Hospitality Business April 2020

QUIET QUEENSTOWN RALLIES | ONLINE TRAINING | GREAT TIPS FOR BUSINESS REVIVAL

www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz APRIL 2020 Vol.7 No.3

8 Tips To Control Costs Bee the change & think glocal Survive & Thrive After COVID-19 NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST HOSPITALITY AUDIENCE

Editor APRIL 2020 Vol. 7 No. 3

COVID -19 Where To Start?

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

Trying to predict the future of New Zealand’s hospitality industry right now is akin to peeling onions! There are a lot of layers yet to unravel and the almost overwhelming need to wipe away tears is inescapable. Yet we are a nation of resilient, hard working people with ingenuity thriving in our DNA, and to quote Queenstown Lakes District councilor, and long time hotel manager, Penny Clark, we will be better business operators, going forward!

It is our ability to adapt, listen and rebuild which will ultimately get us through these scary, uncertain times. In this issue of Hospitality Business we bring several articles, that given our imposed national lockdown, might provide timely reading for going forward.

Ken Burgin brings great tips on how to improve your bottom line through waste reduction ( pge 11) and Peter Nelson (pges 12-13) suggests a thorough overhaul of current trading systems, to be spit spot ready for the reopening of New Zealand both domestically and eventually internationally.

BEE The Change – an uplifting story about a South Island couple, who have taken beehives to some unusual places, including the rooftops of major hotels, provides great inspiration, and our Chef Of The Month, Ben Norfolk has a culinary tale to tell.

Remember to follow us on Facebook and our webpage, www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz where we bring you the very latest COVID-19 related stories, along with news and views from the sector.

Please bring me your news too – kdixon@intermedianz.co.nz Stay safe.

Kimberley Dixon Follow us on

www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz On the Cover: BEE THE CHANGE

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QUIET QUEENSTOWN RALLIES | ONLINE TRAINING | GREAT TIPS FOR BUSINESS REVIVAL

www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz APRIL 2020 Vol.7 No.3

Turn to page 14 to read how one South Island company has a mission to help rescue the bee population of the world by thinking globally and acting locally with their mission to keep bees producing honey!

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8 Tips To Control Costs Bee the change & think glocal Survive & Thrive After COVID-19 NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST HOSPITALITY AUDIENCE

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4 APRIL 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

Contents REGULARS 05 DIGEST News from the hospitality industry including WORLDCHEFS recognition for online culinary training

10 IN SEASON Quintessential lamb, and Squid

12 NELSON’S COLUMN What To Do When The Going Gets Tough

PEOPLE 24 CHEF OF THE MONTH Ben Norfolk

FEATURES 11 BUSINESS NEWS Eight Top Tips To Improve Your Bottom Line

14 BEE The Change Pollinating the food chain

24

16 COMMERCIAL KITCHENS Moffat’s New National Sales Manager and a new mobile kitchen from Stoddart

10 08

20

12

14 HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - APRIL 2020 5

In association with Hospitality Business’ online newsletter www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz

3000 Events Cancelled To Date Event organisers, suppliers, venues and artists are among those within New Zealand’s substantial events sector that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.The results of a survey conducted by the New Zealand Events Association (NZEA), showed that more than 3000 events have been cancelled to date and a further 994 events are postponed indefinitely and an estimated 10,870 still scheduled for the next six months.

Brent Spillane, Managing Director of XPO Exhibitions confirmed that their events business is hurting. “The entire value chain from organiser to venue to supplier services are in genuine financial pain like no other period in our trading history.

“With no end in sight for the current ban on mass gatherings there’s a very difficult period ahead while we effectively halt our core function of running shows.

The assistanc we can collectively garner now from Central Government to remain open will prove critical in protecting our vital platform for NZ business recovery, once gates re-open.”

COVID -19 HELPFUL LINKS & INFO GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

https://workandincome.govt.nz/ products/a-z-benefits/covid-19-support. html#null https://services.workandincome.govt. nz/ess/trader_applications/new

VISAS

If a worker’s temporary visa expires between April 2 and July 9 2020 it will automatically be extended to late September 2020. For more information go to:https://www.immigration.govt.nz/newzealand-visas

6 APRIL 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

NZ Chocolate Awards Winners Announced A new Mahurangi his wife Janelle in chocolate maker September 2018. has swept away the The pair focus on competition taking the bean-to-bar chocolate top gong, a Category making, using only two Winner title and ingredients, singlemultiple medals at this origin cacao beans year’s New Zealand and organic sugar.

Chocolate Awards.

Foundry specialises Foundry Chocolate in dark chocolate, was named NZ sourcing beans from Foundry Chocolate takes Chocolate Awards’ the world’s most supreme award for 2020 2020 Supreme expressive cacao Winner for its Foundry growing regions; Peru, Chocolate Anamalai Estate, India 70%.

Tanzania, Colombia, Papua New Guinea, Foundry is also Category Winner with the Bolivia, Vanuatu, Mexico, India and same bar in the Bean-to-Bar - Chocolate Bar Ecuador and crafting them to produce Plain Category. Their Supreme Award and the chocolate with distinctive flavours.

Category Winner titles were accompanied by foundrychocolate.co.nz/ seven Gold Medals and five Silver Medals.

For a full list of NZ Chocolate Foundry Chocolate was established Awards 2020 Medal Winners visit by chocolate maker David Herrick and nzchocolateawards.co.nz

WORLDCHEFS Recognises Kiwi Online Culinary School International Culinary Studio, New Zealand’s leading online culinary school, has received the Recognition of Quality Culinary Education certification by the prestigious World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WORLDCHEFS), for its online training programmes.

The award is an international endorsement renowned in the culinary world. International Culinary Studio has joined over 100 recognised establishments around the world which consistently deliver quality culinary education.

To receive the recognition, International Culinary Studio’s academic programmes were reviewed by a panel of WORLDCHEFS members who evaluated matters relating to global quality standards, evaluation of leadership, instructors, facilities, lesson delivery, industry and educational support and food safety.

Cheryl Nesbitt, founder of International Culinary Studio said: “We are extremely proud and honoured to have met the high standards required to be a part of this distinguished community. This recognition reflects the hard work of the entire International Culinary Studio team, from our chef instructors and assessors, to everyone keeping things running in the support office.

It is also a wonderful endorsement of our world-class online training programmes, and the advanced platform that we created to deliver them. It is another step forward as we continue to develop our school as the leader in online culinary education.”

WORLDCHEFS is a global network of chefs associations first founded in October 1928 at the Sorbonne in Paris. Today, this global body has over 90 official member chefs associations that represent 10 million professionals worldwide. WORLDCHEFS launched the Recognition of Quality Culinary Education programme in 2010 to establish international standards in culinary education.

International Culinary Studio is believed to be the first blended learning culinary school to offer professional qualifications online to New Zealand students from their kitchens at home, school or at work. International Culinary Studio was recently approved for TEC funding, meaning students can now apply for the Government’s Fees Free scheme or apply for a student loan via StudyLink. For more information visit: internationalculinarystudio.com.

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DIGEST

Nadia Lim

Simon Gault

In 1983 Alison received a Queen’s Service Medal for Services to the Community and in 1987 was made a CBE for Services to Home Science

Alison Holst Named NZ’s Most Influential Chef Alison Holst is New Zealand’s most influential chef of all time, according to a nationwide survey run by online culinary school, International Culinary Studio.

The survey asked participants who they thought had made the biggest impact on the New Zealand food scene, either past or present. The public, hospitality students and industry insiders were all asked for their opinion.

Kiwi cooking icon, Alison received 19 percent of the votes, putting her a good margin ahead of anybody else. Nadia Lim was second (14.3%), followed by Simon Gault (13.9%), Annabelle White (10%) and Peter Gordon (8%).

When asked why they had named Alison as the most influential chef, one respondent said: “Alison brought great recipes to everyday Kiwis in an achievable, accessible way. She had a massive impact on the New Zealand cooking scene during my lifetime.”

Other reasons for votes included: “He was the first New Zealand chef to forge a path as a highly recognisable “celebrity” chef and has done great things both in terms of his restaurants and his own brand.” (Simon Gault) “She won MasterChef and has gone into a business serving communities across 8 APRIL 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

New Zealand. My Food Bag has become a household name. She has also become a powerful advocate of natural, unprocessed foods.” (Nadia Lim) “At a time when New Zealanders weren’t dining out or being adventurous with food he had a successful restaurant in Wellington, did TV cooking programmes and published great cooking books. His is still the best icecream recipe I have ever eaten!” (Des Britten) Cheryl Nesbitt, founder of International Culinary Studio says she is not surprised by the results, commenting that it is testament to Alison’s long and successful career as a New Zealand food writer and chef.

“Alison is one of New Zealand’s original TV chefs and her cookbooks are owned by millions of people. With her focus on simple, cost-effective but healthy recipes that are easy for everyday people to put together at home, it’s no wonder that so many Kiwis say that they have been influenced by her over the years. She has helped countless New Zealanders become more confident in the kitchen.”

Alison made her first national television cooking programme in 1965, a few months after the introduction of television to New Zealand, and published her first best-selling cookbook the year after. She published more than 75 popular cookbooks, which have

sold over 3 million copies, and became well known for her TV appearances, newspaper columns, magazine articles, radio broadcasts and cooking demonstrations.

In 1983 Alison received a Queen’s Service Medal for Services to the Community, in 1987 was made a CBE for Services to Home Science, and in 1997 was given a honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Otago.

New Zealand’s Top 15 Most Influential Chefs 1. Alison Holst – 19% 2. Nadia Lim – 14.3% 3. Simon Gault – 13.9% 4. Annabelle White – 10% 5. Peter Gordon – 8% 6. Ray McVinnie – 5.9% 7. Philippe Raoult – 5.9% 8. Al Brown – 5% 9. Josh Emmett – 4.7% 10. Annabel Langbein – 3.9% 11. Sir Des Britten – 2.7% 12. Peter Thornley – 2.3% 13. Vaughn Mabee – 1.9% 14. David van Staden – 0.8% 15. Monique Fiso – 0.8%

DIGEST

Brewing Hand Sanitiser - Kiwi Ingenuity To The Rescue What started out with three Hamilton hospitality blokes deciding to do a ‘good’ turn has snowballed into a lifesaving brew.

In the midst of the impending Covid-19 crisis Good George Brewing founders Brian Watson, Darrel Hadley and Jason Macklow, searching for hand sanitiser for their 300 or so staff, noticed that a whisky brewer in Scotland was using its still to produce it.

“I checked the World Health Organisation website for an approved recipe and thought, we can do this,” says Brian. “We thought this is a good idea – a way of helping people out at this time and keeping our staff, family and friends safe, so we decided to fire up the still.”

Within 24 hours of their first Facebook post the idea had taken off and a few days later they had labels printed ready to go.

Good George had been on track to produce 1.5 million litres of beer and cider this year.

“We figured that right now the world needs hand sanitiser more than whisky and gin,” says Brian.

The company gave away the first 1100 bottles to its staff, families and friends with the rest reserved for those with compromised health, emergency workers and those on the frontline.

Then it “got crazy”, says Brian. “We had the NZ Defence Force and Prison Service contact us wanting heaps, so I said, ‘we better keep going boys’!”

Renowned for their beer and cider and a dozen bars restaurants and partner bars, Brian confesses that at first they knew nothing about making hand sanitiser.

Always on the look-out for ways to serve the community, especially through Good George’s ‘Be Good, Do Good Charity, they figured if this was what they had to do to keep people safe then they’d do it.

The switch to hand sanitiser and the Government’s wage subsidy scheme had enabled them to keep on all 300 or so of their staff, with 20 or 30 brewing and making sanitiser. “We’re trying to pay them without reducing their wages and we still

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From left: Reid Lidington, Oli Bird and Glenn Eyers trying to keep up with hand sanitiser demand at Good George Brewing. have some staff on full salary,” says Brian.

Up until early in the lockdown every bottle of hand sanitiser they made was given away.

“We’re still struggling to survive. We have to pay our staff so we’re now offering deals of hand sanitiser and beer,” he says.

