Hospitality Business November 2018

OSB TURNS 21

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TOP CHEF EQUIPMENT

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TRAINING TODAY

www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz NOVEMBER 2018 Vol.5 No.10

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Editorial

NOVEMBER 2018

MANAGING DIRECTOR - PUBLISHER Dale Spencer dspencer@intermedianz.co.nz

‘TIS THE SEASON!

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Paul Wootton The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd, Australia www.intermedia.com.au

Love it or detest it, the summer silly season of social largesse is once again upon the industry. November marks the time when staffing and supplier issues become paramount in every restaurateur’s mind to ensure the holiday season is both smooth and profitable! Peter Nelson, Managing Director of Sculpture Hospitality has some wise words for proprietors in this issue about getting the most out of employees, and this includes looking after employee mental health – a topic that has become more and more relevant in the highly competitive and pressured hospitality industry.

In this issue we take a look at and celebrate 21 years of an iconic Auckland restaurant, O’Connell Street Bistro, known affectionately as OSB which has certainly stood the test of perseverance and time, and then head south to look at the ingredients which make one of New Zealand’s oldest hotels the 2018 Supreme Winner in the Hospitality Association of New Zealand’s awards. Take time to look at our selection of top chefs’ essential kitchen equipment – from the quintessential tasting spoon to a multi-functional oven – they all have their place in the Chef’s collection.

Gearing up for the holiday season often highlights the need for more and more trained staff and our Training Feature reviews the new and established options now available.

EDITOR - HOSPITALITY Business Kimberley Dixon kdixon@intermedianz.co.nz ph: 0274 505 502 PUBLISHING ASSISTANT Eclypse Lee elee@intermedianz.co.nz SALES DIRECTOR Wendy Steele wsteele@intermedianz.co.nz ph: 021 300 473 SALES MANAGER - THE SHOUT Sam Wood swood@intermedianz.co.nz 021 256 6351 CONTRIBUTORS Jes Magill, Sue Fea GRAPHIC DESIGNER Adrian Tipper – atipper@intermedia.com.au HEAD OF CIRCULATION Chris Blacklock – cblacklock@intermedia.com.au PRODUCTION MANAGER Jacqui Cooper – jacqui@intermedia.com.au SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES Eclypse Lee – Publishing Assistant elee@intermedianz.co.nz PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

Vol. 5 No. 10

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

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OSB TURNS 21

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TOP CHEF EQUIPMENT

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TRAINING TODAY

www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz NOVEMBER 2018 Vol.5 No.10

Designed and manufactured in New Zealand, exported all around the world.

ON THE COVER: MOFFAT At Moffat we pride ourselves on providing the very best in commercial kitchen equipment. From food preparation, meal distribution, cooking, chilling, handling to baking or serving, we deliver unique, adaptive solutions to our clients worldwide.

From our development processes through to our production capability to our supply partnerships and our ongoing support network, nothing is left to chance. www.moffat.co.nz l 0800 663 328 l sales@moffat.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST HOSPITALITY AUDIENCE

Hospitality BUSINESS | November 2018 | 3

Contents REGULARS 05 NEWS

Key industry events & news

06 I N SEASON

From blueberries to lamb rack all our seasonal best produce is on display

11 N EW OPENINGS

Cafes extend their opening hours and The Chosen Bun adds to the Stonefields Auckland culinary scene

PROFILES 08 TOP FISH ‘N CHIPS In Queenstown

14 O 'CONNELL STREET BISTRO Celebrates 21 Years

FEATURES 18 K ITCHEN EQUIPMENT

Top chefs share their essential kitchen tools

14

22 TRAINING

Meeting tomorrow’s hospitality needs

08

32 11 4 | November 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

NEWS

Salmon Solstice Dish Takes Top Award

Winning chef, Mark McAllister’s dish was commended for its creative brilliance and novelty.

Deer Milk Cocktails?

Pāmu Deer Milk has won the Novel Food or Beverage Award for its ground breaking deer milk product at the Massey University New Zealand Food Awards.

“The Food Awards are all about rewarding innovation, which makes this acknowledgement very meaningful to us,” says Pāmu Chief Executive, Steve Carden. “We spent over three years testing and trialling deer milk and have been incredibly pleased with the reception it has received amongst the restaurant industry. We knew it had broad appeal for desserts but have been really inspired by the range of savoury applications we’ve seen chefs across the country develop.

Some chefs have even created deer-milk cocktails.”

This year’s New Zealand Food Awards considered sixtyseven products from over fifty companies and featured a panel of culinary judges including Bite magazine’s Ray McVinnie, chef Geoff Scott, World Kitchen television host and chef Nici Wickes, and New Zealand’s only certified cicerone (beer expert), Josh Scott.

