliant.

Less contentious proposals include further protections for employees in “vulnerable industries”. These changes include removing the exemption for employers with fewer than 20 employees from the current rules about business transfers, providing more time for employees to decide whether to transfer to a new employer on the sale of a business, and providing greater safeguards on transfer of inaccurate information. It is worth noting that employees working in food catering services are listed as “vulnerable employees”.

The Bill also proposes that in personal grievance situations, reinstatement will again be set as the primary remedy for an unjustified dismissal.

The proposals around collective bargaining and union rights will have less impact on many members, as few individual operators have collective employment agreements in place. However, we are again preparing members to contact the Association if they do need advice in this area. For those that do have collective agreements in their business, the proposals bring back the 30 day rule where new employees must be employed on the terms and conditions of the collective agreement. n If you have questions on managing these proposed changes in your business, contact the Restaurant Association on 0800 737 827.

TO FR AT EE TE ND

9-10 May 2018 ASB Showgrounds, Auckland

Showcasing the future of cleaning – New Zealand’s only dedicated cleaning and hygiene trade show Bringing you the latest tools and trends, making life easier for you in your fast paced work environment On display will be a wide range of cleaning technologies, equipment and innovations from the latest autonomous cleaning machines through to virtual reality (VR) and eco-friendly cleaning chemical solutions.

In an industry like yours we know keeping the workplace clean is of the utmost importance. Come and check out the expansive range of new products from leading industry experts including RapidClean, Makita, Clorox, and many more big players from the industry. You won’t believe what you can achieve.

In conjunction, we have a number of local and internationally acclaimed speakers who will provide you with insightful educative seminars covering a range of different topics.

Get your ticket now at cleannzexpo.co.nz or phone 0800 451 590 In Association With

Lanyard Sponsor

Awards

Pre Dinner Drinks Sponsor

Media Partner

Organised By

www.theshout.co.nz

April 2018

KONO WINES

comes home to Aotearoa

PLUS VODKA • WINE IN A CAN • PILSNER 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

24-26 June 2018 ASB SHOWGROUNDS, AUCKLAND

Just 3 months to go until Top Shelf, New Zealand’s only trade liquor event!

The Intermedia Group is proud to announce the return of New Zealand’s biggest trade liquor event for Fine Food 2018!

In 2018 we are also pleased to introduce The Shout Lounge takeovers for exhibitors to offer demonstrations, tastings, mixology, educational sessions or meet and Top Shelf New Zealand is a trade greets with this very targeted liquor festival dedicated to wine, hospitality audience. Limited beer, spirits, craft drinks and available each day and only suppliers. It will combine some of the $395.00 + GST for an hour. best local and international brands in one place...and it only happens every With our The Shout, Hospitality two years!

Business and FMCG Business print and digital publications already With a massive 400 square metres leading the market, we are delighted within Fine Food New Zealand, to bring Top Shelf back in 2018!

TopShelf New Zealand offers 29 stands dedicated to the liquor Liquor marketers are being offered a sector to present their products unique opportunity within Top Shelf to the foodservice, FMCG and New Zealand to talk to the whole hospitality trade of New Zealand.

Kiwi industry in one place.

BOOK NOW!

• Connect with trade prospects.

• Educate and inspire your customers.

• Build your brand awareness.

• Introduce new products.

Fine Food New Zealand

In 2016:

We have partnered with Fine Food New Zealand, the foremost international trade exhibition for the food retail, foodservice, FMCG and hospitality industries.

Number of visitors

7,205

Total visitor spend

$15,604,904

Average spend per visitor

$2,166

Expressed their overall satisfaction with the show

86%

Were likely or highly likely to recommend the show 81% Discovered new products, services, or suppliers

87%

Were likely or highly likely to recommend products seen at the show

68%

Contact Sam Wood for more information and bookings now, exhibitor numbers are limited M: 0064 21 256 6351 E: swood@intermedianz.co.nz

EDITORIAL

The Shout Editor Charlotte Cowan EDITORIAL

Small wine, big spirits Innovation is something we Kiwis are pretty good at – but at the same time, we can be wary of change. When the screw-cap was introduced on wine bottles, the general consensus amongst wine lovers was ‘holddddd onnnnnn, this is just not ok’. But a few years, and many millions of bottles later, you’d be lucky to find a corked wine that isn’t sparkling produced in this country.

Will the same be true for wine in a can? This phenomenon (you might call it) is relatively new to New Zealand, with canned wines sporadically popping up over the past couple of years. But wine producers such as Misty Cove and Joiy are predicting canned wines are the way of the future – especially for Millenials.

Would you be happy to pop a tab off a cheeky Rosé? If the answer is no, then take a look at Can do attitude on pgs 1314, we might just change your mind.

From small wine to big spirits, we’re also exploring the world of vodka this month. While some may see it as just an odourless, colourless and perhaps soulless spirit, vodka is still a huge global business and a behind-the-bar essential.

Read more in Just add vodka on pgs 8-9.

Are you loving our new website at www.theshout.co.nz? If you haven’t visited yet, then make sure you take a look. And we’re super-happy with all our likes and followers on Instagram and Facebook @theshoutnz – keep it up! See you next month.

Contents 04 Industry news and insights

13 Can do attitude

An exploration into the world of canned wine

08 Just add vodka

Is vodka still a behind-the-bar essential? Tash McGill finds out

15 The romance of Pinot Noir

10 Pilsner

Tasting notes with Cameron Douglas MS

Beer writer John Oszajca takes an indepth look at the original King of Beer

12 Booze-less brews

Q&A with New Ways Brewing Co’s Jonty Wallace

Editor’s picks SACRED HILL SPECIAL SELECTION REDS

Coming into the colder months, there’s nothing better than stashing away a few ruby reds to drink in front of the fire (or TV if you’re sans fire). The Sacred Hill Special Selection reds – including the Helmsman, Deerstalkers Syrah and Brokenstone - are powerful and complex wines from the Hawke’s Bay and a must-have addition to your cellar. For more information, head to pg 4.

SMIRNOFF VODKA

Published By The Intermedia Group Ltd 505 Rosebank Road, Avondale Auckland, 1026, New Zealand Managing Director-Publisher Dale Spencer dspencer@intermedianz.co.nz Editor Charlotte Cowan ccowan@intermedianz.co.nz 021 774 080 Sales Manager Sam Wood swood@intermedianz.co.nz 021 256 6351

While this vodka may remind you of your younger days in a good, or bad, way – this global giant is still the largest vodka brand in the world. Vodka may not be deemed as ‘crafty’ as spirits such as gin and whisky, but it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. For more on this behind-the-bar staple, head to on pgs 8-9.