With 80 percent of Good George’s business ceasing to exist due to the crisis, their story is a wonderful example of Kiwi ingenuity.

“We didn’t know a thing about hand sanitiser, but we learned fast and used what we had to create a quality product,” says Brian. The WHO recipe is simple to make.

“We have a still on site so we can make small batches of high octane ethanol which is a key ingredient for the product. Anyone with a still should be able to make sanitiser,” he says.

IN SEASON

ARROW SQUID

Arrow squid, named wheketere in Maori, are a pelagic species found across the continental shelf, both in surface waters and in depths of up to 500 metres.

New Zealand has three core squid fisheries, with the majority of fishing taking place in the summer months, from January through to May, when squid tends to be more available.

Two types of arrow squid exist – Nototodarus gouldi and Nototodarus sloanii. While N. gouldi tends to dwell in the warmer waters of the North Island and northwestern South Island, N. sloanii is the more predominant species that’s typically found along the southeast coast of the South Island and in southern waters.

Both species have smooth cylindrical bodies, are white in colour with bronze tones on the mantle and head, and have short, arrow-like tail fins.

A nutritious protein, arrow squid makes for a good source of vitamin B12, selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin C, niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin D and iodine.

Its ivory flesh is firm and shiny but whitens and becomes tender upon cooking. The ink can also be retained for colour and flavour in sauces, rice and pasta dishes. The light and subtle flavour of arrow squid also makes it suited to many types of cuisines and flavours.

An ideal protein for barbecuing, grilling, baking or frying, arrow squid is most tender when cooked over high heat for a short time.

Scoring the flesh also allows the heat to distribute evenly and avoids overcooked, rubbery squid.

LAMB

What better way to showcase our delicious New Zealand lamb than using three cuts on one dish? It’s a great way for diners to get a taste of the different flavours and textures of lamb giving them a varied eating experience and it’s a great way for chefs to get really creative in the kitchen. Pictured here, Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef, Norka Mella Munoz has used three cuts to construct her dish – a prime cut of loin, rolled in fresh herbs alongside lamb belly which has been charcoal grilled to add in some smoky flavour, and a succulent sweetbread, crumbed and deep fried to add some texture. You can read more at thechefskitchen.co.nz

10 APRIL 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

For a quick and tasty dish, try salt and pepper squid with aioli.

Sprinkle 2 tsp of five spice powder and 2 tsp ground Szechwan pepper and salt to taste over 400g of squid tubes. Toss through a dusting of flour, while waiting for 2 tbsp of peanut oil to heat in a pan. Cook the squid in small batches, on high heat for 3-4 minutes each. Do not overcrowd the pan. When the squid is just cooked, set aside. In a medium heat pan, add 2 tbsp sesame oil, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 small bok choy (roughly sliced), lemon juice and chili to taste. Remove from heat when the bok choy is cooked, but firm to the bite. Place the squid on top of the greens and serve with aioli.

For more seafood inspiration, visit www.seafood.co.nz/recipes/

COVID-19 BUSINESS SURVIVAL STRATEGIES

Waste Not, Want Not

8 Ways to cut costs and improve your bottom line going forward

By Ken Burgin

C

ombine these eight types of waste and the cost reduction will be considerable. Some are more common that others and some have never been considered as a real problem. Many managers attempt to fix problems or reduce costs by watching everything when the problem lies with the lack of standards, systems and consultation.

1. Overproduction Creating more product than needed.

The enthusiastic bar staff who over prepare fruit garnished for the evening; salad trays are filled beyond what’s needed and too much meat is carved.

Forecasting accurate sales of different products reduces this – overproduction is usually the default.

2. Excessive Wait Time Staff shouldn’t have to wait to do their job because of bottlenecks, shortages of equipment or lack of support. Insufficient glassware means drinks can’t be served while glasses are being washed. A deep-fryer that’s underpowered takes too long to cook chips and slows up service. Insufficient mise-en-place means delays for chefs.

3. Transportation This relates to the unnecessary movement of products and equipment such as carrying one box at a time instead of using a trolley to transport them together. When the bar is not set up for efficient service, with highdemand bottles a long way from where they’re required. A barista who has everything at hand can push product through quickly and efficiently.

4. Processing Waste Intentional over processing might be a barman creating a complex cocktail with far more garnish than the customer wants. Non-intentional over- processing is when an apprentice finely chops vegetables that will only be used for stock – no-one told him it’s not necessary. Both are repeated actions that add no value to a product or service.

5. Inventory Waste Over-ordering that results in spoilage or theft. Just because the salesman offers you a bonus box of wine if you order 10, doesn’t mean that it’s a good deal.

6. Motion Waste Unnecessary movement that does not

add value such as when untrained staff take longer to complete a task. Are there too many steps required to the roster or payroll? Can essential forms be found quickly on the computer? Do you need unnecessary approvals for standard ordering procedures?

7. Defect Waste When a product or service must be redone to meet a standard. It could be a human or equipment error. Failing to follow a recipe means mousses don’t set and failing to keep the oven in good condition means baked goods burn easily. Job interviewers don’t ask the right questions so unqualified people are appointed and must be let go.

8. Unused Employee Talent and Creativity The waste that’s far too common, from a failure to listen. Some managers don’t want to listen or think they know everything. Just because you are busy doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement. If an employee notices an inefficient or unnecessary process, will they be listened to when they mention it to the manager? n HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - APRIL 2020 11

NELSON’S COLUMN

When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going COVID-19 Business Survival Strategies

L

ike many industries hospitality is now facing very challenging times, and this looks to continue over the next few months. This of course is nothing new for restaurant and bar owners who continually face issues in what is a great but challenging industry.

In the past we have faced the Global Financial Crisis; those in the South have had to deal with earthquakes and every winter the industry has to deal with the fall off of tourists, so while we are all conscious of the current challenge the successful and savvy owners know it is a matter of making sure that you have a clear strategy in place to manage your business.

This is a good time to take a step back and review all areas of your business.

12 APRIL 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

It is a time to ensure that you have good processes in place to manage your operating costs, your purchase costs, staff performance, your processes and systems and marketing.

that you may have e.g. 200 different types of rum or bourbon, a steak offering – you need to get the message out and tell people by creating the reason.

Creating a customer experience through either a point of difference or creating an atmosphere through great customer service not only encourages repeat business but also creates the cheapest marketing that you will ever invest in, word of mouth praise.

Controlling food and beverage costs in a hospitality business is the single most important factor. Knowing not only what food and beverage (F&B) cost you are achieving but what cost you should be achieving is critical.

“Controlling food and beverage costs in a hospitality business is the single most important factor.”

Point Of Difference While managing your costs is important it is also a time to make sure that you are still investing in your business. Marketing and giving people a reason as to why they should come to your venue is crucial.

What will appeal to them?

Why have people come in the past?

Create a “Point of Difference”, be that through the type of menu or quality of food that you offer, the type of entertainment that you have, a theme

– Peter Nelson

NELSON’S COLUMN You may think that a beverage cost of 34% is good (GP of 66%), but of more importance is knowing that you should have achieved a cost of 31% (GP of 69%) is more important.

It is essential to understand where that difference of 3% is and what has caused it. Is it overpouring, waste that has been poured down the drain, incorrect costings, incorrect product being poured or is it that you have a theft issue.

That 3% difference can add up to thousands of dollars over a month, thousands of dollars that you should be banking. Finding where the difference has occurred and what has caused it is a complex area and why companies such as Sculpture Hospitality specialise in this within the industry. You may think that your percentages are good but how do they compare to the industry?

How much inventory are you carrying? A good inventory level is 7 to 14 days given the frequency of supply in today’s market.

Every extra case of wine or kilo of meat that you are carrying in excess stock is money that you could have earning interest in the bank. Turnover changes with seasons and market circumstances and your inventory should be adjusted accordingly.

Review Purchase Pricing Par levels should be set with minimums and maximums to ensure that you are meeting your budget requirements.

This is also a good time to review your purchase pricing, are you getting

the best possible deal for what not stop investing. A well trained you are buying? You should team will not only make money “Marketing and regularly review these as for you but reduce your giving people a a matter of course, do costs. Investment in your you require your Chef team through training will reason as to why they and Bar Manager to do both reduce your staff should come to your this? Carefully consider turnover but they will be volume purchasing, a more productive because venue is crucial. volume price may seem they know what to do What will appeal to attractive but you need and what you require. them? to look at how long it Just think of the down will take to go through time in recruiting, training Why have people the quantity of what you and bringing new people come in the have ordered and ask yourself upto speed! if you really want to have all Knowing how you are past?” that money tied up in that product. performing and measuring your Wage cost is a big piece of the performance is a crucial business hospitality pie and spread widely discipline. In our business we set Key across the business – kitchen, bar staff, Performance Indicators (KPI’s) with restaurant staff etc. I alluded earlier to all our clients in all areas of their F&B the seasonality factor and this applies to business. Not only do they give you a your labour requirement as well, analyise gauge on your current performance when you need your staff. If you are but they track your progress over running a bar operation and 80% of your time and importantly alert you when sales occur after 6pm then it makes sense you have a problem. Know what the to have a minimum staff on until then. important KPI’s are for your business, Analyise your wage cost over a specific don’t simply look at the results, act on period to ensure that you are getting a them, improve your performance and return. If you have a POS system where understand your business. sales are recorded by employee see what As an industry we continually face the percentage each person is returning. challenges and rise above them. Our Similarly, in the kitchen there is no current challenges are no different if point having excess staff on in your quiet the right practices are put in place, as times, work with your chef to measure the song says, “when the going gets the wage costs by shift and/or day. tough, the tough get going”. n I have talked at length about reducing your costs and touched on the importance Peter Nelson is the Managing Director of still investing in your business. Staff of Sculpture Hospitality New Zealand, training is another area where you should Australia & South Pacific Islands

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - MARCH 2020 13

SUSTAINABILITY

Bees are all the buzz right now.

BEE THE CHANGE - Think Glocal Innovative Queenstown hospitality operators had decided to Bee The Change and help save the bees, prior to the country’s Covid-19 crisis - a move that for one at least had already brought positive attention. By Sue Fea

B

ee The Change is an initiative launched by Irishman Neal McAloon in spring last year, with help from local organisation, Startup Queenstown. It’s been created to improve environmental education and awareness about all pollinators, not just the honey bee species, and to promote corporate responsibility, says Neal.

Honey will eventually be sold to help fund the project and $2.00 from each jar of honey sold from the Whitechapel base, near Arrowtown, will be donated back to the Wakatipu Reforestation Trust which has a facility there.

“We’re all about promoting thriving bee colonies locally by encouraging local individuals and businesses to sponsor hives,” says Neal. These are placed strategically in high-profile locations around the Wakatipu Basin.

Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, Neal had seven local hospitality businesses on board sponsoring the much-needed hives – Altitude Brewing, Yonder, World Bar, The Fat Lamb, Public Bar and Kitchen, Canyon Brewing and The Exchange Café.

14 APRIL 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

The sponsorship had already got antibacterial measure for internal and Yonder some welcome attention with external use, as well as in a winter a customer mentioning Yonder’s bee soother and tonic in lemon, honey and sponsorship on a TripAdvisor review, ginger drinks. says Neal.

Canyon Brewing micro-brewery and Pure local honey produced through restaurant announced its sponsorship the initiative can be purchased at a of three thriving hives at Arthur’s heavily-discounted rate by sponsors Point near its business in January this and used in their restaurants and cafes, year, prior to the lockdown crisis. if they’re hospitality operators.