Criteria for the Novel Food or Beverage Award focused on product innovation and meant that manufacturers had to demonstrate their achievements in this area.

Pamu is exclusively available on the menus of some of the most acclaimed restaurants across the country, including Amisfield (Queenstown), Charley Noble (Wellington) and Cibo (Auckland).

Versatile applications for new milk!

Mark McAllister, an Auckland-based private chef, has been was awarded the coveted 2018 Ora King King Dish New Zealand food industry accolade for his dish “Salmon Solstice”, an edible interpretation of an ancient megalithic carved stone from Newgrange, a Neolithic site in Ireland.

Fellow New Zealand finalist, chef Anthony Page, joined McAllister and New Zealand Ōra King ambassadors - Marc Soper, Shaun Tyagi and Shaun Clouston - along with 20 visiting chefs from Australia, North America and Japan, for the annual celebration, which this year was held at Nelson’s Suter Art Gallery..

Now in its sixth year, the Awards received entries from 50 New Zealand chefs, all of whom were challenged by this year’s ‘Inspired

by Art’ theme. The chefs were encouraged to take inspiration from a piece of artwork across any medium, then craft an edible masterpiece worthy of the coveted Best Ōra King Dish accolade.

McAllister’s winning dish incorporates Ōra King salmon to represent the ethereal orange, red and yellow hues of the sun on winter solstice – the driving inspiration behind his dish.

Local Food Heroes Feature In Landmark Guide Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery, a new guide to the “truly good restaurants and food experiences of the world” has been created in collaboration with over fifty of the world’s leading food writers and has been launched in print and online at www.truthloveandcleancutlery.com.

The guide aims to identify restaurants and food experiences that go above and beyond exceptional food in the ethical and sustainable ways with which they run their business.

This digital platform was followed by the publication of four Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery guidebooks and includes restaurants from forty-five countries including fifteen from New Zealand.

Auckland favourites Orphans Kitchen, Pasture and Amano, to Queenstown’s Sherwood and Wellington’s Hillside Kitchen, are among the 1250 restaurants selected from around the world. The guidebooks have been created by New Zealand publisher Blackwell & Ruth, who were the originating publishers of the Great Cookbook series in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, USA and UK, which has raised over $1 million for food security organisations. The complete list of New Zealand restaurants included in this world guide is: Amano, Amisfield, Arbour, BearLion Foods, Bistronomy Fishbone Fleurs Place, Fort Greene, Gatherings, Hillside Kitchen, Orphans Kitchen, Pasture,Roots and Sherwood.

“Of all the qualities that distinguish a truly outstanding restaurant or food experience, perhaps truth, love and care are the most important”, say project creators, Geoff Blackwell and Ruth Hobday. “Those qualities reflect a passion for creating food that is so good that it will never be forgotten, an environment that makes that extraordinary food taste even better, and a care for the ground or water from which that food is derived and the community in which it is served.

Hospitality BUSINESS | November 2018 | 5

IN SEASON

MEAT a SPRING LAMB It’s the season of spring lamb and what better way to celebrate than to include a delicious, succulent lamb rack on your menu.

Paired with fresh flavours from the abundance of seasonal vegetables on offer, makes for an eye-appealing and well-balanced dish which will have your customers coming back for more.

Recipes.co.nz

SEAFOOD d LITTLENECK CLAMS Also known as the New Zealand cockle, littleneck clams are a bivalve mollusc, endemic to New Zealand waters.

Their plump, round shells have bi-directional ridges and are easily recognised by the mix of green, white, brown and purple colourings on the shell.

Preferring mid to low level tides, Littleneck clams are found throughout New Zealand harbours and estuaries where they dwell in soft mud or silty sand.

Cockles from the South Island are typically larger than those from the North Island, but both are available year-round.

Sweet and buttery in flavour with a savoury note of salt, littleneck clams are both tasty and versatile. The meat is tender, similar in texture to a mussel or oyster and is a great source of iodine, iron, magnesium, selenium and vitamin B12.

Quick to prepare and easy to cook, littleneck clams are great in chowders, pasta, on seafood platters or just as good natural.

For a tasty dish, try a littleneck clam, leek and mushroom risotto. Cook garlic, leeks and button mushrooms in a dollop of butter until softened and golden. Bring a pot of stock to the boil, add 1.5 cups of Arborio rice, a good pour of white wine and a squeeze of lemon. Continue stirring until the risotto is thick and creamy (about 20-25 mins). Add more liquid as each ladle is absorbed. Cook the littleneck clams in a saucepan with some wine until the shells just open. Add the clams, some butter, parmesan, leeks and mushrooms to the risotto and season.