EMERSON’S NZ PILSNER

Deemed the original Pilsner of our fair land, this classic brew from Emerson’s showcases Nelson’s Riwaka hops and oozes citrus and passionfruit aromas and flavours and is the Sauvignon Blanc of beer lovers. Beer writer John Oszajca shares why this, and Pilsner in general, is the King of Beer on pgs 10-11.

TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | April 2018 | 3

NEWS

WINE NEWS

Sacred Hill releases 2015 Special Selection reds Sacred Hill has announced the addition of three red wines from the 2015 vintage to its Special Selection collection – a category reserved strictly for the pinnacle of the craft. To be deemed worthy for Special Selection status, the wine is only produced in outstanding vintages from top quality fruit.

The Special Selection reds, which are available now, are all from the Gimblett Gravels in Hawke’s Bay and include the Helmsman – a tightly bound, elegant yet powerful red wine; the Deerstalkers Syrah - intensely coloured with tremendous depth of flavour; and the Brokenstone – a wine with mouth-filling richness and meaty complexity.

Born from Hawke’s Bay vineyards and optimum conditions, all three wines were fermented in small open-topped fermenters, then aged in French oak for maximum balance, structure and flavour.

“Our Gimblett Gravels reds have proven themselves again and again at blind tastings around the world and this vintage is proving to be one of our finest,” says Sacred Hill Winemaker, Jack Cornes.

“2015 was our third sensational vintage in a row and it’s in vintages like these that we really get to capture the essence of the vineyards and let the varieties shine through. These wines will definitely reward those who wait - if they have patience!”

The Special Selection collection is available from selected wine stores and Quench Collective and can enjoyed now or cellared for 10-15 years.

Sir George Fistonich NEWS

Villa Maria named No.1 NZ wine brand for fourth year Villa Maria has been named the highest ranking New Zealand winery in the World’s Most Admired Wine Brands list for the fourth consecutive year.

In the survey, done by global beverage publication Drinks International, judges focus on consistency or improvement in quality, the wine being a true reflection of the country of origin, and meeting the needs and tastes of its target consumer, as well as marketing and packaging.

Sir George Fistonich, founder and president of Villa Maria Estate, says that for a relatively young winemaking nation like New Zealand, inclusion on this list is immensely powerful for New Zealand wine and the New Zealand export sector.

“Being named as the most admired wine brand in New Zealand four years in a row is testament to the level of quality our wines consistently deliver and shows we exceed in all the award criteria,” he says. “It’s such an amazing recognition for Villa Maria and I’m incredibly proud that we continue to rate the highest New Zealand winery on this most prestigious of lists.”

Spain’s Familia Torres topped the World’s Most Admired Wine Brands list for the second consecutive year, followed by Chile’s Concha y Toro and Australia’s Penfolds.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Self-serve dispensers will challenge brand loyalty: report With self-serve alcoholic beverage dispensing technology gathering market momentum internationally, major brands may need to adapt to ensure consumer loyalty, says data and analytics company GlobalData.

A new report states that the new on-premise concept has the potential to disrupt the bar and restaurant industry by enabling consumers to dispense their own alcoholic beverages from taps. The technology, which tracks consumer behaviour and encourages sampling, presents both opportunities and challenges to alcohol manufacturers.

As alcoholic beverages are age-restricted in most markets, service staff must provide drinks in bars, restaurants and other establishments.

Tom Vierhile, Innovation Insights Director at GlobalData, says selfserve alcoholic beverage technology frees the consumer from having to wait for beverage service. “Once an establishment validates a consumer is of legal drinking age and is not over-served, it provides the consumer with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) card or bracelet to enable self-service of alcoholic beverages,” he says. “The RFID system can link to a credit card for payment.”

Much of the appeal of self-serve alcoholic beverage dispensing technology is linked to three major benefits– reduced waste, improved consumer choice (and sales) and lower labour costs.

“Bars and restaurants have been the primary targets for self-serve alcoholic beverage technology, but new installations in other hospitality venues indicate that the concept may have broader application than first thought. Major brands may have to find new ways to encourage consumers to be brand-loyal in a climate that encourages sampling.”

4 | April 2018 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

NEWS

NEWS

Babich Wines announces new Principal EVENT NEWS

Registrations are open for Top Shelf 2018 Registrations are now open for New Zealand’s largest trade liquor event, Top Shelf 2018.

Scheduled to take place from 24 to 26 June 2018, Top Shelf – a component of Fine Food New Zealand – is a liquor festival dedicated to wine, beer, spirits, craft drinks and suppliers. Top Shelf will combine some of the best local and international brands in one place, including Good George, The Spirits Workshop, Harrington’s Breweries, Yealands Wine Group and many more.

There will also be The Shout Lounge, offering demonstrations, tastings, mixology, educational sessions and meet-and-greets.

Exhibitor, event partner and Managing Director of Intermedia Group New Zealand, Dale Spencer, says Top Shelf is a must-attend attend event for everyone in the New Zealand hospitality industry.

“Bars, restaurants, cafes, venues… everyone who serves a drink should definitely register to come along to Top Shelf at Fine Food,” he says.

“Exciting new liquor brands, new product launches and much more will be on show!

For more information and to register for the event, visit www.finefoodnz.co.nz. Limited exhibitor stands are still available, for bookings contact Sam Mackey-Wood on 021 256 6351 or swood@intermedianz.co.nz.

Babich Wines has announced that André Babich will join the family wine business in the role of Principal, after many years in investment banking.

Continuing the growth of Babich Wines, André Babich joins his father, uncle, cousin and colleagues, following 18 years with Macquarie Capital. His focus at Babich will be on key projects across the business.

André is a grandson of Babich Wines’ founder, Josip Babich, a third generation family participant, and an existing Director of Babich Wines.

Executive Director Joe Babich says it is a fascinating time for their industry and business. “We’re seeking aggressive growth, investing significantly, and there is a lot of change,” he says.

“We’re thrilled to have André’s expertise and dayto-day involvement as we continue to expand.”

André says he always expected he would join the business in time. “It’s a responsibility and a luxury to do so now, continuing the family tradition.”

André Babich

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

GABS here we come!

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

Melbourne’s GABS (Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular) Festival is one of the top beer events in this corner of the planet.

It’s so popular that the Melbourne-based event now operates spin-off festivals in Sydney and Auckland.

Hosted in the spectacular Melbourne Royal Exhibition Building, GABS 2018 starts on 18 May. It runs to 20 May in Melbourne – the Sydney event is on 2 June and Auckland is 30 June.