At the time of the announcement, The initiative adds another layer of marketing manager for Canyon flavour to local sponsors’ ‘story’ and Brewing’s owners Go Orange, Emma with higher awareness on health and Hansen, said they wanted to give back to protection right now it’s the perfect the local community as much as possible time to be backing a product with and Bee the Change seemed a perfect fit. centuries-old medicinal benefits like “On top of helping make a difference honey, says Neal. in the fight to save the bees, the bees The lockdown meant his also pollinate nearby fruit trees, “The initiative March harvest would be sold providing free fruit for the adds another layer of to the community if the community in years to come,” hospitality sponsors didn’t says Emma. flavour to local sponsors’ want it, but coming into Neal says the bees are ‘story’ and with higher winter it’s the perfect strategically placed to get awareness on health and immune boost, says Neal. the best pollination. protection right now it’s the The hives are located in perfect time to be backing a Strategically public spaces and are to be product with Centuries-old Placed Hives accompanied by educational medicinal benefits like Honey’s been renowned signage shortly. for its medicinal properties “Our future and their future honey.” for years as an antiseptic and is intertwined,” says Neal. “There

SUSTAINABILITY are many, many diseases increasing around the world so by supporting Bee the Change companies are growing awareness about the importance of bees and what people can do in their own environment to help improve the bees’ environment.”

He says the apiculture industry and bees are under a lot of pressure globally. “Our long term mission is to build up strong colonies in the district so when crises strike around the world we could be in a position to help send apiaries elsewhere.”

“This isn’t just important for bees but pollination is incredibly linked to our food chain and our survival,” he says.

“That’s the motivation behind it.”

It’s globally recognised that an insect and bee mass extinction could occur in our lifetime, says Neal. “This would have a catastrophic impact on global good supply.

Bees are under attack from the varroa parasite, overuse of weedkillers and sprays and monocultural farming practices, says Neal. Nature thrives on biodiversity. It’s natural design is to have multiple species and plants all growing and working in unison together. That’s its natural design.

Anything we can do to help makes a difference and many things can cause a bee colony to collapse, he says.

Going ‘Glocal’ Bee The Change is all about facilitating corporate social responsibility. Neal’s long-term aim is to go ‘glocal’ – contributing on both a global and local level by shipping bee populations overseas to countries where they’re threatened. It’s not a new concept and something that’s already occurring with many bee colonies in collapse in places like China and the United States, says Neal.

“We may have issues and stressors on our bee populations locally, but the Wakatipu has a relatively healthy apiculture industry,” he says. Once strong and healthy colonies are established the plan is to ship ‘nucleus hives’ to crisis areas around the world to help repopulate their colonies.

Experienced Queenstown ‘bee wrangler’ and Buzzstop general manager Nick Cameron says “bees are in vogue”.

He’s been working with Hilton Queenstown, The Rees Hotel and Heritage Queenstown, and Millbrook Resort is set to hopefully have him manage on-site hives also.

“We do raw honey for Crowne Plaza’s Queenstown breakfast buffet too and that hotel is also keen to set up hives and an apiary somewhere in the local area next year.”

Buzzstop also supplies its local honey to Skyline Restaurant and Brown’s Boutique Hotel.

Ten hives during peak season can attract 800,000 bees, says Nick.

Naturally Buzzstop’s signature dish features honey and the Belgium Waffles with any choice of raw honey, Manuka or other, slide down particularly nicely.

Hives on Hotel Rooftops If it’s the right location the hives can be on a hotel rooftop as with the Hilton, but Nick says the location has to be right so that the bees have a good source of food nearby.

“Staff do a lot of the work on site then I come and help them do the extraction,” he says.

There’s been great interest from chefs who are very keen to use local and seasonal product wherever and whenever they can, and the honey teams up beautifully in many dishes from mains to desserts.

Bees are never a pest if they’re put in the right spot and there’s food everywhere, he says. “All they want to do is accumulate food for winter. They don’t bother anyone.”

Buzzstop Cafe Nick also runs Buzzstop Café and beekeeping tours, which follow the whole process from extraction to spinning, filtering and bottling with customers leaving with their own labelled honey in a jar.

“Everybody’s realised the planet needs help,” he says. Visitors, especially those with families, are very keen to do an educational activity, learn and experience products first hand.”

Visitors from countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Europe, and the United States are all particularly interested in the whole bee and honey process.

And just prior to the lockdown last month, Nick says Buzzstop’s 10-Plus Manuka Honey immunity shots were becoming increasingly popular. Naturally Buzzstop’s signature dish features honey and the Belgium Waffles with any choice of raw honey, Manuka or other, slide down particularly nicely.

In the month prior to lockdown Buzzstop was continually selling out of active Manuka products. It’s hoped to have an online store operating sometime soon. n

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - APRIL 2020 15

FEATURE: COMMERCIAL KITCHENS Moffat Moffat's Christchurch Town Hall installation.

Coming home to Moffat

C

hristchurch-born Craig Hider has been involved with hospitality since he was a lad. Extended family owned restaurants in Auckland and most school holidays his parents sent him north to spend quality time with his restaurateur rellies.

He first joined Moffat in 2010 as Regional Export Manager - Pacific and then Asia, before succumbing to Auckland’s commercial heft for a few years. But he’s back home now and delighted to be on the Moffat team again, this time as Foodservice National Sales Manager.

“It’s a hard industry to leave,” he says. “Passion is across everything here, even your own values and how they fit with the business. When I came back so many faces were familiar – people just don’t seem to leave here,” he says.

16 APRIL 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

“Moffat are the manufacturers in New Zealand for food service equipment and we’re global too. Just over 90% of what we manufacture is exported and our equipment is in many parts of the world. Back home we’re just as well known for our long lasting, high performance commercial kitchen equipment as we are our value-added after-hours service.

“My team is highly skilled and focused on their own area of expertise. Because we support all our partners we need all the answers so we can make a difference in their business and that’s what drives us.”

There are 400+ people employed by Moffat and 200+ of them in Rolleston, Christchurch, where heritage ranges Blue Seal and Waldorf are manufactured, as well as Cobra, Turbofan and Bakbar. n

Craig Hider, Foodservice National Sales Manager for Moffat.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - APRIL 2020 17

FEATURE: COMMERCIAL KITCHENS Moffat

Q

Cutting Edge Equipment Inspiring Chefs Today

uick, easy to use, with built in flexibility and extra potential – that’s what chefs these days require from their kitchen equipment to consistently produce high quality product, according to Foodservice National Sales Manager for Moffat New Zealand, Craig Hider.

“Controllability and connect ability can add value in certain categories and help small teams with varying skill levels operate equipment to achieve consistent results. And with Moffat’s Convotherm Combi and Merrychef speed ovens, technology is a game changer,” says Craig.

“We have structure to our product levels for a reason. The concept of ‘good, better, best’ is important and we want to make sure the right brand combi oven for our customers’ unique needs is installed, whether they’re a large output restaurant or small catering business.”

Good, Better, Best - Moffat's mantra 18 APRIL 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

Tops and Bottoms modular options are a strong point of difference for Moffat’s heritage Blue Seal and Waldorf ranges along with many variable options in the Cobra range; all designed and manufactured from their factory in Rolleston, Christchurch.

“You choose the make-up of your kitchen so it’s customised for your needs,” says Craig. “Select your appliance for the top and the bottom then we make it for you in the factory.

“A standard product offers choice on top of burners, griddle, target top or bench, with base being storage, ovens, refrigerated base or legstand.

“Our control systems feature touch pads which highlight necessary step processes. Convotherm Combi ovens have the lowest water and energy consumption levels across all brands and the Moffat range of Combi’s are entirely self-cleaning too, with no extra components, sprays or tablets required.”

Merrychef is Moffat’s top of the range, rapid speed oven. It’s in the same family and with the same control panel as Convotherm, for seamless operation between the two.

“Merrychef’s fully self-ventilated catalytic technology has been perfected, eliminating grease, fumes and the need for separate extraction or ventilation systems. It can go pretty much anywhere too, with ‘plug and play’ capability and that keeps installation costs down.

“Across the eikon Merrychef range, there’s an oven for any size and style operation. Cook times are incredibly short, the ovens are hugely efficient and with a streamlined touchscreen interface, they’re so easy to use,” says Craig.

Moffat’s position as an industry ‘go-to’ is still very much in place. Enquiring which projects Moffat is currently involved with, Craig says it’s easier to ask which projects Moffat isn’t involved with. n

FEATURE: COMMERCIAL KITCHENS Stoddart

A Moveable Feast – with the Halton MobiChef: • Can be used anywhere there’s 32A power.

• Fully adaptable for any type of cooking – frying, grilling, induction, etc • Customise your MobiChef unit from the various cassettes available • Fully transportable and easy to move

“Post COVID-19 this will not only satisfy customer’s desire to see that food handling is safe, but also allow restaurants to rebuild cash flow reserves and profitability faster,”

• Ideal for function and convention centres and hotels plus wherever live cooking’s required and kitchens aren’t close or available • Onboard, integrated refrigeration also available to keep product on hand

Stoddart's heritage Halton MobiChef installation at Central Station, Sydney.

MobiChef – future proofing hospitality opportunities Halton Mobichef is the new kid on the hospitality scene and it’s a breath of fresh air. It brings the show into the middle of traditional dining areas, which are normally devoid of any cooking, says Adrian Dixon, Stoddart’s New Zealand Country Manager.

“It provides additional flexibility too and allows the guests in the dining area to be even closer to the action and they’re usually willing to pay a premium price for the privilege. The versatility is endless,” says Adrian.

Halton Mobichef recently launched into the country,{ with a trade viewing at AUT}, from Australia, where many units have been installed in various applications including heritage buildings where ventilation is an issue. MobiChef was ideal for Sydney’s high profile Central Station dining precinct, where ventilation ducts couldn’t be installed.

“Post Covid-19 this will not only satisfy customers’ desire to see that food handling is safe, but also allow restaurants to rebuild cash flow reserves and profitability faster,” says Adrian. n HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - APRIL 2020 19

FEATURE: COMMERCIAL KITCHENS Nisbets

Supporting Our Customers Through COVID-19 o support the hos ad y t pita s re i lity m a i nd e t us t's tr y e b . is

The health and well-being of our employees and all customers is our number one priority. As the situation continues to evolve, we are monitoring its development and potential impact to your business, the wider industry and our supply chain. We have put in place precautionary measures to mitigate the risks associated with coronavirus, following the latest government advice and WHO guidelines.

We will continue to update the public on any plans or changes to our services as new information is made available and will be maintaining a website page to provide updates www.nisbets.co.nz/coronavirus As can be appreciated we are experiencing stock availability issues with a small range of items, mostly directly related to products seeing high demand. We are working closely with our supply chain to mitigate this issue and minimise potential disruption. We will continue to maintain an up-to-date stock position on our website.

Currently there are no changes to the operational hours of our contact centre however our Retail Store will be closed. Please check our website for any changes but rest assured we will continue to work to ensure your catering equipment needs are met.

Thank you for choosing Nisbets, your continued trust and loyalty means a lot to us and we commit to serving our community through this difficult period. Call our friendly team or jump onto our website today! Our team is ready to support you.

David Edkins Country Manager, New Zealand

Th e

ON ORDERS OVER $100

N

FEATURE: COMMERCIAL KITCHENS

Nisbets’ 8 Tips to Make Your Commercial Kitchen Eco-Friendly

T

he commercial sector is Australasia’s biggest contributor to the overburdened landfill.But there’s no need to despair because here are numerous tips to move your commercial kitchen towards being more eco-friendly.

1. Waste management Be diligent with your waste management and disposal. Ensure you discard plastics and other harmful materials correctly and recycle where possible and reduce your waste as much as you can. On the same note, make sure chemicals, oils and hazardous items (such as batteries etc) are being disposed of properly, as per your local Council’s guidelines and using specific waste management bins.

2. Compost Since the commercial sector creates 2.2 billion tonnes of food waste each year in Australia and 1 billion in New Zealand, it’s a good idea to embrace ways that help decrease that. There’s no reason why a commercial kitchen can’t start to implement an organic compost or fertiliser system to help counteract food waste which creates eight per cent of greenhouse gases that are heating the planet.

You can compost: • fruit and vegetables • coffee grounds • paper napkins • newspaper and • cardboard It can then be given or sold back to your organic food suppliers or local community gardens or schools. This might even inspire you to begin your own kitchen garden which has many benefits such fresh, sustainable produce that your consumers will absolutely love.