Visit www.seafood.co.nz/recipes/ for more delicious recipes. pImage and recipe courtesy of Westhaven Marketing Ltd.

6 | November 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

FRESH PRODUCE c BLUEBERRIES Blue is proving more popular than red, or black, as the berry season kicks off this month.

T&G Global, one of the largest produce companies in New Zealand says blueberries grown on their farms in sunny Northland are expected to have a bumper season this year and are currently proving to be more popular than other summer berries.

The harvest is just beginning in Kerikeri where it is estimated that around 60 tonnes will be harvested before April 2019. While the wet spring has delayed the crop by a couple of weeks, the long dry summer expected is good news for berries and farmers who are able to harvest the berries without rain delays.

Blueberries have become increasingly popular for their “super food” status. They are believed to have one of the highest antioxidant levels of all fruits and vegetables helping to fight disease and assisting with brain health. One serving contains 14 per cent of daily fibre. And to top it off, they only contain around 84 calories per cup.

Fresh blueberries will stay fresh for about five days so freeze those you don’t need to use immediately by arranging them on a baking sheet in a single layer before popping them in containers in the freezer.

Blueberries are fantastic on any breakfast menu whether it’s a summer berry smoothie, blueberry pancakes or simply partnered with Greek yoghurt and honey

INDUSTRY NEWS

The rise & rise of NZ dining out 2018 Hospitality Report shows Kiwis are eating out more often, for a wider range of occasions.

The latest Restaurant Association Hospitality Report finds that nationwide sales for the hospitality industry have continued to grow, with takeaway food recording the highest growth. In 2018 New Zealand’s hospitality sector achieved record sales of over $11.2 billion (year end March). This represents sales growth of 3.6 per cent over the previous Marisa Bidois - Chief Executive year, which after two years of significant growth (8.2 per cent from 2016-2017 and 9.7 per cent from 2015-2016), settles at a more stabilised level in 2018.

Conversely, eftpos data shows that grocery sales are continuing to slow, pointing to people eating out more often, replacing meals that may traditionally have been eaten at home. Over the past five years, there has been a slowdown in year on year supermarket sales growth from 4.9% in 2014 to 3.9% this year.1 A recent My Food Bag and Stuff survey showed that only 52% of parents now eat at home every night. Statistics NZ data2 shows that more than a quarter (26 percent) of all food-spending is now spent in restaurants and on ready-to-eat meals, such as takeaway hot drinks and takeaway pizzas (compared with 23 percent in 2014).

The takeaway / food to go sector is recording the highest growth. Sales for the food to go sector grew 5.7 per cent in 2018.

In dollar terms this translates to an increase in annual sales of $148 million. But it seems Kiwis are still hooked on dining out

with restaurants and cafes the biggest winners accounting for $5.6 billion of all hospitality sales. Consumer spending is highest in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. These three regions all have annual sales of more than $1 billion per annum.

The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) forecast annual employment growth for the hospitality sector to be 2.7 per cent per annum through to 2026. For the period 2016-2017, however, the industry achieved employment growth of almost three times that, at 6.8 per cent. The total number of employees employed in hospitality is now just under 130,000, with more than 72,000 people employed in restaurants and cafes.

Hospitality business owners rank their number one challenge as the lack of skilled employees, followed by managing wage costs. This competition for skilled employees has the potential to drive wage rises in some regions, although operators also look for creative ways to retain employees to ensure their labour costs are kept under control. Wages have the potential to rise beyond customers’ expectation of price rises and that’s a challenge and balancing act that hospitality business owners face.

The challenge for hospitality owners to find staff is compounded by the number of new businesses opening every week, although to a certain extent this is offset by a comparative number of businesses closing. In 2017 while more than 2,700 new businesses opened, due to those closures, the volume of new outlets overall was an increase of 534 new establishments.

Our salmon thrive in the fast-flowing ice cold waters that surround Mt Cook. This environment creates a fish that is known for it’s clean taste and delicate texture.

We prepare our smoked salmon by a traditional Scottish method using salt, golden syrup, black rum and oak smoke. This careful choice of wood adds a subtle smokey flavour that doesn’t distract from its original taste. And with its silky smooth texture, the 500g cold smoked sliced, is the one you’ll want to reach for.

For more information visit: www.aorakisalmon.co.nz

To order contact us on: 0800 539 999 or email: orders@aorakisalmon.co.nz

CONFERENCE REVIEW

8 | November 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

CONFERENCE REVIEW

Erik’sFish & Chips!

Marketing Expertise Takes Tiny Operation To The Top

S

erving up gourmet fish and chips in Queenstown is a far cry from the green pastures of the North Island’s King Country, but it’s a leap of faith that for one farming couple has certainly paid off.