With days of beer-related events all around Melbourne before and during GABS, this is the prime time for a migration of Kiwi brewers across the Tasman to display their wares and check out brewing’s next big thing.

One of the biggest attractions at GABS is the range of one-off brews produced for the festival. Brewers enjoy experimenting and showing off their chops.

Visitors get the chance to try something unique, and sometimes odd!

This year, Queenstown’s Altitude Brewing is experimenting with a Gruit - an ancient beer style that pre-dates the introduction of hops to Europe. Altitude’s Ik Ben Gruit uses a combination of juniper, lavender, cherry bark and stone fruit,

fermented with a spicy Belgian yeast and then aged in Chardonnay barrels.

McLeod’s Brewery is also following a Belgian theme, with a Red Saison with Brettanomyces.

Brewer Jason Bathgate said, as we went to print: “Still tasting young, fruity with a bit of cherry spice, lightly sour. No funk yet but that could change!”

The Pink Boots women’s brewing collective brewed up at 8 Wired as part of the International Women’s Day brew. Starting with a black IPA, the batch was split so Pink Boot’s GABS entry could be aged further in bourbon barrels.

And working on the logic that it’s easier to transport 100kg of brewer than 16,000L of beer, Liberty’s Joe Wood travelled to Melbourne’s Hawkers Beer to make a GABS collaboration with Hawkers and Adelaide’s Wheatsheaf.

“We are calling it Framboise a Trois. It’s a Raspberry Milkshake Sour IPA, 6.5% ABV with minimal hopping.

It’s brewed using raspberries and lactose, with extra raspberries added in the fermenters.”

Martin is a beer writer and journalist

TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | April 2018 | 5

International Credentials for Sommeliers An exciting opportunity for the wine and hospitality sectors of New Zealand has once again become available to all wine and service professionals.

The Court of Master Sommeliers is returning to New Zealand to offer its highly prestigious certification programme. The first two levels of the four level Sommelier Programme will again be available to career minded individuals who have a passion for people, service, wine and beverages.

The Court of Master Sommeliers is an internationally recognised examining body. Career minded individuals who want or require the correct credential for their chosen profession can engage in this programme to enhance their career, employment prospects and further validate their role in the hospitality sector.

Sommeliers can and do make a significant difference to beverage sales in any On or Off-premise business.

WHEN AND WHERE Introductory Course and exams May 26th - 28th 2018: Lakeside Room, Villa Maria, Mangere, Auckland. $850.00 programme and exam fee*.

Limited to 40 participants.

Certified Sommelier Exams May 28th: Lakeside Room, Villa Maria, Mangere, Auckland $500.00 Exam fee. Limited to 20 Participants.

ENQUIRIES to: Cameron J. Douglas – Master Sommelier email: cameron@guildsomm.com For more information about the Court of Master Sommeliers please visit: www.courtofmastersommeliers.org.

Comprehensive textbook available now NZ$80.00. *Members or new members of the New Zealand Sommeliers and Wine Professionals Association are offered a discount to the Level One course. http://www.sommelier.co.nz/

ADVERTORIAL

Kono Wines comes home to Aotearoa aromatics bursting from the glass. All the characteristics that have made Kono, the Māori-owned family business based in Te Tau Ihu at the top of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc world famous can be found in the Kono the South Island, is bringing its namesake wine brand, Kono Wines, back Sauvignon; fresh-cut grass, passionfruit pulp, pink grapefruit and zingy to Aotearoa, after gaining accolades in export markets all over the world. citrus acidity, wrapped up in a full-flavoured palate with powerful fruit “Kono Wines have long been enjoyed by overseas consumers and lauded intensity and a long, dry finish. by international wine writers and we thought the time was right to make “Made to be enjoyed early, our Kono Sauvignon Blanc is created with our Kono Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir available here in Aotearoa,” says pride by our small team of vineyard managers and winemakers, and Kono CEO, Rachel Taulelei. “We know that both wines are fantastic matched bottled early to preserve all the purity that is expected from Marlborough with food and enjoyed with friends, which is why they will be available onSauvignon Blanc,” says Taylor. premise at great restaurants, cafés and bars throughout Aotearoa.”

And he is equally proud of the Kono Pinot Noir. “I’ve been trying Kono is an indigenous food and drinks producer with a global focus and the 2016 Kono Pinot Noir today and that is some last year the company launched its new ‘K’ icon for awesome Pinot,” he says. “It’s still showing lots of Kono. “This gave us the opportunity to reinforce what fresh fruit in the dark spectrum; black Doris plums is important to us as company, including our values and cherry, with some bright raspberry notes. of manaakitangaki and kaitiakitanga. These values “The nose has all that fruit, balanced up with encompass hospitality, generosity, kindness and taking quality French oak in a supporting role with a gamey care of both people and the land,” says Taulelei. “Our undercurrent lending complexity and a touch of dried icon speaks of who we are, our rich legacy steeped thyme and cigar box secondary characters. in a culture that nourishes our land and people in “Bright medium colour, vibrant with an opaque core sustainable ways. We’re really proud to have it front the palate delivers a smooth elegant mouth feel with and centre on our Kono wines.” lovely persistence. Soft tannins and smooth mid palate Bruce Taylor, Chief Winemaker for Kono, says with a fresh acidity to provide focus,” says Taylor. the Kono Sauvignon Blanc is arguably the most Taylor believes the Kono Pinot Noir encapsulates the successful wine the company has ever produced. best characteristics of two of their premium vineyards “It has consistently received prestigious accolades from the higher altitudes of the Awatere Valley and the for its distinctive and vibrant style,” he says. “Making rolling clay hills of the Upper Moutere in the Nelson the cover of influential US magazine Wine Spectator region. Dark fruits and lifted violet florals married up in 2010 prompted a flurry of sales in the States. with dried herbal complexity, this wine is a unique blend The wine has had numerous top 100 appearances, of two great Pinot Noir areas of Aotearoa. including being voted ‘Best Buy’ five times in the top Rachel Taulelei says Kono is looking forward 100 in the US market. 90+ point scores and Gold www.facebook.com/konowines/ to everyone having the opportunity to enjoy these Medals from wine shows from San Francisco to Twitter/Instagram: @konowines wines with their whānau and friends. “It’s another Berlin followed,” says Taylor. #konowines opportunity for us to tell the story of Kono, and our Kono Sauvignon Blanc is a classic Marlborough www.konowines.co.nz love for the land and respect for the sea,” she says. n Sauvignon Blanc with vibrant, fresh flavours and

Kono vineyard, Awatere Valley, Marlborough

TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | April 2018 | 7

SPIRIT ON SHOW

Just add

Vodka We all love a lazy vodka and soda on a night out, but there’s so much more to this global giant of a white spirit, writes Tash McGill.