And the American APA even purports that ‘compost can capture and destroy 99.6 per cent of industrial volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in contaminated air.’

3. Reduce One of the fundamental principles of working towards greater sustainability is reducing what you use and consume.

Meticulously plan out your catering supplies and food requirements, keep

track of every item purchased and regularly review inventory and usage to ensure you aren’t needlessly over ordering and then having to end up throwing away food because it goes off or doesn’t get used.

You may also consider using a digital inventory tool or resource can help you keep on top of what you have available and what you actually do need to order.

Additionally, by turning off unused powered items you could save more than $1200 a year.

Utilising smart technology to help run kitchen equipment such as HVAC, refrigeration and lighting can also help you save money and the environment.

Furthermore, by using solar power, you will not only be helping the environment but saving a lot on your power bill.

4. Cleaning products It’s crucial that a commercial kitchen adheres to the highest level of cleanliness and hygiene standards. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t swap out eco friendly cleaning supplies for harsher chemicals where possible. This is both better for the environment and employees.

8. Refrigeration One of the key items in any commercial kitchen are refrigerators and cool rooms. But they are also power hungry!

‘The average [cool room] unit energy consumption is around 18,800 kWh per annum and the potential energy waste is conservatively more than 25 per cent.‘ Replacing old and poor functioning 5. Product packaging gear and cleaning your kitchen You can adopt a two fold approach equipment is a surefire way to be when it comes to food packaging. more eco friendly and more efficient Firstly, where any food goes out to in your business. Likewise, keeping up consumers from your commercial preventative and regular maintenance, kitchen, ensure that you use replacing worn gaskets and seals and compostable or biodegradable checking fans and compressors will packaging wherever possible. help your kitchen equipment run better Similarly, you might be inclined to and use fewer resources. request your suppliers use eco friendly Equipment that is ten years or older packaging as much as they can to can also drain the power supplies deliver produce to you. significantly and by replacing these electrical items, you could “Meticulously 6. Water saving be saving money and energy plan out your Just like reducing the in the long run. amount of stuff that you Even starting with catering supplies and consume, being prudent one of these tips in your food requirements, about water usage is also kitchen will begin to make keep track of every key to a greener kitchen. a difference and they are Install water saving easier to implement than item purchased and toilets and taps and flow you may realise. n regularly review restrictors where it makes inventory” sense. Encourage new learned behaviours in staff, suppliers and patrons by encouraging everyone to turn off taps and offer inhouse filtered water above bottled water. Tip: don’t leave taps running when preparing or cooking food.

7. Power use On average, a HVAC system consumes approximately 28 per cent of a restaurant’s energy use. Being conservative with use, altering the thermostat by one or two degrees (but still complying with air quality requirements) will still make a huge difference.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - APRIL 2020 21

COVID-19 - SOUTHERN STYLE

Quiet Queenstown Rallies With New Initiatives In the South they’re used to bracing themselves against a good snow storm and although experienced and resourceful operators initially scrambled for innovative ways to ride out the waves, the Government’s enforced closure and lockdown has hit hard.

I

n true hospitality style, however, many operators have rallied together and have been trying to use their skills to help others in need.

With 45 years’ experience in the New Zealand hotel industry, Queenstown Lakes District councillor Penny Clark has survived a few crises in her time. The former long-time hotel manager, who’s now managing Airbnbs, says the COVID-19 crisis is very different to the likes of the global financial crisis because this time it’s to do with health.

“In my 50 years in hotels I’ve seen some ups and downs. Operators just have to stay in it,” she says.

It’s a whole new ballgame now with Airbnb and so many local homeowners and holiday home owners using that income to help them pay a mortgage.

“We’re starting to see some green shoots from China vwhere they’re starting to come out of COVID 19,” says Penny.

22 APRIL 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

Operators around the country have been good at refunding cancellations and Air New Zealand has been great with its policy for cancelled trips, she says.

The Planes Will Be Back New Zealand will get through this, but it’s critical that everybody obeys the rules for the lockdown period.

“We want this over as quickly as possible and the only way that will happen is if we all do what we’ve been told to do,” she said, the evening of the lockdown. “We may be on war footing but fortunately there are no planes over us dropping air bombs,” she says. “The planes will be back.”

All going well hopefully the lockdown can come off in late April, she says. “We really need to encourage each other to persevere with this selfisolation. It’s absolutely critical that we carry out the instructions. It’ll be worth it and will mean this ends sooner, rather than carrying on for another

three or four months in lockdown,” she says.

Penny’s Airbnb bookings are down 100 percent for April. “Communicate with your guests, she says. “Have empathy and understanding with people. They may like to come back next year, or rebook for six months.

Keep them on your books and try to encourage them to come another time.”

Many people are understood to have cancelled flights, cruises and holidays credited for some other time in the next 18 months so Penny says she’s hopeful that things can recover. Once this is over things should level off and the country will hopefully settle back into some more reasonableness.”

Sponsored Loyal Overseas Workers In Arrowtown, near Queenstown, People Like Us owners and copresidents of the Southern Lakes branch of the Restaurant Association of

COVID-19 - SOUTHERN STYLE NZ, P.J. Johnson and Sam Gruar, were among the first off the blocks prior to the lockdown. The Level 4 Alert announcement was a huge upheaval with 35 staff employed across their two restaurants, La Rumbla and Slow Cuts, and their newly-opened breakfast eatery café, Good Day. About half of their staff are sponsored, loyal overseas workers and all part of a tightly-knit team, she says.

“I think if we can get through this we will be better business people than ever,” says P.J. Not ones to lie down and take it on the chin, P.J. and Sam immediately thought outside the square prior to the full lockdown announcement once dinner cancellations starting coming in. They had pulled together plans for ‘Isolation Party’ in-home dinner and dance packages for 10 with matching wines delivered complete with a waiter to serve, and popular DJ’s Sweet Mix Kids. An airing on Facebook and some local radio promotion had already sparked immense interest in the first few days.

They were also preparing to send their La Rumbla chef into homes to cook Spanish food with his special paella pan and people would’ve been able to order anything off the menu.

Strict Food Control Plan requirements were to be implemented.

“We’ve always been about being proactive rather than reactive,” says P.J. “When disaster strikes we need to stick together and it’s important that staff feel supported,” she says.

For Ben Norfolk, The Bunker co-owner in Queenstown and executive chef of that venue, and Attiqa, it’s all been pretty daunting but he’s playing it day by day.

The Government’s rescue package should go some way to assisting, but for Ben the future of his valuable staff, many of them from overseas, is of more concern, especially as he’s sponsored a number of them. “We’re like a family here and I have overseas staff who I’ve sponsored and they’re relying on me. The most important part about retaining my family of staff is that we can all look after each other through all of this and be there to care for each other afterwards,” says Ben. On the eve of lockdown Ben, was greatly encouraged by news that his faithful team of overseas staff should have their visas extended until September. With 18 of The Bunker’s 21 staff and almost all of Attiqa’s 19 too this was a huge relief.

“Everybody’s looking after each other, talking to each other and supporting each other. We’re all keeping connected,” he says. In the meantime, Ben, like many operators, was trying to do some good for those in need. After a few weeks in lockdown people could be really finding it tough financially. He’d been talking to the local

police about whether he and a couple of key staff could prepare food and safely deliver that to people who needed help. Ben was hoping for support from suppliers and supermarkets to come up with a plan that met the safety requirements stipulated by the police of very minimal handling and contact.

“I think if we can get through this we will be better business people than ever,” says P.J.

Serene Queenstown is extraordinarily quiet but quietly resilient and helping others in need.

Fresh linen Central Otago branch accommodation sector chair for Hospitality NZ Carlyn Topp says local self-contained apartments have been on hand and well positioned to assist anybody needing to self-isolate, especially overseas visitors stranded and locals returning from overseas.

At her own Highview Apartments Carlyn has staff dropping fresh linen outside the door for self-isolators to collect. One fully-kitted staff member in protective equipment has been appointed to collect rubbish at a certain time each day from outside the door.

That is then placed in another plastic bag and sealed. Everything taken from the room then is put into its own isolation area before processing further to prevent any spread, says Carlyn.

Communication now is key, we need to keep checking in on our teams, with the four week minimum self-isolation time,” she says. That gives everyone a lot of time for thinking. For some they will be worrying about whether they will come out of this with a job. It is very uncertain times for all of us and our normal will certainly be altered,” she says. As a business owner we can use the time to look at how we can adapt our businesses for challenges such as this and look to how we can best recover.

Just because the physical business has had to temporarily close the door doesn’t mean the work stops, she says. “Policies and procedures can be written, business planning and marketing strategies written and put in place. Online meetings can still happen within your teams and social media is a great way to stay connected,” says Carlyn. “Set goals with your team, what would they all like to achieve over the next four weeks, whether it is a book they have been wanting to read, a sport they have wanted to perfect, learn a language or craft. n HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - APRIL 2020 23

CHEF OF THE MONTH

Wild hare and Fiordland boar feature on Ben’s menus

Meet Ben Norfolk at The Bunker After a stint in the Far North working at Eagles Nest luxury wellness retreat, a curious Ben decided to head south to Queenstown

By Sue Fea

A

t 38, The Bunker coowner and executive chef Ben Norfolk now has an impressive 24 year pedigree of cooking and restaurant business experience, after falling into a career as a chef quite by chance at the tender age of 14.

Growing up in Auckland, Ben says he was “quite rebellious” in his early teens and his army-trained dad had just the right fix. Ben found himself in a job which he’d thought was to be a part-time 24 APRIL 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

chef de partie. However, it turned out to be an apprentice commis chef, learning under one of the world’s toughest taskmasters, Michelin 2 star maestro Jason Kavanagh at Cibo in Parnell.

“I had no choice, but becoming a chef was just the military-style training I needed back then,” says Ben, who says he owes his success to Jason. “It’s all about Jason. As much as I hate him for the hard grind he put me through it was Jason who put me on the map,” he says. “He taught me to be aware

of what’s going on around me and be prepared. That’s the key to everything in the kitchen,” says Ben. “He taught me to be organised. Angry chefs are only angry because they’re disorganised.

I’m proud that I’m always organised. I learned that from Jason.”

However humble, Ben has plenty of natural talent which helps. It’s also in the blood. His grandfather from Levin was a former chef at the Savoy in London. “He really inspired me to cook when I was young,” says Ben. He

CHEF OF THE MONTH recalls his grandfather telling him as an 11-year-old boy that his mashed potato was “good enough to serve in a restaurant”. “I remember feeling quite proud about that,” he says.

From Cibo, Ben moved on to Simon Wright’s French Café, and Rocko and SPQR in Ponsonby, both now closed, but throughout these years he was trained by some of New Zealand’s toughest and most highly-acclaimed chefs.

After a stint in the Far North working at Eagles Nest luxury wellness retreat, a curious Ben decided to head south to Queenstown for a slower paced lifestyle and, of course, the lure of snowboarding. He scored a job working for Cam Mitchell at The Bunker in the middle of the global financial crisis. He loved the work and began to develop a strong business acumen, something that would open new doors in the years to come while working in Australia.

“I was heading for the UK to travel and work but stopped in Australia on the way and just got interested in what they were doing,” says Ben. He spent a year there and then a year travelling and working in South East

Asia before heading back to Australia to work on some business consultancy for restaurants.

“I just learned this on the job through others’ mistakes. I learned to watch people fail and learned about why,” he says. Ben was approached to set up a new tapas restaurant in Broome, Western Australia. “Then the mining industry over there took a massive dive.”

In 2017 Cam Mitchell invited Ben back to be a partner in The Bunker and head up his two Queenstown kitchens as executive chef at The Bunker and nearby Attiqa, a rooftop tapas-style bar.

Here he focuses heavily on local, sustainable produce and premium game and seafood. “I try to use the more sustainable cuts that others don’t use and apply different techniques like the sous vide, dehydration and molecular gastronomy techniques,” says Ben. Fiordland boar, wild hare and other pests are transformed into delicious dishes. A boar shoulder is turned out

as a beautiful rillette while hare can arrive impeccably-presented on the plate three different ways.