After 15 years of sheep and beef farming, followed by 15 years running their own meat processing plant in the King Country, Anna and Erik Arndt packed up and headed for Queenstown to try their hand in the tourism industry.

That was just over two and a half years ago. Last month (October) their business, Erik’s Fish & Chips, now also operating in nearby Wanaka, cleaned up two Hospitality NZ Excellence Awards – one for marketing and the other, the publicly voted People’s Choice Award.

The awards were dished out at the annual association conference, aptly held in Queenstown this year. “It was so exciting, because the marketing award was first up,” says Anna, who pretty much danced her way forward with delight to receive the prize.

“We’re thrilled and very, very excited, especially when we were up against the likes of the Christchurch Casino. It made us realise that a small fish and chip business in Queenstown and Wanaka can win against the major players.”

Anna, Erik and their loyal team of 12 staff also beat off 45 other hospitality establishments, including the likes of the nearby Cardrona Hotel. “It was all done by email voting, so it goes to show the passion of our customers,” says Anna.

Great staff and the Arndt’s own passion for their business were winning attributes for the judges.

Retaining good staff can be a constant challenge in Queenstown, but Anna says they’ve developed good systems so they can train staff as quickly as possible. “We always look after our staff and give them good bonuses too,” she says.

The whole team, including the Arndt’s marketing consultant Kate Fahey, of 45 South Marketing, were on hand for the awards dinner.

So how did a tiny food truck-style operation beat off the big boys?

“We plan what we do and measure all the results of our marketing,” says Anna, who, prior to farming, hailed from a marketing and business background. “If we advertise a product in a particular method then we always check to see how it sells.”

In the past year the Arndt’s have outsourced all of their social media marketing to a local firm, Engage Media, increasing their engagement with Instagram and Facebook by more than 100 percent to about 3000 followers on each.

“Social media has been really important,” says Anna. “We also have a colourful brand which we use across all forms of our marketing.”

Erik is the creative brains behind the business and loves refining recipes and trialling new options for the menu. His latest is a gluten free, Erik twist on the humble spring roll.

His now famous deep-fried kiwifruit, dusted with cinnamon and sugar and served on a stick, has been a hot favourite with tourists and locals as a tasty and warming dessert option. This very Kiwi dessert – firm in texture like apple pie with a sweet and sour tang - has attracted quite a faithful following.

Gluten free donuts are another sweet, after-dinner option at the trailer, which closes at 9pm, well in advance of the late night party crowds spilling out of the nightclubs.

The $10 fish and chip meal with sauce, Bluff oysters and the deepfried kiwifruit are among the most popular items on the Erik’s Fish & Chips menu. Erik is renowned for the thin, crispy batter he coats his hoki, dori and blue cod with.

He didn’t jump into his new fish frying career without doing some proper research, travelling around New Zealand checking out different fish and chip operations and testing various batters and consistencies thoroughly first.

They opened the Wanaka operation a year ago and as yet have no plans to open a third. “We just want to keep doing things very well,” says Anna.

Daughter Heidi Farren is in part to thank for their southern success.

Heidi, who operates Altitude Wine Tours in Queenstown, suggested to her parents that Queenstown didn’t have a fish and chip shop. “So we started one,” says Anna.

Obviously for Anna and Erik there are no regrets about moving south. “We just love living down here.” n Hospitality BUSINESS | November 2018 | 9

WELLINGTON FELIX AWARDS

New kid on the block ‘Rita’ shines The Wellington hospitality industry has acknowledged the outstanding abilities of its cities' own with newcomer Rita which seats just 28 people taking out the 2018 public vote in the Felix Awards. It also won Establishment of the Year as well as winning accolades for Outstanding New Establishment and Suburban/ Regional Experience of the Year.

Rita has been recognised for its small set menu and intimate dining experience which has been compared to dining in a dolls house.

Organised by the Restaurant Association of New Zealand the awards recognise outstanding hospitality professionals, all of whom are making a positive impact on the local café and dining scene, with the main purpose being to unite, grow and promote the Wellington hospitality industry.

Seafood restaurant Ortega Fish Shack took out Outstanding Restaurant of the Year with its fresh seafood menu served in an intimate and convivial setting.

It’s commitment to making you feel right at home also did not go unnoticed with the restaurant winning Outstanding Front of House team.

Recognition also went out to street food vendor Lucky who won Casual Dining/Street Food Experience of the Year. Describing itself as ‘a hole-inthe-wall takeaway joint specialising in the Fryerlated Arts’ this place has won serious cred for its simple menu of just five burgers, fried chicken and chips with gravy.

Creative new fitouts have also been a key feature of a new breed of hospitality establishments in the city, with Lulu awarded for its outstanding ambience and design for its pacific theme.