R

ussian alcohol consumption has fallen by 80% over the last five years, including a decline in vodka consumption of nearly 30%, according to the Russian Ministry of Health. However, the global vodka category hit three billion litres in 2017 and is predicted to grow another 3-4% in 2018. So if the Russians aren’t drinking vodka the way they used to, who is?

You’d be forgiven for thinking that vodka has been slowly losing its grip on the spirits market in recent times due to the global obsession with botanicals, wood and malt flavours found in gin and whisky.

Add the ubiquitous term ‘craft’ to any of those products and it appears reasonable that tasteless, colourless vodka is just a little bit boring. In the age of low-calorie wine, even the diet devotees of a vodka and soda have spread their tasting wings broader.

But here’s the truth: vodka isn’t tasteless nor odourless and it’s not even always colourless. The quest of a great vodka distiller isn’t to produce a flavourless spirit, but rather to produce a clean-tasting spirit with a smooth and distinct texture, a ‘mouth-feel’ that can be smooth, velvety, crisp but never astringent.

THE SIMPLE SCIENCE OF VODKA

The simplest science is the same: take any food product that contains sugar or starch and ferment it so the yeast converts those sugars to produce alcohol, then distill it to increase and concentrate the alcohol component. Each distillation removes impurities which moves the end spirit to a cleaner, smoother mouth-feel. Vodka is a minimum of tripledistilled but some brands speak to a five-times or 10-times distillation process. Once distilled, the product is traditionally filtered through charcoal before being cut to around 80% proof and bottled at around 3540% ABV, depending on regional requirements.

Using this simple science, you can apply the principles of locality and even loosely, terroir, to the end product. Producers can use whatever source of sugars is available and the end product will be affected by the quality of the source – whether water or the environment the base product is grown in. Potatoes are common in Poland and Idaho, as well as Russia, but more common grains are used the world over – corn, sorghum, rice, rye and wheat. In some areas, beetroot and other root vegetables or pure fruit has been used for the base fermentation.

Although also used in other parts of the world, New Zealand producer 8 | April 2018 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

Broken Shed has mastered the use of whey or ‘milk honey’ in their fourtimes distilled spirit.

Many emerging vodka producers, as with other premium spirits, talk about terroir by means of the pure water source. Again, New Zealand distillers have an advantage when it comes to using pure water – whether Broken Shed in Wanaka, or Ariki, based in Silverdale, which uses water from the Tongariro region. Ariki is committed to bring Pacific flavours to the world and distiller Wayne Avery hand-selected the ingredients of New Zealand Manuka flower, vanilla from Rarotonga and coconut from Tonga to form the delicate flavour profile. Ariki’s custom-designed coconut-carbon filtration system is another element of local innovation. Triple-distilled, the result is a smooth and subtle vodka with a relatively full mouth feel, soft and light.

FOCUS ON PURITY AND QUALITY

Traditionally, vodka has been known as the diet drink. With minimal calories, matched with soda and fresh lime, vodka has been touted as the guilt-free go-to, with fewer impurities and less of a hangover risk. This mantra of purity and quality has been shaping and continues to shape the premium vodka market, where being additive-, preservative-, sugar- and softener-free matters to discerning palates and conscious consumers.

Conscious consumption is the driving force behind Blue Duck Vodka, where a portion of every bottle goes to the Forest and Bird Society for conservation. A focus on pure ingredients, they use UV-treated whey and distill seven times for a precise and subtle vodka. On the nose, there are remnant of charcoal and lemon, with a crisp and bright palate. Distilled

by Michael Deinlein, whose family has a long tradition of making spirits both in Germany and New Zealand. This ethos continues through to packaging and marketing, where the brand commits to use only recyclable and biodegradable products wherever possible.

The purity of water is of vital importance the world over and perhaps no other distillery has the advantage that Dancing Sands does, drawing water from the aquifer that feeds the Pupu Springs, boasting water visibility to a depth of 63m. For Ben and Sarah Bonoma, purity is everything at their Golden Bay distillery, where small batch, craft spirits are the order of the day and have been winning awards in spades. Their vodka is creamy, almost buttery on the palate and distiller Ben says, ‘everything is down to the water.’

SPIRIT ON SHOW IT’S A BIG VODKA WORLD OUT THERE

Ariki is committed to bringing Pacific flavours to the world

Conscious consumption is the driving force behind Blue Duck Vodka

Smirnoff is currently the largest vodka brand in the world

Sex and the City made the Cosmo famous

As with gin, vodka requires no aging and so offers distilleries an immediate revenue source if they can find a market for the product. So what does this emergence of so many new small vodka distilleries mean for the larger market? Firstly, it’s important to point out that not all ‘craft’ distilling is alike. In a growing premium market, the world ‘craft’ has been liberally used to imply quality, where it more often refers to volume. And small is not always better.

Take Smirnoff Vodka, regularly named the world’s leading vodka brand and currently the largest vodka brand in the world. With one of the oldest documented histories of vodka production, Smirnoff is named for Pyotr Arsenjevitch Smirnov, who pioneered charcoal filtration when he opened his distillery under the name PA Smirnoff in 1864.

Now owned by Diageo, this globally dominant brand was a market leader in the development of flavoured vodkas and developing regional variations. Their eight-hour filtration process refines the triple-distilled spirit, with a distinctive clean and crisp taste.

The variety of the Smirnoff range now includes flavours such as watermelon, red grapefruit and even fluffy marshmallows, or with real fruit juice added, like in the Ruby Red and their range of RTD options includes low-alcohol sparkling soda options in flavours like Cranberry and Lime. Vodka still outperforms in off-license sales across the spectrum in single-serve RTDs that are priced to outsell traditional six-pack products such as beer or bourbon and cola.

While premium brands are on the increase, consumers still look to big brands to provide value for money and quality assurance on brand recognition, something that matters when working in dispense bars or off-premise locations. Premium vodka doesn’t yet have the mainstream commercial appeal of whisky, gin or cognac.

It’s not just on price that the importance of large vodka brands can’t be ignored, especially when vodka comprises 35% of the global liquor market. And according to bartenders and owners, that figure matches up to what they are working with behind the bar.