Ben’s also renowned for his paua, scallops, venison, beef and duck with The Bunker’s degustation menu, “Taste of the South’, proudly incorporating all that’s fresh and seasonal from within 200kms to 300kms of Queenstown.

Throughout all of this experience Ben says he’s become good at what he does and confident in his ability. “I know what I’m up to and I’ve worked for some top chefs,” he says.

When the mining crash hit in Broome he was able to send chefs all over Australia to other jobs, but the COVID-19 crisis is a whole new ball game, he says.

“Going into the next wee while we’ll have to strip down and hunker down, but we restaurateurs will stick together and we will get through this thing,” he says. n

“Fiordland boar, wild hare and other pests are transformed into delicious dishes.”

– Ben Norfolk

Ben Norfolk's menus include locally sourced fresh, seasonal produce to display his love for the taste of the south.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - APRIL 2020 25

HOTELS

Voco Hotel On Track For Former NZ Herald Site Voco Auckland City Centre is scheduled to open in mid-2021, and will be located at the corner of Albert and Wyndham Street on the former site of the New Zealand Herald and just metres from the Central Rail Link currently under construction.

The hotel will feature 200 rooms, an all-day restaurant and bar, and a fitness centre.

The hotel had originally been announced in 2017 as being marketed under Intercontinental Hotel Group’s Even Hotels brand, but the group said that “following IHG’s launch of Voco in 2018 it became clear that the new brand would not only resonate with the colourful, unstuffy and laid-back Kiwi spirit, but also that its ‘tread light’ philosophy made it a perfect fit with [owner] Pro-invest’s culture of environmental governance, which includes a commitment to targeting high energy efficiency ratings across its portfolio”.

The property will form part of a dualbranded development, sharing the building

refillable large bathroom amenities, energy-saving lighting and user-friendly technology. Guests will also be able to make use of an all-day restaurant, bar and fitness centre.

IHG Managing Director – Australasia and Japan, Leanne Harwood, said she was delighted the momentum of the voco brand had helped Pro-invest to decide to establish the brand in New Zealand.

“It’s wonderful to continue this journey with Pro-invest as they bring our sixth voco to Australasia in the very heart of the Auckland CBD. voco celebrates the individuality of the hotel, stunning location and local people, with each stay tailored to deliver a unique and memorable experience to guests from New Zealand and all around the world.”

Previously announced as opening this year, the hotel branding modification has seen the property commit instead to begin welcoming guests from 2021.

The Voco brand launched in 2018, with the first property opening on Australia’s Gold Coast.

Artist’s impression of new voco Auckland City Centre hotel

with the 294-room Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre. The two hotels will have separate entrances, but will share facilities.

Once open, voco Auckland City Centre will be the brand’s sixth in Australasia.

All voco brand hallmarks will be present in the newbuild development, including a major presence and focus on recycling. Beds will be constructed using recycled plastic bottles, locally-sourced food and paperless reception services. Room facilities will also include water-efficient showers with

Where There’s A Will…

No longer a ‘tick the box’ add-on to an employment contract, employee benefits are now as diverse and flexible as workplaces themselves. One Kiwi employer moving the needle is Sudima Hotels which has added a game changing digital Wills and Estate Administration offering to its various employee benefits packages.

With employees of all age groups and family circumstances, and a company culture which takes a holistic, wellbeing-focused approach to people inside and outside of work, Sudima Hotels was looking for a partner that was thinking bigger about employee benefits, Director of Talent & Culture Phillipa Gimmillaro says.

“We began working with Footprint over the winter of 2019 to offer a comprehensive Wills and Estate Administration benefit option. For employees this was a bit unexpected, but it is an important issue and fits with our values as an organisation. To help educate our whole workforce about the benefit and how every person can best apply it to their own lives, the Footprint team came in to run a series of Learning Labs at each of our hotels around the country.

“The education piece was crucial – when we dug deeper at the Learning Labs, people came to see clearly how this benefit will help their families in the unfortunate circumstance they are no longer here, and 26 APRIL 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

they could take what they learned home to discuss with their loved ones.”

Footprint offers an innovative subscriptionbased Wills and Estate Administration packaged model, Footprint Connect, designed to help employers increase the financial literacy of their employees, while also protecting their families at a time when having professionals to lean on can mean the most. Footprint Connect makes it easy and affordable to provide an essential benefit that’s digital, accessible and educational.

It is the first provider of a digital subscription of this type, and the focus on Estate Administration is key – the cost of Estate Administration in New Zealand averages around $10,000 if a Will is in place, without one it is estimated to cost fifty percent more and take fifty percent longer to process (which means it could be at least 12-18 months before any beneficiaries get access to what might be much needed funds).

Footprint CEO Angela Vale says, “In discussion with Phillipa and her team, and with other HR leaders, what we are hearing is that there is real shift towards empowering staff and providing employees with benefits that are meaningful to them and their families, which includes improving financial literacy.

“However, what we know through our engagement with Kiwi corporates and market research, is that the education and

the protection piece is often missing when it comes to Wills and Estate Administration, and a lot of employees have preconceived ideas that it’s too expensive, hard and time-consuming to do themselves – so when their employer comes in, puts the power in their hands and takes care of the rest, it’s hugely valuable.”

Estate planning has joined the range of employee benefits offered to Sudima's staff.

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SOCIAL DRINKING AT A TIME OF SOCIAL DISTANCING SUPPORT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL WINE BRANDS REVEALED

contents

3 INDUSTRY NEWS AND INSIGHTS 8 SOCIAL DRINKING AT A TIME OF The Shout Editor, Charlotte Cowan

STAY SAFE

In this difficult time for New Zealanders and our families globally, and here at The Shout NZ – together with our sister liquor publications in Australia – we are committed to providing the highest quality industry news, advice and insight both in print and digital, as well as information, guidance and support for those in the liquor sector.

This month's issue comes to you digitally, to ensure that all our readers can have access to it during the isolation period.

At www.theshout.co.nz, facebook. co.nz/theshoutnz and @theshoutnz on Instagram, we will provide up-to-date information to those who continue to be affected by COVID-19 and in this month’s issue we have tips to support your mental health on pg 9. To all New Zealanders, let’s work together to stay safe, stay positive and get through this. From the team at Intermedia, Kia Kaha.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

8

International insights from the IWSR

april 2020

9 SUPPORT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH Advice for staying positive in uncertain times

10 TAKING THE HARD LINE

Is hard seltzer set to take off in New Zealand? We find out…

11 THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL

12

14

WINE BRANDS

According to The Wine Intelligence Global Wine Power Index 2020

12 FINE WINES OF NEW ZEALAND

10

Tasting notes from Cameron Douglas MS

14 THE BEERS OF WINTER

John Oszajca delves into the delicious dark winter beers

9

SHOUT NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST LIQUOR AUDIENCE

COVER STAR:

THE

APRIL 2020 | www.theshout.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND S P E C IAL ONL I NE E DI T I ON

GLEN GRANT

NEW

Glen Grant was founded in 1840 by brothers John and James Grant. Next month, Glen Grant is launching Arboralis - a new bright, golden single malt Scotch whisky aged in ex-Bourbon and Spanish Sherry oak casks. For more information, head to pgs 6-7.

ARBORALIS

ARBORALIS: LIGHT FROM WITHIN THE TREES

SOCIAL DRINKING AT A TIME OF SOCIAL DISTANCING SUPPORT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL WINE BRANDS REVEALED

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For more amazing liquor news (and even a few giveaways), make sure you follow us on Instagram and Facebook @theshoutnz. And don't forget to check out our website where you can sign up to our fortnightly eNewsletter at www.theshout.co.nz

PUBLISHED BY The Intermedia Group (NZ) Ltd PO Box 109 342, Newmarket, Auckland 1149 Managing Director Simon Grover Group Publisher Paul Wootton Associate Publisher – Commercial Craig Hawtin-Butcher craig@intermedia.com.au Associate Publisher – Editorial Andrew Young ayoung@intermedia.com.au Editor Charlotte Cowan ccowan@intermedianz.co.nz ph 021 774 080 Publishing Assistant Eclypse Lee elee@intermedianz.co.nz Art Director Ryan Vizcarra ryanv@intermedia.com.au Production Manager Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au Subscription Enquiries subscriptions@intermedia.com.au

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EDITOR’S PICKS 1 NORTH END BREWING PIT BOSS Made using malt that’s smoked over a manuka wood fire, Pit Boss (named after North End’s head chef and BBQ ‘Pit Boss’) is a rich, smoky winter beer that’s perfect to sip in front of a fire. For more on the beers of winter, head to pgs 14-15.

2

FRAMINGHAM MARLBOROUGH NOBLE RIESLING 2019 When it comes to fine wine, New Zealand certainly had a number of stellar examples. From Chardonnay, to Pinot Noir to Riesling – such as this noble Riesling from Framingham – we are spoilt for choice. Check out pgs 12-13 for more of Cameron Douglas MS’ top picks.

3 YELLOW TAIL The most powerful and influential wine brand in the world according to the Wine Intelligence Global Wine Power Index 2020, Yellow Tail is a staple in Australian stores. For more of the top wines on the list, take a look at pg 11.

news

Spirits producers switching to hand sanitiser Spirits producers around the world are using their stills to make hand sanitiser during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

With more than 700,000 people infected with the virus world-wide, the need for hand sanitiser has grown exponentially.

Global giant Bacardi has eight of its manufacturing sites in the United States, Mexico, France, England, Italy and Scotland producing the sought-after gel and CEO Mahesh Madhavan has announced a decision to produce 1.1 million litres of hand sanitiser globally. “It’s our way to step up and support particularly the health workers who are facing a huge crisis at this current point in time,” he said.

Radico Khaitan, owner of Rampur Indian single malt whisky and Jaisalmer gin, will also begin production of hand sanitiser at its Rampur Distillery on a permanent basis to “support ongoing global health care”. The hand sanitiser, made with 80% alcohol, will be supplied to government hospitals, pharmacies and grocery stores in India initially and will then be distributed globally.

Other companies using stills to produce hand sanitiser include Diego, Pernod Ricard and Texas-based vodka brand Tito's, which has announced they will produce and distribute 24 tonnes of hand sanitiser for donation.

In New Zealand, Good George, CarbonSix, Cardrona Distillery and 1919 Distilling are all doing their part to produce hand sanitiser to those who need it.

“In light of recent situations, we decided to do our part by temporarily suspending gin production in order to produce hand sanitiser,” 1919 wrote on social media. “Today we delivered over 300 free bottles to the community, elderly and the local bottle stores that support us!”

New Zealand currently has more than 500 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Finding work during COVID-19 Although no one can predict what will happen next, ‘essential services’ will remain operational throughout the pandemic (including the Level 4 Alert). And while these jobs are limited, there have been recent calls for more staff in some fields.

Supermarkets are one of the biggest overwhelmed areas, as people continue to clear shelves and stock up. Supermarkets are looking for temporary staff to help with restocking shelves, as well as security and logistics around highly sought after staples like toilet paper, pasta and rice. For possible job openings, keep an eye on https://foodstuffs.careercentre.net.nz/Job and https://www.countdown.co.nz/about-us/careers. The rest of the supply chain to get to supermarkets too has been said to be looking for help, from harvesting crops in regional and rural locations, to picking and packing, freight and logistics along the way.

There’s also the option to do a few small online things to make a little more cash. You can be paid to do online surveys, test apps, try software, or do odd virtual jobs.

Try checking out job sites like Seek and LinkedIn, as well as looking on social media for any call outs. You could also try reaching out to a company directly to see how you could help them. Googling around for online odd jobs is also an idea, just be sure to check the site is credible and secure before giving them your details.

Netflix releases Uncorked Netflix has released a wine movie, Uncorked, starring Mamoudou Archie and Courtney B Vance and directed by Prentice Penny.

Loosely based on the life of groundbreaking sommelier DLynn Proctor and his journey to become a Master Sommelier, Uncorked is a drama that tells the story of one man’s journey to fulfill his wine dream.