Individual dedication to the industry and craft were also recognised. Tom Hutchison of Capitol Restaurant was awarded outstanding chef and Outstanding Barista of the Year went to Morgan West of Milk Crate.

The coveted Hospitality Hero of the Year was awarded to Stephen Morris of Avida Bar for his wealth of international wine experience, dry wit and contribution to the success of Wellington hospitality.

Stephen’s hospitality career has included the legendary Boulcott Street Bistro, Shed 5 and his own Copita restaurant.

Marisa Bidois, CEO Restaurant Association of New Zealand says “Wellington has always been a hotbed of talent when it comes to dining out. It’s been great to see new places offering something unique cropping up over the last year but it’s also reassuring to see some of the more established establishments still going strong.

“As an industry it’s so important that we take time out to celebrate

our success and acknowledge our achievements. We believe it’s important to shine a light on our industry and make sure we are recognised for the contribution we make to our community and economy. The Wellington Hospitality Awards represent the occasion to do just that – celebrate the hard work and success of the hospitality industry within the region. Congratulations to all winners.”

With all categories keenly contested, this year’s winners truly exemplify what it means to be at the top of their respective categories.

The winners were announced at an awards ceremony held at the Isaac Theatre Royal, guests the enjoyed the chance to catch up with their colleagues over a local offering of food and beverage and entertainment by local jazz band The Wellington City Shake ‘em on Downers, and international DJ duo Sweet Mix Kids.

S AY H E L LO TO YO U R

WINNERS!

10 | November 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

PRESENTED BY

NEW OPENINGS Midnight Espresso – turning out what the customers want, pretty much around the clock, in downtown Wellington.

CAFESBy Night W

ith rising rents and higher electricity costs many daytime cafes are opting to extend their hours into night service to try and make an extra buck. However, evening service can have its challenges and it isn’t suitable for every café.

Midnight Espresso in the heart of downtown Wellington’s bustling Cuba Street has had the recipe just right for 29 years with Hamish McIntyre enjoying the benefits of that for the past 19 years. It’s a bit of an institution - the first late night cafe to open in Wellington in the 1980’s, opened by Havana Coffee barons Tim Rose and Geoff Marsland.

Midnight is a long-held day and night-time tradition in Wellington, renowned for staying opening until 3am seven days a week. “We open at 7.30am on weekdays and 8am at weekends,” says Hamish. “I have staff in here 22 hours a day, seven days a week, 363 days a year, as we only close for 36 hours during Christmas and New Year.”

With most eateries around them closing about 11pm or midnight, Midnight Espresso is a popular late-night stop for weekend revellers out partying on the town, especially between midnight and 2am. “But most of our money is made up until midnight,” says Hamish. “Most of my work after 2am is cleaning and restocking for the morning.”

“I’ve noticed there are a lot more bars and restaurants open now which means there are a lot more people out on the street,” he says.

Midnight Espresso has become a bit of a destination on the way home where people stop for a piece of chocolate cake, or nachos on the way home from the movies.

A way ahead of its time, Midnight has always specialised in vegan and vegetarian offerings. “Twenty years ago that was pretty much only for hippies,” he says. He and his staff used to get hassled for being “a bit of a hippie café” back then, but now Hamish has noticed this style of food is much more in demand with mainstream customers. There are also more customers with food allergies and intolerances to the likes of gluten, dairy, and sugar. “People are now picking up on that market and it’s quite noticeable. I have to keep on top of my game. I love competition, but it does reach saturation. In the last year I noticed a small drop in general turnover, only about three percent, with so many cafes and restaurants competing out there, whereas normally turnover would go up by 20 percent. I can see why we’re struggling. Everybody is feeling it,” he says.

“It is getting harder to trade, which could be why other cafes are opening at night.” Hamish makes just over half of his daytime turnover at night. “I can make about $25,000 a week during the days and $15,000 at night.”

People living in the inner cities has also impacted on demand for more late night café-style eating.A good proportion of Hamish’s customers are students, who’re generally quite health conscious, with students

New Trend Extends Café Reach

from the architectural school across the road needing some Midnight sustenance while studying late.

Midnight’s diverse menu offers everything from homemade chips with aioli and salsa or curry and rice to scrambled tofu, bagels, sweet cake slices to fresh juices, smoothies and milkshakes.

If it doesn’t sell during the day and its perishable it goes to the homeless shelters. It mostly all sells though, depending on the weather.

Delighted Auckland &Sushi fans in Newmarket were raising their hands in praise when owner Jeff Kim decided to open his popular Newmarket café for evening dinner service just over a year ago.