Darren Miley, who runs the bar at Auckland’s longstanding Ponsonby hotspot The Long Room, says vodka is still the most important spirit behind the bar for volume. A good challenge for bartenders to reinvent and reimagine vodka as an ingredient, particularly while introducing more sophisticated cocktails and mixed drinks to the consumer.

CLASSIC COCKTAILS

“Vodka is still the most important spirit behind the bar for volume”

The ’80s and ’90s did no real favours to vodka as a premium consumer product; when you could reasonably add vodka and fruit juice to a martini glass and call it any kind of ‘-tini’ you liked. Yes, you can have a vodka martini, but it’s made with vodka and vermouth, an olive if you like. Anything else is still a mixed drink, but certainly not a martini.

You can thank the girls of Sex and the City for the renewed fame of the Cosmopolitan too.

Classic vodka cocktails that are making a big consumer comeback?

The Moscow Mule will never go out of style, particularly given the popularity of copper barware in the last five years. But of more interest to the discerning palate? This summer saw the resurgence of the Milk Punch on the bar at The Long Room and a number of other venues.

Easy to make in batches and served chilled, vodka adds a punchy alcohol base that serves a range of tropical and interested flavours in a way traditional bourbon or brandy milk punch can’t.

Darren Miley is positive about the role vodka plays behind a bar, despite it not having the same popularity as big-nosed botanicals or grain spirits at the moment. And industry statisticians concur the change to the consumer market is happening in the shape and distribution of the consumer base, not the size. While Russia is in decline, global brands like Smirnoff are targeting Brazil, India and parts of Asia as new growth markets as they embrace new drinking trends.

The ready-to-drink and low-alcohol markets are showing growth globally with both male and female drinkers, as well as across the age spectrum. Consequently, vodka refuses to be shaken or stirred at the shifts in market. n TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | April 2018 | 9

BEER FEATURE

Pilsner:

The original King of Beer

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

Beer writer John Oszajca takes his pick of Pilsners.

n the Pantheon of beer styles, there is perhaps no one style more synonymous with the word ‘beer’ than Pilsner. Pilsner is a blonde lager that gets its name from the Bohemian city of Pilsen, where it was first produced in 1842 by Pilsner Urquell.

Pilsner is a sub-style of the greater beer category known as lager. Lagers are distinct from ales in that they are produced using a completely different species of yeast known as Saccharomyces Pastorianus. These bottom-fermenting lager yeast strains are believed to have evolved in cold Bavarian caves, and as such, they are far more tolerant to cold temperatures than ale yeast strains are. The suppressive effects of the cold temperatures typically used to brew a lager (coupled with their longer aging times) results in a cleaner flavour profile than you might otherwise find in an ale.

However, Pilsner was by no means the first lager.

In fact, it’s believed that these hybrid lager yeast strains first began appearing in beer as early as the 15th century. However, the wood-fired malting practices of the time were such that the malted barley used to make nearly all styles of beer (including lager) produced much darker beers. That is, until the English pioneered new coke-fired malting techniques that resulted in paler (and more efficient) malt.

All of this would auspiciously come together when the Pilsen Brewery recruited Bavarian brewer Josef Groll. Groll combined Bavarian lager yeast, pale English-style malt, Czech Saaz Hops, and Pilsen’s remarkably soft water to create the first Pilsner. Fast forward nearly 200 years and Pilsner (or at least beers that call themselves Pilsner) has become the world’s most popular beer style. While they may not be quintessential examples of the Pilsner-style, Corona, Heineken, Coors, Beck’s, and most of the world’s most popular macro-lager’s can

10 | April 2018 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

all trace their roots back to Pilsner Urquell. Even the world famous Budweiser is named after the town of Budějovice (Budweis in German). Brewery founder, Adolphus Busch, ‘borrowed’ the recipe from the Czech town, which is located less than two hours away from Pilsen.

Despite its Czech origins, there are now a number of other well recognised and highly regarded versions of the Pilsner style. These different interpretations have evolved as brewers from around the world have attempted to brew this popular beer style using their own locally-grown ingredients, unique water profiles, and brewing traditions. Let’s take a look at four internationallyrecognised interpretations of the style.

CZECH PILSNER

The original example of the style, Czech Pilsners are rich and characterful beers that balance a complex bready maltiness against soft floral and spicy hop flavours. Compared to a standard American lager such as Budweiser, a Czech Pilsner is loaded with flavour, while still being a highly drinkable beer. A Czech Pilsner can be balanced towards either the malt or the hops, but is never overly assertive in either direction. They tend to have a long, rounded finish due to the soft water in the region which serves to enhance their overall drinkability.

While there are quite a few Czech Pilsners on the market such as Bernard Svátecní ležák, Gambrinus Premium, and Kout na Šumave Koutská 12°, it is the aforementioned Pilsner Urquell that perhaps best exemplifies the style if, for no other reason, that it is the original.

For a delicious example of a Czech Pilsner brewed here in New Zealand, try Garage Project’s humbly titled ‘Beer’, one of my personal favourites.

BEER FEATURE GERMAN PILSNER

More commonly referred to as a ‘Pils’ in Germany (to differentiate it from the Czech Pilsner), the German Pils is essentially a German interpretation of the style that is simply brewed using German ingredients and brewing techniques. One of the most definitive characteristics of the German Pilsner is its crisp, dry finish; a result of Germany’s harder water, particularly in the North. This higher mineral content of the water tends to accentuate hop bitterness, and brings out the grainier qualities of the malt as compared to the smoother bready qualities of a Czech Pilsner.

Classic commercial examples of a German Pilsner include Bitburger, König Pilsener, Paulaner Premium Pils, and many more. For a locallybrewed German Pilsner, it’s worth seeking out Tiamana Brewing Company’s (Tiamana is Maori for German) ‘Pilski’ - a shining example of the traditional Berliner Pilsner.

AMERICAN PILSNER

Despite Budweiser (and other American macro-lagers) being originally brewed to emulate traditional Pilsners, these beers have been so dumbed-down over the generations that they are no longer officially classed as Pilsners. However, there is a well-documented historical style known as American Pilsner (aka, Pre-Prohibition Lager) that, though rare, is still produced to this day.

American Pilsners were originally brewed by German immigrant brewers who brought the process and yeast with them to the United States. But once more, the different barley, hops, water, and conditions led to a distinctly American version of the style. One of the most distinct differences between an American Pilsner and its European counterpart is the use of 6 Row Barley (which has far more protein then the more common 2 Row Barley). Often a large percentage of corn or rice (20% 30%) was used to dilute the high protein levels. The result was a clean, grainy beer, with a sweet corn flavour which is balanced against a moderately high level of bitterness.