Elijah (Archie) works at a wine business and at his family’s local barbecue restaurant. His father Louis (Vance) expects Elijah to take over the business but he’s not interested – he aspires to become a master sommelier.

What follows is a powerful exploration of the relationship between father and son and the transformation of a wine lover to a wine professional.

With almost an entirely black cast, the movie “represents a cultural shift” says VinePair’s Julia Coney. “Historically, the wine industry has ignored the $1.2 trillion in spending power of black Americans,” she writes. “Black wine consumers have been saying to themselves: I’m here buying wine, studying wine, and working in the wine industry — but I’m often ignored.”

DLynn Proctor says the movie is going to expose wine to an entirely new group who felt left out of other wine movies before. “I’ll be drinking a Fantesca Estate Cabernet Sauvignon while watching too.”

Six years in the making, Uncorked is available to watch on Netflix now.

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awards news

Royal Easter Show Wine Awards: The winners Champion Pinot Noir VALLI Bendigo Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018 Champion Gewürztraminer Old Coach Road Nelson Gewürztraminer 2019 Champion Medium Sweet or Sweet Wine Urlar Late Harvest Riesling Gladstone 2019 Champion Chardonnay Church Road McDonald Series Chardonnay 2018 Champion Merlot & Blends Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

The Royal Easter Show Wine Awards took place at The Pullman Hotel in Auckland last month, with Hawke’s Bay Church Road taking home Champion Wine of the Show for its McDonald Series Chardonnay 2018.

Other notable winners included Church Road’s Chris Scott who was named Winemaker of the Year and Whitehaven Marlborough ‘Greg’ Awatere Valley Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2019 which was named Champion Export Wine.

Now in its 68th year, the Royal Easter Show Wine Awards is the country’s oldest wine competition and Awards Director Terry Dunleavy says the judges were impressed by overall general high quality of entries this year, particularly in the varieties Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

“Not only was there an increase in the number of Gold Medals award to the top Sauvignon Blancs, but the wines revealed greater diversity of styles, more complexity and showed stronger evidence of the flinty, minerally flavours that the variety can achieve,” he says. “With Chardonnay, there was this year a less heavyhanded approaching to the winemaking, allowing the variety to better express New Zealand’s natural cool climate capacity to accentuate fruit flavours and varietal characters.”

Dunleavy says this year’s show demonstrated why there is such a demand from more than 100 countries throughout the world for New Zealand wines. “[The] clean and distinctive varietal characters distinguish our wines from those of older, longer established wine regions that sell for prices much higher than ours.

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“Not only is our future as a wine export nation assured and capable of further growth, but when all the other goodies that we export come to a table overseas, it is only the bottle of wine with its label intact that proudly proclaims its country of origin,” he says.

The 2020 judging panel consisted of 22 judges, including eight associate judges in training and Jane Faulkner from Australia. For more information, head to www.wineshow.co.nz THE WINNERS… Champion Wine of the Show Church Road McDonald Series Chardonnay 2018 Champion Sparkling Petite Cordon by Maison Mumm NV

Champion Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Malbec 2018 Champion Export Wine Whitehaven Marlborough ‘Greg’ Awatere Valley Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Heritage Rosebowl Seifried Winemakers Collection Sweet Agnes Riesling 2009, 2014, 2019 Champion Syrah Church Road Grand Reserve Syrah 2017 Best Presented Screwcap Wine Bottle Lawson’s Dry Hills Pink Pinot 2019 Gold Medal for Winemaker of the Year Chris Scott (Church Road)

Champion Riesling Wairau River Summer Riesling 2019 Champion Pinot Gris Saddleback Pinot Gris 2019 Champion Rosé Babydoll Rosé 2019 Champion Sauvignon Blanc Saint Clair Pioneer Block 20 Cash Block Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Champion Wine, Other Varieties Matawhero Church House Chenin Blanc 2018

⊲ Church Road’s Chris Scott ⊳ Church Road McDonald Series Chardonnay 2018

industry insights

WHAT’S (NOT) ON CANCELLED EVENTS AND NEW DATES FOR POSTPONED EVENTS DUE TO CORONAVIRUS HOPSTOCK 2020 Wellington CANCELLED www.craftbeercapital.com/hopstock/ HOP’N’VINE CRAFT BEER, WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL ILT Stadium, Invercargill POSTPONED until 10 October www.hopnvine.co.nz BEER-A-PALOOZA Hawke’s Bay POSTPONED – date TBC www.facebook.com/beerapalooza2020/

Brewing in the new normal At the time of writing this, many of the countries around the world have gone into lockdown and New Zealand is not far off. Bars are still open but business slowing to a trickle, supermarkets are struggling for staff to keep up with demand and everyone who can, is working from home. It is undoubtedly the most significant event to hit not only the hospitality and brewing scene but also the entire economy as a whole.

So what does this mean from a brewing perspective? How will this affect consumption in the short and long term and will bars recover?

In the initial stages of this crisis, it seems off-premise sales via supermarket and liquor Dylan Firth stores is on the up. In fact, some brewers are Executive Director, Brewers pointing to a higher demand than at Christmas.

Association of New Zealand However, this is very much offset by the on-premise trade which has dropped back considerably. This is likely to continue to be the trend, with more people at home and buying in bulk when they do get to the supermarket.

Something we always worry about is consumers drinking to higher levels of harm while under stress. Something nobody wants.

One difficulty for brewers and their ability to operate is if we see further restrictions is around being an essential service. Something that at this stage is not defined. While it is easy to argue that any product on a supermarket shelf should be maintained and its production continued, there will be some who disagree.

For those brewers who have moved their focus from supermarkets to taprooms.

They will be undoubtedly worried. It is no secret that selling a beer straight from the source provides much better margins. If people are restricting movements. This will all but dry up. It looks likely that home delivery might be the big growth area for those brewers.

The new normal is likely not forever, but will take a while to come back from. So, I urge people to support businesses where you can, look after and reach out to those who will be going through hard times and enjoy your beer responsibly.

GREATER WELLINGTON BREWDAY Upper Hutt POSTPONED until 31 October www.brewday.co.nz/ HIGHBALL – NZ COCKTAIL & SPIRITS FESTIVAL New Zealand Dominion Museum building, Wellington POSTPONED until 9-10 October www.facebook.com/highballnz/ THE GISBORNE BEER FESTIVAL POSTPONED until 28 November www.gisbornebeerfestival.nz/ BEERVANA Sky Stadium, Wellington POSTPONED until 13-14 November www.beervana.co.nz/ WINETOPIA Auckland and Wellington POSTPONED – new dates TBC www.winetopia.co.nz/ F.A.W.C! Hawke’s Bay CANCELLED www.fawc.co.nz

Highball

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T H E GLEN GRAN T ARBORALIS

A R B O R A L I S : L I G H T F R O M W I T H I N T H E T R E E S​

AVA I L A B L E M A Y 2 0 2 0 The Glen Grant was founded in 1840, by brothers John and James Grant. Nestled amongst the stunningly beautiful nature of Rothes in the heart of Speyside, Scotland, the distillery sits close to the River Spey.

With barley fields nearby, the brothers realized they could craft The Glen Grant from barley to bottle entirely in Rothes, and keeping everything local meant they could keep a keen eye on quality and care.

In 1872 James ‘The Major’ Grant, inherited The Glen Grant from his father. An engineer and botanist, he travelled the world seeking innovations for his distillery. The tall slender stills and purifiers he introduced to the space capture the lightest of vapors, those that travel to the very top of the still, creating a single malt with an elegant light golden color and a fruity and nutty complex taste.

Available to order from: May 2020 Delivery: June 2020 RRP: $59.99 Proof : 40% Volume: 700ml Packaged: Giftboxed

The Glen Grant is proud to be launching a new, bright and golden single malt Scotch whisky aged in exBourbon and Spanish Sherry oak casks.​Arboralis is matured until it achieves its signature complex elegance from which The Glen Grant has been celebrated for over 180 years.

Tasting Notes This fine single malt has a soft aroma of fruit and honey, with a golden whisky delivering notes of creamy toffee and ripe pears, finishing with a long, satisfying hint of delicate spice.

international insights

SOCIAL DRINKING AT A TIME OF

social

distancing platforms such as Zoom, Houseparty and Google Hangouts, tend to be small-scale events, limited to a particular group of friends or colleagues.

However, brands can get in on the action by promoting virtual happy hours via their social media channels and offering advice on how they could be run and what beverages could be consumed. Some have even set up their own campaigns – for example, the New York State Brewers Association launched a virtual happy hour that will take place on a different member brewery’s Facebook page every day, focusing on a particular topic or game. This type of virtual happy hour is less intimate, but can reach thousands of people and keep brands top of mind.

On-premise operators are also experimenting with virtual bars, which extends the concept of virtual happy hours. Through virtual bars, on-premise operators live stream bartenders offering recipes or live mixology, live-stream DJ’s, or offer interactive virtual Q&A sessions with industry influencers, brand ambassadors or leading bartenders.

As people move their drinking and social habits to the online world, the IWSR reports that social media content and engagement will offer a sense of discovery, community and social giving that will do well in today’s climate.

Now more than ever, consumers want to stay connected to the people, places and products they know and love. As the world goes into lockdown in a bid to stymie the spread of COVID-19, the use of social media will become even more pervasive.

“Connection is the one thing people need right now.

Engagement via voice, text and image is taking the place of human-to-human interaction,” says Brandy Rand, COO of the Americas at the IWSR. “This is why there’s a massive increase in video conferencing software downloads like Zoom, as people migrate towards interactive group engagement. What’s telling about this is the real need for human connection that a simple Instagram post cannot replace entirely.”

Both consumers and industry professionals are leveraging social media as they adapt their social drinking habits to the virtual world.

VIRTUAL BARS AND HAPPY HOURS As feelings of boredom, loneliness and powerlessness set in during lockdown, people will turn to social media to carry on the social traditions they enjoy, key of which is happy hour and/ or after-work drinks. Virtual happy hours, hosted on video-chat 8 | HB – THE SHOUT NZ | APRIL 2020

SOCIAL MEDIA “CHALLENGES” Hashtags promoting friendly “challenges” between friends online are also keeping consumers engaged while, in some cases, helping to also raise relief funds for the industry. For example, the #liftyourspirits campaign encourages people to make a video of them mixing their favourite drinks and to post it to their social media account while tagging specific friends to take the challenge too. This specific campaign suggests participants can make a donation to the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation that turns tips into donations for industry relief.

Meanwhile, campaigns such as #virtualdrinkshospitality and #virtualdrink4hospitality encourage people to start a tip jar every time they have a drink at home, with the goal of them later donating their tips to an industry cause and/or on-premise establishment in a gesture of solidarity and support for the drinks community.

VIRTUAL TIPPING Out-of-work bartenders are also tapping into the power of social media, usually by offering engaging and/or educational content in return for virtual tips. Bartenders upload videos and content offering recipes, mixology tips or live Q&As, in return for virtual tips through services such as PayPal or Venmo.

“Twitter and Instagram Live tastings have proven popular in the past and could be effective in keeping consumers entertained at home as well, while linking them to a wider network of drinks fans,” adds Rand. This is something both bartenders, as well as brand owners and on-premise operators can leverage. Rand adds, “an extension of this includes offering private virtual events, where virtual tastings can be tailored for private virtual parties.”

As people move their drinking and social habits to the online world, content and campaigns that offer a sense of discovery, community and social giving will do well in today’s climate.

For more from the IWSR, head to www.theiwsr.com n

covid-19

mental health SUPPORT YOUR

With the majority of hospitality workers around New Zealand self-isolating, it’s important to take care of your mental health during this uncertain time.

KEEP IN TOUCH According to the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation: “Connecting with people who make you feel safe and loved is the most important thing you can do to look after your mental health and the mental health of people around you.” Try to stay connected with family, friends and colleagues - at least on a virtual level. Write emails or organise a time each day to call, FaceTime, Skype or video Messenger your family and friends.

If you don’t have anyone you feel you can talk to, these helplines are free to New Zealanders: • 1737 – Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor.