Renowned for his delicious donburis and steaming hot udon bowls, Jeff doesn’t serve cabinet sushi at night. Salads and Yakisoba are also popular. “There was a demand for it and it was a way of better utilising our facility,” says Jeff. “It helps pay the rent and you’ve got the electricity running anyway,” he says. “There was a big demand for Uber Eats and we’re probably doing double at night with our Uber Eats business than we do during the day,” he says. Jeff estimates that Uber Eats makes up half of his night-time business and that’s only taking the last evening orders all up at 8.30pm. “We do pay quite a big fee to Uber Eats, but we’re making a little bit more money being opening at night.” He’s noticed it’s an increasing trend with friends who own other cafes opting to stay open until about 10pm. “I’m thinking about getting a liquor licence and trying to offer a different style tapas menu,” he says.

Hospitality BUSINESS | November 2018 | 11

NEW OPENINGS Dinner starts at 4pm and lasts until 9pm at central Queenstown’s Halo Forbidden Bite. Chef and owner Bruce Gourlay has pretty much had his café open during the evenings ever since he opened there in 2007.

“We’re very busy in the daytime. We might do 300 meals, then at night we don’t know if we’re going to do three or 30 dinners,” he says.

With so many tourists wandering the streets into the evening and hotels nearby, Halo is perfectly situated to maximise on that extra traffic and Bruce says he does better at night during the six months of the summer season. Halo Forbidden Bite offers a full dinner menu – 10 tapas starters to share, and all the dinner favourites of steak, Catch of the Day, a salmon poke bowl, lamp rump, rib-eye and the ever-popular blue cod.

In spring he introduced a Vegan Night, which has proven to be very popular. “One of my chefs came up with the idea when she noticed there were 1100 people following the Queenstown Vegan Facebook Page,” says Bruce. “We advertised on there and got 30 people for dinner the first night.” There are only about five cafes in downtown Queenstown, but about 50 or 60 restaurants that he has to compete with. “When it comes to midday most of those restaurants are open and competing with our busy breakfast and lunch market.”

It can be challenging for a café operating at night, but it’s worth it. “It helps bring in a little extra revenue and keeps the whole flow going,” he says. “On the flipside there are other restaurants who are thinking they should do breakfast, which is our busy trade.” Halo opens at 6am with a regular crew of locals, serving that through until 3pm. Lunch is served from 11am until 4pm.

The Candy Shop, also in Auckland’s Newmarket, has been running both daytime and evening service from its Asian-infused menu since opening in January this year. The café has only opened five nights for dinner, while operating its daytime service seven days, however, The

QUEENIE’S DUMPLINGS

46 Buckingham Street, Arrowtown Ph: 03 4426090 Email: queeniesdumplings@gmail.com Queenie’s Dumplings owners Tracy Cui and Nigel Kerr have taken their successful formula to Arrowtown, 21kms from Queenstown, launching their third authentic Chinese dumpling restaurant. Queenie’s traditional handmade dumplings have gained a popular following in Glenorchy, at the head of Lake Wakatipu, as well as downtown Queenstown. The new Arrowtown venue is bright and vibrant and seats 40 inside and another 10 outside. Pork and prawn and pork and cabbage have been the most popular dumplings on the menu so far with Queenie’s famous beef noodle soup right up there in popularity too. There’s even a vegan option on the vegetarian menu – cabbage, sweetcorn, mushroom, noodles and, of course, Queenie’s secret blend of spices. “We’re looking to fill a gap in that lower price range, says Queenie’s general manager Thabit Ayoub. “We’re here to stay. It’s healthy food and relatively quick and portable.”

Candy Shop’s Edward Keith says they’re planning to be open seven nights during summer to take advantage of the warmer weather. The lunch and dinner menu, which includes stars like duck bao and eggplant fries, runs from 11.30am, after the breakfast menu ends, through until 9pm closing.

With a definite lack of evening venues in their area it’s definitely worth staying open for dinners, says Edward. “We factored into our operations being open at night to satisfy that need,” he says. “Fixed costs, such as equipment and rental, don’t change based on how many hours per day we’re open, so offering evening service helps towards those costs.”

Customers seem to be more specific about what sort of experience they’re after now. “We fill the gap between casual and formal. As long as the quality of product and experience is achieved, the level of formality is irrelevant.” n

ROSIE B’S

18 Buckingham Street, Arrowtown Ph: 03 4420131 www.rosieb.co.nz

Rosie B’s is the new talk of the town on Arrowtown’s heritagestyle main street, Buckingham Street. Aptly named after Rosie Buckingham, a popular performer and entertainer in Arrowtown during the 1860’s goldrush. Her father, George Buckingham, was also a prominent fixture on the Auckland theatre scene and built the Fitzroy Theatre in 1843. The 70-seater restaurant replaces long-time Saffron with the owners, Sir Michael Hill, Dave and Vicky Arnold, Nick Piper and John Watson, opting for more of an all-day focus, although still very classy, casual dining. Fresh Fiordland lobster is big here and not too expensive either. So far tempura seaweed tacos with beer battered tofu, blue cod ceviche with pawpaw, avocado and passionfruit and gluten free purple kumara Scotch eggs with green pea and truffle sauce have been sliding down a treat, followed by the likes of peach banoffee pie.