The style died out as a result of the American prohibition on alcohol in the 1920s, but was brought back by homebrewers and a handful of professional brewers in recent years.

All but impossible to find in New Zealand, most examples are available as brew pub specials in the United States.

NEW ZEALAND PILSNER

As New Zealand’s reputation as a respected beer nation has grown in recent years (largely due to the popularity of our hops), the New Zealand Pilsner has risen in prominence and become an internationally recognised version of the style (at least amongst homebrewers and beer aficionados). It’s perhaps one of the more unique interpretations of the Pilsner style.

New Zealand Pilsners have a fairly neutral malt profile and lean more to the softer qualities of a Czech Pilsner. While the amount of hop bitterness is also on par with a Czech Pilsner, the hop flavours and aromas are distinctly Kiwi. Instead of the herbal/spicy/floral qualities of the Czech and German Noble Hops used in other examples of the style, a New Zealand Pilsner uses local varieties known for their tropical fruit flavours and aromas, such as Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, and Riwaka.

The original New Zealand Pilsner is said to be Emerson’s much-loved ‘NZ Pilsner’. First produced in 2000, the beer showcases Nelson grown Riwaka hops and exudes overt citrus and passionfruit flavours and aromas. Many other Kiwi brewers have since followed suit, and now New Zealand Pilsner can be found in bars and bottle shops throughout the country. n The original New Zealand Pilsner, Emerson’s NZ Pilsner showcases Nelson-grown.

“Interpretations have evolved as brewers from around the world have attempted to brew this popular beer style.”

Pilsner Urquell Brewery in Pilsen, a town known as the birthplace of Pilsner.

Pilsner Urquell (the original Pilsner) was first brewed in the Czech city of Pilsen in 1842

Bitburger is a 4.8% German Pilsner and ranks No. 3 among Germany’s best-selling beers

TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | April 2018 | 11

Q&A

Booze-less brews New Ways Brewing Co. in Nelson have set out to stand out from the Kiwi craft crowd by brewing only non-alcoholic beer.

We chat to owner and head brewer Jonty Wallace about his foray into booze-less brews.

Why did you decide to start a craft brewery that produces only nonalcoholic beer?

It all started with my wife being first pregnant and then breastfeeding and obviously really missing her good craft beer. Last summer we travelled to visit her family in Poland and while we were on holiday in Europe, we discovered that there was a huge non-alcoholic beer market there. Every restaurant would offer a non-alcoholic beer Brewer Jonty Wallace and this made her feel included in all our celebrations because there is quite a big difference between drinking water with a slice of lemon and an actual beer (even if it doesn’t have alcohol). This was so great that when I decided to open my own brewery, she managed to convince me to make it a non-alcoholic beer brand. I really believe in what we are doing because it is very important to make everybody included. Plus, the craft beer world is awesome, so it’s just great to make more people part of it.

Do you think there is currently a big market for nonalcoholic beer in NZ? Or is it something that is growing?

There definitely is a market for non-alcoholic beer in New Zealand, but it’s still quite a new concept for most of the people here, so some of them still just need a little bit more time to get their heads around it.

There are a lot of people out there who really miss the taste of beer, but can’t drink it for some reason, such as people on medication, pregnant women or the elderly. On the other side, with the tighter rules around drinking alcohol and driving, there is a huge need for alternatives for the designated drivers. Finally, more of us than ever are health-conscious and non-alcoholic beer is definitely a very good option for people who try to keep a healthy lifestyle - it’s much lower in calories and sugars plus being fermented and made of hops makes it really good for our bodies.

How is the process different than traditional brewing?

The process of making non-alcoholic beer is definitely much more complicated than traditional brewing. Due to the fermentation, beer naturally contains alcohol and removing it can be quite tricky. Our process contains one additional step and practically one extra brew day.

We also needed to adjust our recipes for the distillation process to make 12 | April 2018 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

sure that there will be no undesirable flavours and that we will keep all of those lovely fresh hop aromas.

What has been the reception to your two current brews?

The reception has been great and there were a lot of people really excited about what we were doing. We are the first purely non-alcoholic craft brewery in New Zealand and there are only just a few more in other places in the world. It was great to hear from the people that they were looking for good non-alcoholic beer for a long time and that we finally delivered it for them. We also need to say that having the support of the Nelson community was incredibly important for us. On the other side, we carefully listened to the feedback as well. As a result, we tweaked the initial recipe of GlassOfHops to make it slightly less bitter and more sessionable drink.

Why don’t you think other craft brewers have chosen to brew no-alcohol beer?

There are a few reasons. To start with, the process is much more difficult and complex than making a traditional alcoholic beer. Secondly, as the market for non-alcoholic beer is smaller and we are already a niche, we can’t make as experimental beers as traditional craft breweries (and most of the craft brewers love to experiment). Finally, probably most of the craft brewers don’t have as a convincing wife as me. On the other side, definitely craft breweries make more low-alcoholic beer than they used to in the past, so there is a change happening for the wider craft brewing industry as well. n

“We are the first purely non-alcoholic craft brewery in New Zealand”

WINE FEATURE

Can do

Attitude Soda, beer and now wine – it’s in a can, but is it here to stay?

The Shout NZ Editor Charlotte Cowan asks those in the know.

W

ine in a can. It’s not something that we Kiwis have a lot of experience producing (or drinking) but times, my friends, they are a changin’. This innovative packaging of our favourite grape drop is becoming big business and we have seen an increasing number of Kiwi canned wine options popping up in the last year alone.

But while we’re just starting to jump on the wine in a can bandwagon, in the US and Canada canned wine is now one of the fastest growing categories, with sales in the United States increasing 437% since 2015 (Nielsen 2017) and more than 50 canned wine brands available (including a house brand from retailer Trader Joe’s that sells for US$1 a can}. In fact, canned wine has been produced in the States since as early as 2004, when famed Hollywood filmmaker, and winemaker, Frances Ford Coppola created his now infamous pink 187ml Sofia Blanc de Blanc in a can (complete with straw). Coppola initially created the full-size bottled wine as a gift to his daughter Sofia Coppola (also a Hollywood filmmaker) but wanted to produce mini versions as well. Coppola didn’t want plastic screw tops on his mini bottles of bubbles, he wanted corks – but that was too hard. And so the idea of putting the wine in a can was born.

“The more we kind of played with the idea, the more we warmed up to it,” said Earl Martin, former president of Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery. “We realised we could make a can very cool and very elegant.”

And consumers thought it was cool Sofia Blanc de Blanc Mini too – the Sofia Blanc de Blanc Mini took off. Oprah called it one of her “favourite things” and Wine Business Monthly called it “the hottest packaging innovation to hit the wine industry”.