• Lifeline – 0800 543 354 or free text 4357 (HELP) • Youthline – 0800 376 633 or free text 234 • Samaritans – 0800 726 666 JOIN A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY Join Facebook groups in the industry or your interests, there’s one for almost anything you can think of. The liquor industry already has one of the best communities there is, so be sure to tap into that on a virtual level. There are also

Facebook groups available to assist with your mental health and community groups for your local area who can provide support should you need supplies, help or just to chat.

Other ways to keep occupied and interact with other people include playing online video games or board games, joining or starting a virtual book club or listen to podcasts.

STAY ACTIVE Self-isolation can be difficult if you don’t have much space to move around.

But it’s important to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day to ease anxiety. Try doing mini-bootcamp, a yoga class or pilates class in your backyard or lounge. These can all be found online or on YouTube.

Go for a walk, run or bike-ride around the block (but ensure you always stay two metres away from others), or just turn on some loud music and dance, or walk up and down the stairs. Anything that you can do to get your heart-rate up and clear your mind is positive.

TIPS FROM WHO According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “It’s normal to feel stressed, confused and scared during a crisis. Talking to people you know and trust can help. And try not to read or watch too much news if it makes you anxious. Get your information from reliable sources once or twice a day.”

WHO’s tips for maintaining positive mental health also include: • Eat healthy to boost your immune system.

• Limit alcohol and sugary drinks.

• Don’t smoke. It can exacerbate COVID-19 symptoms and increase your risk of getting seriously sick.

• People working from home shouldn’t sit too long in the same position.

• Take a three-minute break every 30 minutes.

• Get your mind off of the crisis. Listen to music, read a book or play a game.

For more information, visit mentalhealth.org.nz/get-help/covid-19/ n HB – THE SHOUT NZ | APRIL 2020 | 9

seltzer

the hard line

TAKING

Is hard seltzer set to take off in New Zealand? We find out…

t

he United States has often been an indicator of which trends could start happening in other markets including New Zealand, and according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, hard seltzer is set for massive growth.

Hard seltzer volume in the US is already sitting at around 82.5m nine-litre cases, which is already larger by volume than vodka, the leading spirits category in America. According to IWSR forecasts, by 2023 the category will more than triple to reach over 281m cases.

The IWSR Hard Seltzer report says that hard seltzer and other ‘seltzer-like’ products command a market share of 2.6% of all beverage alcohol in the US, up from only 0.85% a year ago.

“Hard seltzers are far from a fad, they’re growing at a spectacular rate, and increasingly, hard seltzer producers are pulling consumers from other beverage alcohol categories, not just beer,” says Brandy Rand, COO of the Americas at IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.

“Combined, hard seltzers and other canned seltzer-like products (vodka soda, as an example) will drive the total ready-todrink category, making it the fastest-growing beverage alcohol category in the US over the next five years.”

The IWSR also conducted a consumer opinion and attitude study about hard seltzers, and found that more than half (55%) of US alcohol consumers surveyed – of different ages and demographics - drink them at least once a week.

“The rise of hard seltzers shows there was a segment of consumers underserved by the current beverage alcohol market who were looking for alternatives that were refreshing and flavorful, but also low-calorie and low-sugar,” says Rand. “These products also meet the growing consumer demand for convenience, and appeal to people that enjoy popular cocktails like the vodka soda, and wine spritzers. We definitely expect to see more brands taking advantage of this fastgrowing trend.”

With New Zealand being a market that already embraces the RTD concept, the potential of hard seltzers in this country is huge.

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The county’s first introduction to the popular US drink came in June 2019 with Native Sparkling – a Wellington-based company owned by a group of university friends. Made using fermented and distilled cane sugar as the base spirit, combined with sparkling water and fruit puree, Native Sparkling is 4.6% ABV and the company donates towards initiatives that protect and sustain native New Zealand species.

Lion has also jumped on board the hard seltzer train and is launching Smirnoff Seltzer later this month.

“Seltzer is starting to make an appearance in New Zealand given the market is already moving to this style of product and thanks to the success seltzers have seen in overseas markets, particularly the US,” says Brendon Lawry, CEO of Liquorland. “We are already seeing a switch in consumer purchasing habits and taste towards products in the ‘Better for Me’ category that include a number of similar products to hard seltzers such as Part Time Rangers, Clean Collective and Pals. Consumers are gravitating towards these products due to their lower levels of sugar and calories.

“The non-alcoholic seltzer offerings are currently quite small in New Zealand, however, with Smirnoff about to launch their seltzer, a strong well-known brand may well influence seltzer shopping behaviour here.”.

Edited from a story originally featured in National Liquor News. n

“HARD SELTZERS ARE FAR FROM A FAD, THEY’RE GROWING AT A SPECTACULAR RATE.”

WHAT IS HARD SELTZER? Unlike typical RTDs, hard seltzer doesn’t use vodka, bourbon, rum or gin as its base spirit. Alcohol is usually made by fermenting cane sugar, and sometimes malted barley is used. The resulting alcohol is then combined with sparkling water and fruit flavouring, meaning the alcohol and calorie content is typically low.

wine

THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL

wine brands t

he Wine Intelligence Global Wine Power Index 2020 has been released with Australian brand Yellow Tail taking out the title of the most powerful and influential wine brand in the world.

The third annual survey from international wine research authority, Wine Intelligence, used feedback from more than 20,000 wine consumers in 21 markets, which the company says represents 380 million wine drinkers globally.

Markets included the UK, Australia, China, the Netherlands, and newcomers Mexico, Hong Kong and Finland – however, New Zealand was not included.

This year the Index tracked brand influence, consumer awareness and purchase levels and the consumer’ ‘affinity’ with the brand. The survey did not take into account the sales volumes or value, sales trends over time or opinions of those in the supply chain and/or influencers and media.

Yellow Tail and Casillero del Diablo once again top the Global Wine Brand Power Index, claiming the top two spots, respectively. As such, Australian and Chilean brands perform very well in the index relative to the size of wine production in these countries.

In addition, one-third of the

top 15 is comprised of US brands – notably Gallo and Barefoot – which in part is due to the influence of the large US wine drinking population in the study, and the affinity American consumers show towards domestic wines.

“The advantages of a powerful brand are clearly demonstrated in the global wine market today,” says Wine Intelligence CEO Lulie Halstead.

“However the path to becoming a power brand is becoming harder, as consumer knowledge levels in the wine category decline and ‘noise’ from other drinks categories increases.”

Notable movers on the Global Wine Brand Power Index include Barefoot, which has jumped eight places to make it into the top five, and Frontera, which has climbed seven places to make eighth in the index. Santa Carolina has also climbed seven places to tie for 12th with Beringer. On the other hand, Mouton Cadet has fallen five places to 10th and Robert Mondavi has fallen seven places to sit at 14. Torres has also climbed two places to make it into the top 15 this year.

Jacob’s Creek is ranked fourth in the Index, dropping down from third in 2019, while Lindeman’s has moved up one place from 12th to 11th.

Edited from a story by Andy Young, originally featured on www.theshout.com.au n

THE TOP 10...

1. YELLOW TAIL

Australia’s Yellow Tail scored in the top five with consumers from Canada, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, the UK and the US.

2. CASILLERO DEL DIABLO

Highly regarded at home in Chile, as well as in Colombia and Ireland, Casillero del Diablo is owned by Chilean wine giant Concha Y Toro and is one of the company’s most valuable brands.

3. GALLO FAMILY VINEYARDS

5. BAREFOOT

California wine giant Barefoot took out the number five spot and was the most popular brand in Canada, the US, and the UK.

6. GATO NEGRO

Chilean brand Gato Negro sells more than four million cases in 70 countries on five continents - that’s two bottles uncorked every second.

7. CARLO ROSSI

This 40-year-old brand is produced by the E & J Gallo Winery and was named after Charles Rossi, at the time a salesman for Gallo and a relation of the Gallo family by marriage.

8. FRONTERA

The top US scorer in the survey with 68/100, California’s E&J Gallo is responsible for 40% of all wine production in California. Its Gallo Family brand is the most lucrative and is one of the most widely distributed wines in the report.

This French wine with a curved bottleneck distributes to more than 160 countries and scored 29.8 in this year’s survey.

4. JACOB’S CREEK

10. MOUTON CADET

Falling one place since the 2019 survey, Australia’s Jacob’s Creek – owned by Pernod Ricard – often features in the list due to its wide distribution.

Also owned by Chile’s Concha Y Toro, Frontera jumped seven places from its 2019 score.

9. J.P. CHENET

Dropping significantly from last year, the French brand lost points across a number of factors, including brand awareness, rate of purchase, and affinity.

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hat are the best wines in New Zealand? Who could write such a list?

How would the wines be assessed? I suspect these questions have probably been dinner table conversations for many years, but an actual list has now been realised called Fine Wines of New Zealand.

The initiative and Patron of this programme is Air New Zealand, which assists with marketing and development of the programme.

Air New Zealand has always been a strong supporter of our wine industry.

From serving many millions of glasses of wine a year on international flights and in lounges to the Air New Zealand Wine Awards which clocked up more than 20 years’ support.

Beginning in 2016, seven Masters of Wine and one Master Sommelier (yours truly) were allocated a particular grape variety or category of wine to oversee, for example I am currently in charge of aromatics (Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, plus a few others). We are required to suggest a list of wines to assess for inclusion in the final list, however all masters on the programme can and do make suggestions for all varieties and styles as well.

Every wine producer in New Zealand is invited to submit wine. You can imagine this is quite a large list to consider, so necessary criteria was set to help narrow down the list to a more manageable level. For example, having at least seven years in production of the exact wine or style and consistency in terms of origin of the fruit and style of finished wine. To guide the masters into finding these fine wines the lenses of provenance, consistency, excellence in winemaking and the demonstration of evolution of fine wine production were also applied. This immediately narrows the list of eligible producers, but will never eliminate them once they have produced the required minimum.

A number of wines that have historically and independently reached iconic status on their own merits have made the Fine Wines list, but these wines were also tasted and confirmed by the panel. Judges must meet consensus to have a wine included and because there are no medals, scores or stars awarded the wines are judged primarily on the criteria detailed above.

The process for selection begins by judging all new submissions blind, this must be the current release wine and if an average 95 points and above from the panel is achieved, then it moves to the next stage. This next stage brings in two more vintages of the same wine selected by the submitting producer. These are older vintages allowing the judges to assess consistency in style and evolution. If a producer submits a wine from a challenging vintage, then this will be discussed by the panel. Should the three wines meet this next level, then the current release wine only moves to the final stage and is judged against the wines that have already made the list. If the wine stands up to its peers, then it makes the Fine Wines of New Zealand list. All producers currently on the list must submit their new release wine to be tasted every year to maintain their inclusion on the list. It is important to note that price is not a consideration in the assessment of any wine.

The standards are very high for this list and as we go to print the final list for 2020 is complete. The announcement of which wines have been added to the list is embargoed until May, but the list has grown demonstrating that New Zealand does indeed produce fine wine. The wines tasted today include some outstanding examples of fine wine in New Zealand. Only time will tell if they have made the list!

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Cameron Douglas is New Zealand’s first and only Master Sommelier. An experienced wine writer, commentator, judge, reviewer, presenter and consultant, he is academically in charge of the Wine and Beverage Programme at AUT University in Auckland and is Patron of the New Zealand Sommeliers and Wine Professionals Association. Douglas consults to a variety of establishments, taking care of their wine lists, wine and food pairings, and staff training matters and he currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas.

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tasting notes 5

NAUTILUS CUVÈE MARLBOROUGH BRUT NV Clive Jones and the Nautilus team have been producing fine sparkling wine for over 20 years. Made from a mix of current vintage fruit and some barrel-aged 5 reserve wine, the cuveè is a serious, savoury and seductive wine with bursts of citrus layered between a brioche-like autolysis, creamy fine moussed texture and long finish.