12 | November 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

NEW OPENINGS

THE CHOSEN BUN

BIG FISH STONEFIELDS

40 Stonefields Ave, Stonefields, Auckland 1072 Tel 09 5270909 www.bigfishstonefields.com Making a decent splash with a Pan Asian menu is the second restaurant opened by proprietors of Big Fish Stonefields. Building on the success of their popular Penrose restaurant, Big Fish Stonefields has already established a keen following .The menu includes Prawn Tempura, Miso Scallops, Wagyu Rib Eye, Crispy Pork & Prawn Papaya salad and Spatchcock Chicken – and that’s just a small part of the menu. Pan-Asian is an ideology that promotes different styles of food from the East. Pan-Asian food draws its inspiration from the culinary diversity of Asia including Korea, Japan, and China, through to Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia, to reflect this philosophy.

The restaurant itself has a Tuesday- thru Sunday opening schedule with reservations becoming essential, and has recently added an outdoor dining option for the summer months and to cater for demand.

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40 Stonefields Ave, Stonefields, Auckland 1072 Tel : 64 9 218 8239 From the owners of Mount Wellington’s Marua Road Cafe and gourmet sandwich delivery service Deli Llama comes a new burger joint in the heart of Stonefields.

The Chosen Bun has been a concept in the making since Chris Von Batenburg and Mustafa Ali first became friends five years ago. The pair are self-confessed “burger freaks” and have spent many nights trying to create their perfect burger.

The core idea behind the space was to create somewhere diners felt comfortable hanging out for a while and possibly sinking a beer or two — rather than limiting themselves to takeaway only. After finding the space in east Auckland’s newest suburb and an offer for Chris to sell Marua Road Cafe, they decided to go all in on the burger bar dream.

The signature patty is a 150 gram blend of chuck, sirloin and brisket — no other spices or ingredients are added except salt and pepper.

PROFILE: OSB Mark Southon, head chef, trained in Michelin star restaurants in Europe, worked at Vue de Monde in Australia, and The French Café among other leading restaurants in New Zealand.

Many Happy Returns, O’Connell Street Bistro!

Chris and Amanda Upton and their restaurant team have redesigned, reinstated and rejuvenated the institutional icon that is O’Connell Street Bistro. Turning 21 recently, and following a devastating 2016 fire that closed the restaurant for 8 months, Hospitality Business correspondent, Jes Magill finds out how they’ve rolled with the punches and continue to love what they do.

L

et’s give this occasion some perspective; only four of the Top 10 Restaurants featured in Cuisine Magazine’s Auckland Restaurant Guide 2000 are still operating today and only two of those are still under original ownership. Joining O’Connell Street Bistro in that honour is Antoine’s in Parnell, which was established by Tony Astle in 1973.

A few years back Simon Wilson described Chris Upton as “the uncrowned prince” of Auckland’s inner city dining establishments.

These days O’Connell Street Bistro (aka OSB), is as good as crowned.

It retained its Hat in Cuisine’s 2018 Good Food Awards, as well as marking 21 years in business a couple of months ago.

Chris reckons Auckland’s hospitality scene is a confused market, caused by too many restaurants entering it, and many of those closing not long after. This hasn’t dampened the celebratory mood one drop though - it simply makes reaching the milestone all the more rewarding.

Over the 21 years, diners have experienced consistently good and often great food, wine and service and have taken this intimate CBD bistro that exudes casual class to their hearts. Seven chefs in that 21 years have worked the kitchens, one of those for 12 years, and current high profile head chef Mark Southon [formerly The Food Store], has been at the helm for the past three years.

Hospitality Business asked Chris what their winning formula is, achieving solid success in the fickle world of hospitality. “Having enthusiasm and commitment to consistency,” he says. “We might not be the best but we’re consistently good and surrounded by a really enthusiastic, passionate team.”

ALL ABOUT THE FOOD Following the 2016 refurb, OSB consists of the main dining area and bar (with Chefs Table enjoying a view of the open kitchen), seating up to 50, a private room for 24 and the all-year laneway terrace which seats up to 30 people. Menus include Grazing, Bistro, Lunch, Dinner and various set menus for private functions.

“When we started out, our flavours were quite bold,” recalls Chris.

“Overtime though, the marriage of flavours has become more refined and we have always focused on seeking out great ingredients.