After an initial run of 5,000 sold out, the company upped production to 50,000 for its next run and it is still for sale today (alongside its sister can, Sofia Brut Rosé Mini).

Perusing the liquor store shelves in New Zealand, you will now find the likes of Misty Cove ‘de-Can-ters’ of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Sparkling; Joiy Sparkling White and Sparkling Rosé; Crafters Union Rosé, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc; and

Jacobs Creek Moscato. While Millennials have, until recently, largely been ignored as a driving consumer for the wine industry, wine producers are now taking notice of their drinking habits and, just as canned beer has made a comeback in the craft beer category, canned wine is gaining momentum for its convenience, portability and sustainability, amongst other driving factors.

“With today’s young consumer, the price [of alcohol] isn’t as important as it used to be,” says Andrew Bailey, Founder and Managing Director of Misty Cove Wine Group Ltd, which released its first wine in a can in New Zealand in 2016. “With social media, they need to be seen with cool products to help stand out amongst their peers - and the cans tick this box, especially with it being wine with no additives.”

Bailey says wine in a can has gained momentum in the industry because it suits our outdoor Kiwi lifestyle and that the pros of wine in a can far outweigh the cons for the consumer.

“There is no oxidation (which can happen with cork) and no light strike (which can happen with bottle),” he says. “They are also portable and there is no wastage, which can happen with 750ml bottle product, especially if one person opens the bottle and only drinks half the bottle and then tips it out.”

Cath Archer, Co-Founder and Director of Joiy, which is currently the largest exporter of wine in a can from Australia and New Zealand, says that environmentally, the wine industry will be driven by the canned format more and more. >>

Joiy Sparkling White

Joiy’s Cath Archer

TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | April 2018 | 13

WINE FEATURE “Glass is not as recyclable as aluminium, which is the most recyclable vessel. The cost of freight is halved and the industry can’t ignore that for too long. Biodynamic and organic drivers for wineries must lead to the use of cans and alternative packaging to fit their philosophy of looking after the environment.”

And while some people may screw their nose up at wine in a can, thinking they will be compromising on quality or taste, both Archer and Bailey say this is simply not the case.

“There is an assumption that if it’s in a can, it will be less quality, but the wines released in New Zealand, Australia, US and Canada are largely of high quality wine that has been sold in bottles for some years and happily enjoyed by consumers,” says Archer. “If poor quality wine had been introduced through the can, it would not have survived as a category and thrived as the fastest growing wine segment [in the US].”

Bailey says Misty Cove, which is 99% a bottled wine producer, including both sustainable and certified organic wine, has run numerous blind tastings with wine in a can and tasters are unable to pick which product comes from a can versus a bottle.

“It’s simply ‘perception’,” he says. “Because it comes in a can, consumers automatically think it’s less quality. The same happened with the screwcap when it was introduced, but through education, screw-cap is now the norm. The same will happen with wine in can as long as wine producers put the same wine in can as they do in bottled product.”

Archer says that while consumers are happy to have their soda or beer in a can, for some reason many assume the taste will be compromised with wine. “For those who like to have the aroma and the tactile feel of glass as part of the wine drinking experience, then pouring it in to a glass is how it’s best drunk. How often do we feel obligated to drink wine straight from the bottle? Yet people seem to think we are suggesting this with a can. It just provides both options,” she says.

Bailey says the future of wine in a can is bright in New Zealand as long as consumers and the industry are educated.

“We need to remember we are not trying to convert consumers from bottle to can, all we’re doing is offering another packaging to assist with convenience,” he says.

Archer agrees that wine in a can is here to stay and says that hopefully it will encourage consumers to try something out of their comfort zone - in terms of packaging as well as varietal. “The consumer is more likely to explore different varieties as it’s not a big risk at around $5-8 for a can,” she says. “This will translate into them having confidence in buying a 750ml bottle. I pick a resurgence in Chardonnay (I say hopefully)!” n

“With social media, [young consumers] need to be seen with cool products to help stand out amongst their peers” Andrew Bailey, Founder and Managing Director of Misty Cove Wine Group Ltd

Misty Wine Group’s Andrew Bailey Misty Cove ‘The Embezzler’ Pinot Noir, ‘The Charlatan’ Sauvignon Blanc and ‘The Hustler’ Sparkling Wine

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TASTING NOTES

The romance of

R

omance in a Glass’. An interesting concept – yet when the exotic scents of sweet earth, mushroom, truffle, ripe red berry fruits and baking spices form a synergy that becomes enticing, demands more attention and simply more of your time - then Pinot Noir can be very captivating and indeed, romantic.

Pinot Noir takes time to get used to, with some examples (sometimes the best ones) led by stubborn tannins and finely tuned acidity that the core of pure fruit can be missed. Pinot Noir is often not drinkable upon release, because the tannins and acidity overpower the finer textures that come from bottle age and integration. Ultimately finding Pinots Noir that are drinkable sooner, versus those that require cellar

Pinot Noir

BY CAMERON DOUGLAS MS

time, you either need a sizeable budget to taste through the range available or take time to the wine notes and reviews of wine commentators that you trust.

Although it is widely accepted that Pinot Noir’s first home is Burgundy, France, its DNA has been cloned and planted in all corners of the globe. Fine Pinots Noir can be discovered in Germany, Italy, the Americas, Australia and throughout New Zealand.

There are many influences on the smell, taste and textures Pinot Noir – the type of farming (minimal intervention, dry farming, organic, bio-dynamic or modern interventionist), soil type is a significant player, access to moisture and cropping levels. In the winery there are important considerations, for example: the ratio of

whole bunch versus de-stemmed, cold soak, natural or inoculated ferments (or both), racking from tank to barrel or barrel to barrel, the type, size and age of oak used.

Choosing the correct glassware to taste and drink Pinot Noir from is an important consideration. The best glass shape to use is one that looks like a brandy balloon with a long stem. A large pendulous bowl creating a lot of surface area to swirl, then tapering inwards at the top of the glass to refocus the aromas. This shape captures the full range of floral and delicate scents as well as the ripe, meaty, savoury and fruit aromas. A very thin glass rim can deliver wine onto the palate in slow micro thin stream that cascades across the tongue engaging 100% of the palate sensors all at once. n

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

CAROLINE’S WAITAKI VALLEY 1 OSTLER PINOT NOIR 2016

Fantastic bouquet of limestone minerals, ripe red berry fruit and Pinosity.