Points 96 RRP $39.00 Distributor: Negociants New Zealand Phone: (09) 531 5222 www.nautilusestate.com

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2 DOG POINT MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 The name Dog Point dates back to the earliest European settlement of Marlborough and the introduction of sheep to the district. It was named Dog Point by Shepherds whose dogs either wandered off or got lost. All the DP vineyards are now organically farmed which explains, in part, why this wine is so delicious. Aromas and flavours of barrel-ferment with a lees and electric acid texture, pure citrus, stone and tropical fruit expression and powerful long finish.

Points 96 RRP $28.00 Distributor: red+white cellar Phone: (09) 376 0760 www.dogpoint.co.nz BELL HILL NORTH CANTERBURY CHARDONNAY 2016 Founded by Sherwyn Veldhuizen and Marcel Giesen in 1997, Bell Hill wines quickly become a sought after addition to winelists around the world. The Bell Hill is literally as the name suggests, a bell-shaped bulbous hill with gleaming white lime-rich soil upon which grows outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The wine itself has lovely purity and detail in the bouquet, a fine core of fruit, judicious use of oak, amazing complexity with fine tannins and a long harmonious finish.

Points 96 RRP $125.00 Distributor: Bell Hill Vineyard Phone: (03) 314 2100 www.bellhill.co.nz

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4 GRASSHOPPER ROCK EARNSCLEUGH VINEYARD CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2018 Grown on one of the world’s most southerly Pinot Noir vineyard

sites this tiny 7.8 hectare vineyard produces exceptional wine. Since the company was formed in 2001 Phil Handford and the winemaking team have established a world class brand. Pip Battley leads the winemaking team. This Pinot displays a floral, feminine charm, an elegant bouquet, core of fruit and incredible texture. Youthful yet fine, ripe tannins, pristine acidity and long complex finish.

Points 96 RRP $40.00 Distributor: Grasshopper Rock Phone: (021 853 908) www.grasshopperrock.co.nz/ VILLA MARIA RESERVE HAWKE’S BAY CABERNET MERLOT 2018 If you find the opportunity to read Kerry Tyack’s book about George Fistonich and the Villa Maria story then I can highly recommend it.

George has been an industry leader, mentor and guide to many in the NZ wine sector. George’s wine teams around the country grow and produce consistently high quality wine across many different varieties with Cabernet Sauvignon based blends among the best. This wine is plush and fresh, fruity, full-bodied and complex. Flavours of black fruits and dark spices of oak, polished tannins, bright acid line and long detailed finish.

Points 96 RRP $69.99 Distributor: Villa Maria Phone: (09) 255 0660 www.villamaria.co.nz

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FRAMINGHAM MARLBOROUGH NOBLE RIESLING 2019 Since 1981, Framingham wines have quietly been growing and producing some of New Zealand’s finest wines.

I learned a lot about winemaking and fine wine from original winemaker Andrew Hedley and how Riesling can captivate and intrigue.

Now with winemaker Andrew Brown at the helm the fine wine story continues seamlessly. This noble Riesling is superb – classic, honeyed tree and citrus fruits with a fleshy satin texture, razor sharp acid line and long concentrated finish.

Points 96 RRP $39.99 Distributor: Framingham Wines Ltd Phone: (03) 572 8884 www.framingham.co.nz

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MISHA’S VINEYARD CENTRAL OTAGO LIMELIGHT RIESLING 2017 The Misha’s vineyards overlook Lake Dunstan in Central Otago’s Bendigo sub-region. It’s hard to imagine such a fine wine could come from stony, schist, quartz-laden, rugged and wind-swept site, but it’s perfect.

The Riesling has a compelling, seductive and alluring bouquet with a distinctive floral and perfumed bouquet, flavours of Meyer lemon, lime-flower and apricot stone. Pure, fresh, silky texture and long finish.

This is a ‘wow’ example.

Points 95 RRP $30.00 Distributor: Negociants NZ Phone: (0800) 634 624 www.mishasvineyard.com

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PROPHET’S ROCK CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT GRIS 2018 Winemaker Paul Pujol has been crafting fine wine from this Bendigo site for nearly two decades. The vineyards are tucked quite high up into the hills overlooking Lake Dunstan and most of the ancient glacially formed valley floor. This Gris is complex, spicy, fruity and alluring.

With flavours of white-fleshed fruits, a soft creamy texture contrasted with a zing of acidity this is New Zealand Pinot Gris at its finest.

Points 95 RRP $39.99 Distributor: Prophet’s Rock Phone: (03) 443 8217 www.prophetsrock.co.nz

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RIPPON TINKER’S FIELD CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2017 It was 1975 when founder Rolf and Lois Mills planted the first experimental vines near the shores of Lake Wanaka. Little did they know back then (or maybe they did) that they were about to embark on an incredible wine adventure. Today with Nick Mills crafting superb wine across several varieties I think the expression of Pinot Noir stands out the most. The Tinker's Pinot is tense and poised, vibrant and playful, detailed, fruity, fine and complex.

Points 95 RRP $115.00 Distributor: Negociants NZ Phone: (03) 443 8084 www.rippon.co.nz

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Wines are scored out of 100 points and are listed in no particular order.

Numbers are not indicative of a ranking.

HB – THE SHOUT NZ | APRIL 2020 | 13

beers

THE

OF WINTER

We may not indulge in fruity Christmassy winter beers like the Northern Hemisphere but that doesn’t mean New Zealand doesn’t produce some stellar examples.

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ith the cold and dreary New the perfect impetus for brewers to offer a Zealand winter just a few wide array of seasonal releases, which are months away, many a fermenter then snapped up nearly as quickly as they is already brimming with some hit the bottle-shop shelves. However, in New bold and flavourful brew; Zealand the conditions are obviously very carefully crafted to warm our bones over the different. Without the flurry of holiday sales frigid months ahead. Winter Warmers – as they and celebrations, New Zealand’s winter beer are often called – have a long history, especially releases typically come with less pomp and in the craft beer world. These fireside brews are circumstance. Instead, the cold months tend known for being darker, stronger, and often to offer New Zealand brewers an opportunity maltier than the average beer. to release many traditional dark and strong We tend to seek out these stronger ales that wouldn’t otherwise be received well concoctions in the colder months during the warmer months of the year. because alcohol acts as what is called a “vasodilator”. A vasodilator is an agent HERE ARE FIVE BEER STYLES THAT ARE that increases blood flow to your skin, GUARANTEED TO GET YOU THROUGH which in turn makes the body feel THE NZ WINTER… warmer. Moreover, the bold flavours of these wintery brews coincide with RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT our primal inclination to seek out more When you think about Winter Warmers, calories during the lean months there is little question that the first thing of winter. that comes to mind is dark beer. And Here in New Zealand, we have it doesn’t get much darker than the a somewhat unique appreciation Russian Imperial Stout. An English beer for wintery beers. The majority of with a pedigree that goes back several the world experiences the peak centuries, when the style is said to have of winter around the Christmas been popular with the Russian Imperial holiday. So for many beer lovers, Court. Typically clocking in between 8% winter is associated with a yearning and 12% ABV, these intensely flavoured for Christmassy flavours such as beers are dark, roasty, and loaded with fruit, spice, candy, pudding, and chocolate and espresso-like flavours. the like. Winter in the Northern The balance of these bold beers can Hemisphere also comes amidst a vary between sweet to bitter, depending 8 Wired iStout flurry of socialising and consumerism; on each brewers interpretation, and it 14 | HB – THE SHOUT NZ | APRIL 2020

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

beer feature is not uncommon to find Imperial Stouts that have been aged in oak barrels. The intense flavours, and high ABV of the Imperial Stout makes it the perfect beer to be enjoyed by the fire during the short cold days of winter.

There are a number of fantastic Imperial Stouts brewed here in New Zealand including, but in no way limited to, Moa Oak Aged Imperial Stout, Kereru Night Spirit, and 8 Wired iStout.

OLD ALE Perhaps the rarest winter warmer on our list is the Old Ale. A traditional strong English Ale, Old Ales get their name due to the fact that the extended aging process is a key contributor to the beer’s flavour profile. Centuries ago the style was used as a ‘stock ale’ for blending and was also drunk at full strength. Old Ales are malty ales with a somewhat sweet finish and notes of caramel and treacle. Hopping rates can vary from PORTER moderately low to moderately high.

The forefather of the Stout, Porter is a They are somewhat similar to an English style that got its name due to its popularity Barleywine, though less alcoholic (5.5%amongst London’s street and river porter’s 9% ABV), and the extended aging of these in the 18th century. The style was once beers tends to produce oxidative notes said to have been the most popular style similar to Sherry or Port. According to the of beer in the world. However, with the strong Scotch Ale is a delicious way to legendary beer writer, Michael Jackson, rise in popularity of both Stout and pale pass the cold winter nights. an Old Ale “should be a warming beer of lagers, Porter was driven to near extinction A few delicious locally brewed the type that is best drunk in half pints by until it was revived in recent decades by examples of the style are in Sprig & Fern a warm fire on a cold winter’s night”. modern craft brewers.

Scotch Ale, McLeod’s Traders Scotch While Kiwi-brewed examples are not There are many different interpretations Ale, and Renaissance Brewing commonplace, they do exist. The of the Porter style. Where English Porter’s Company Stonecutter Ale. Twisted Hop Real Ale Brewery tend to taste somewhat like a roasty in Christchurch currently offers brown ale, the American Porter tends DOPPLEBOCK Orwell’s Old Ale, which has to taste like a slightly less roasty stout, Another popular winter proved much-loved by fans on but often with more hop bitterness. seasonal is the Doppelbock.

Untappd. Or if you’d like to try Unlike the Russian Imperial Stout, The original ‘liquid bread’, a something a little closer to this which hits the palate like a sledge Doppelbock is a traditional, author’s heart, try Kainui Brew hammer, the Porter is typically a strong Bavarian lager.

Co. Old Ale. A collaboration more sessionable beer that can First brewed in Munich beer between yours truly and be enjoyed by the pint, or with a by the monks of St. Kainui Brew Co’s Head Brewer, meal. That said, Imperial strength Francis, the popularity Gary Henwood. Our Old Ale was versions are also common. So of the Doppelbock brewed with English Treacle, if you’re looking for something has endured into the Brettanomyces (a wild yeast that dark and complex, but with modern era, and it was commonly found in traditional North End Brewery a little more nuance than the remains a favourite style examples of the style), and was Pitboss average stout, a Porter might of many a modern beer fermented in oak barrels. Cheers! n just be the beer for you. connoisseur. While Bock If you are looking for a locally beer is a strong German lager in brewed Porter to get you its own right, Doppelbock (Double through the coming months, Bock) is a maltier, more alcoholic, then Elemental Porter from version of that style. Though pale Renaissance Brewing Company, versions exist, the average Prohibition Porter from Liberty Doppelbock is an amber, Brewing, or Pioneer Porter from malt-forward, clean lager that Renaissance McLeod’s, are all incredible is loaded with rich, bready, Brewing Company Elemental Porter examples of the style. malt flavours. Hop levels are moderately low, giving SCOTCH ALE the beer a degree of sweetness, Scotch Ale (aka Wee Heavy) is a traditional without being cloying. style of strong, amber ale from Scotland.

Though not abundantly Scotch Ales are rich, complex, maltbrewed in New Zealand, one forward beers that range between 6.5% can still get their hands on a few and 10% ABV. Caramel, toast, bread, as incredible examples of the style. well as subdued chocolate and coffee The Doctor from Sawmill Brewery notes are all commonly found in Scotch is nearly a New Zealand craft beer Ales. The relatively low hopping rate classic, and Pitboss from North End of these beers gives them a somewhat Brewery is a delicious smoked version sweet, often dessert-like flavour profile. of the style. Monteith’s also offers a If you like strong malty beers, without the Doppelbock that is loved by many, and intense roasted flavours of a stout, then available at larger chains throughout you may find that a good book and a the country.

“THE COLD MONTHS TEND TO OFFER NEW ZEALAND BREWERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RELEASE MANY TRADITIONAL DARK AND STRONG ALES THAT WOULDN’T OTHERWISE BE RECEIVED WELL DURING THE WARMER MONTHS OF THE YEAR.”

HB – THE SHOUT NZ | APRIL 2020 | 15

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