Layers of red berry fruits interwoven with oak spice and floral tones; no mistaking the influences of oak - well measure and appropriate. Dry, firm and youthful with a core of red bery flavours, fine to moderate tannins and plenty of acidity. The minerality punches through - tempered by oak and flavour.

Lengthy finish. A fine wine. Drink from release through 2026.

Points 96 RRP $65.00 Distributor: Ostler Vineyards Ltd Phone: (03) 436 0545 www.ostlerwine.co.nz

BIO: 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 as a 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.

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TASTING NOTES WAIPARA VALLEY ROAD DEFIANCE AUNTSFIELD MARLBOROUGH 2 GREYSTONE 3 DOMAIN PINOT NOIR 2016 CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2016 4 PINOT NOIR 2016 Complex, layered and intriguing bouquet with red berry fruit, mineral core, a light sulphide moment and well-appointed oak. On the palate – dry, firm and youthful with plenty of acidity, fine tannins and oak as well as a raw energy completing a specific structure. Flavours of red berry fruit continue along a lengthy finish in a light to moderately weight example. Youthful and slowing coming into balance.

Points 95 RRP $45.00 Distributor: Procure Phone: (09) 376 9385 www.procureliquor.co.nz

Fragrant and elegant bouquet showing of cherries and red apple skin, some wild raspberry and red florals; a minerality and light mushroom quality emerges after a few minutes in glass. Equally elegant on the palate with flavours that reflect the nose, fine textured tannins and medium+ acidity; a core of both fruit and mineral upon a measure of French oak. A lovely example with a fine finish.

Points 95 RRP $65.00 Distributor: Co Pilot Phone: (09) 412 9137 www.copilotdistributors.co.nz

CENTRAL OTAGO 8 MAUDE PINOT NOIR 2016

CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT GRACE CENTRAL 9 RUA 10 WILD NOIR 2017 OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2016

Vibrant and intense with a savoury whole bunch led bouquet with dried herb, fresh cherry, wild raspberry and rose, moderate oak impact and quite complex. Dry with flavours that reflect the nose, firm youthful tannins and medium+ acidity.

Balanced, well made and lengthy. A lovely wine.

Drink now and through 2025.

Points 92 RRP $36.00 Distributor: EuroVintage Phone: (03) 443 2959 www.maudewines.com

Very fruity, youthful and fleshy bouquet with raspberry and fresh red cherry aromas, Very little oak suggestion - a wine driven by a core of Pinot Noir fruits. Just dry with fine fruit tannins, medium+ acidity, fresh, crunchy and balanced.

Okay to chill a little for service. Best from today and through 2022.

Points 90 RRP $25.00 Distributor: Hancocks Phone: (03) 445 4292 www.akarua.com

Ripe red berry fruits, sweet red flowers, raspberry and sweet oak spices. Firm, youthful and fruity on the palate with red berry fruits flavours - again led by raspberry with some red floral moments; firm ripe tannins and mediun+ acidity. Juicy and fleshy finish. Drink now and through 2022.

Points 90 RRP $26.99 Distributor: Constellation Brands Phone: (09) 412 6666 www.constellationnz.com

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16 | April 2018 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

Very expressive and engaging bouquet with precise and forward primary fruit aromas - dark cherry, plum, red apple and red beet. The oak signature is also strong with dark spice and toasted wood layers. On the palate - complex, dry, primary and forward. Firm tannins alongside supple textures of fruit, medium+ acidity and coarse silk textures; a lengthy and vibrant finish.

Best from 2019 through 2027.

Points 94 RRP $45.00 Distributor: Negociants Phone: (03) 578 0622 www.auntsfield.co.nz

TASTING NOTES CENTRAL OTAGO 5 MONDILLO PINOT NOIR 2016

A concentrated bouquet packed with dark red berry fruit, oak and mineral-laden soil aromas.

Dried raspberry and dark cherry at the core.

Vibrant and energised on the palate with lively backbone of acidity and firm youthful yet ripe tannins wrapped in a core of fruit. Very lengthy and dry finish. Slightly dusty tannins.

Very youthful still. Best from late 2019 through 2027.

Points 94 RRP $45.00 Distributor: Mondillo Vineyards Phone: (027) 428 2214 www.mondillo.com

TREE CENTRAL 6 WOOING OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2014

Fabulous bouquet of ripe red berry fruits laced with oak, spice and moderate toasty attributes - plenty of Pinosity and charm. Dry with firm chalky tannins, medium+ acidity and a youthful energy. Red apple skin, cherry and plum flavours. Well made. Drink from now and through 2024.

Points 93 RRP $48.00 Distributor: Wooing Tree Phone: (03) 445 4142 www.wooingtree.co.nz

BEACH VINEYARD RESERVE BEACH VINEYARD 11 KINA 12 KINA NELSON PINOT NOIR 2012 NELSON PINOT NOIR 2015

Engaging attractive bouquet led by toasty wood scents, clove and vanilla notes, then dark cherry and strawberry fruit suggestions. Dry, fruity and firmish on the palate, with noticeable wood flavours then fruit; firm tannins hitting the back palate, medium+ acidity and moderate finish.

Points 86 RRP $40.00 Distributor: Kina Beach Vineyard Phone: (027) 521 5555 www.kinabeach.co.nz

Fruity, fresh, varietal and light weight, yet fragrant, aromas of Pinot Noir with cherry and cranberry, then a light wood layer and gentle vanilla scent.

Crisp, fruity, fresh and just dry with a little residual sweet spot; fleshy and easy on the palate with a low tannin count and fresh acid line. balanced and well-made. Drink now and through 2020.

Points 86 RRP $29.00 Distributor: Kina Beach Vineyard Phone: (027) 521 5555 www.kinabeach.co.nz

ROAD CENTRAL 7 DOMAIN OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2014

Plump, ripe, fruity and distinctively earthy with a mineral, crumbled clay and mushroom layer.

Dry on the palate with flavours that reflect the nose - especially the mineral and fruit core; fine chalky tannins, medium+ acidity and lengthy finish. Drink now and through 2024.

Points 92 RRP $40.00 Distributor: Co Pilot Phone: (09) 412 9137 www.copilotdistributors.co.nz

MAZURAN’S DIRECTORS CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2015

Fully integrated bouquet with dried cherry and strawberry fruit aromas, brown spices and a clove vanilla scent. The palate reflects these ideas with dusty tannins and moderate acidity. Balanced and ready to drink with a moderate finish. best with food. Drink now and through 2020.

Points 85 RRP $59.00 Distributor: Mazuran’s Vineyards Phone: (09) 838 6945 www.mazurans.com

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