“With our dinner menu of six starters, six mains and six desserts, we need six totally different dishes. And we know not to play around with the classics too much because our regulars won’t let us. Whitebait, for example, has to be classically cooked, and of course our crème brûlee, we have to keep it classic.”

Mark explains, “At my initial interview Chris said I’d have free rein to do what I wanted but I couldn’t touch the rabbit pappardelle. It’s an OSB 14 | November 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

WHAT HEAD CHEF MARK SOUTHON IS LOVING: • My Waldorf solid top range: it gives a lot more control and precision • Thermomix: great for smooth purees, infusing herb oils at low temperatures and making orange curd • Paco jet: essential for the smoothest ice creams and sorbets loved by our diners classic that’s been on the menu for 19 years. Made with wild Bendigo rabbit, our own Applewood smoked bacon, walnut watercress pesto & Parmigiano Reggiano, there would be riots if it was changed or removed!”

The accolades this restaurant has gained over the years speak for themselves: as well as this year’s coveted Hat, O’Connell Street Bistro is consistently named as one of Auckland’s Top 50 Restaurants and for the past 17 years, has gained the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

FIRE IN THE HOUSE In the early hours of January 27, 2016, a fire started in the restaurant kitchen destroying nearly everything inside. “It was heart-breaking,” says Chris.

“Initially we thought the damage was superficial but there was significant structural damage too and trying to get the construction team in was slow and frustrating. Luckily we had a good relationship with our insurer.

“It took us about six weeks to recover emotionally but from then on, we could see we had a rare chance. We sat the team down with a blank canvas and looked at everything we do, picking it apart and working through how we could make improvements. A lot of the team’s suggestions were implemented and we’re using them in our service every day.

“In the refit, we celebrated what we loved about the restaurant and worked on areas we knew could be improved. We really focused on acoustics, for example, and opened up the kitchen so the dining experience is much more interactive.”

Mark had started at the restaurant only three months before the fire, and a hard eight months followed but the opportunity to redesign the kitchens and improve efficiency, in a way was a gift.

“We changed the layout of the cook line and fridges so everything was at hand. We even took half a meter from the bar, giving us more room in the front kitchen and that’s made a lot of difference,” says Mark.

“We opened up the front pass too so diners can see into our world and interact with the team in the kitchen. Now the three or four tables in the bar are highly sought after as diners get to see us cook and pick up tips and tricks.

PROFILE: OSB

WHAT CHRIS UPTON IS LOVING RIGHT NOW: • Welcoming overseas staff to our team: they share knowledge and give authenticity to our backstreet European bistro.

• Our Faema E61 vintage coffee machine: it’s built in 1963, the year I was born and everyone agrees it makes the best coffee.

• Miller’s Coffee: we wouldn’t be without it.

• Starline dishwashers: we’ve rented them for 21 years, the machines are pristine and reliable.

• Hamill Refrigeration: we’ve worked with Bill Hamill for 21+ years as well.

AND NOT LOVING SO MUCH: • The loss of a sense of occasion: everything seems more casual these days • Uber Eats: we don’t want to see our dishes going on 25 minute taxi rides “When the rebuild began and the restaurant took shape we had a lot of time to work on dishes as a team. That really helped us focus and get us ready for re-opening.”

There were 18 staff at the time of the fire and Chris and Amanda did everything they could to retain them. “We wanted to keep everyone working so we focused on engaging the team. We held pop-ups, cooked for charity events and through the whole eight months, we lost only two staff members.”

“At my initial interview Chris said I’d have free rein to do what I wanted but I couldn’t touch the rabbit pappardelle. ”

HAMILL REFRIGERATION

is proud of its 25-year-long association with Chris and Amanda Upton, providing their team with Coolroom and associated Kitchen and Bar refrigeration solutions for the Melba Café in 1995 as well as other hospitality ventures including the flagship O’Connell Street Bistro.

LIFE BEFORE OSB Although he trained as a chef, early in his career Chris realised he had a genuine passion for people. “I quickly learnt the thrill for me in hospitality was creating ambience and a team. I love the people side.”

And there’s more to Chris and Amanda than the O’Connell Street Bistro. As well as other ventures they created another institution in 1995 when they opened Café Melba in Vulcan Lane, just two years prior to opening the Bistro and it was just as well the venues were a one minute walk from each other. “For a while there I was opening up at Melba at 6am and closing the Bistro at midnight,” he says.

Chris reckons not being hung up on reinventing their formula has also helped their success. “We haven’t felt the need to recreate what we do. What we produce is modern European cuisine and we’re proud of that.”

Guiding their elegant institution into maturity and looking to the future, Chris shares their vision: “This space depicts what we do and how we’ve evolved and that’s by evolving the team. We really enjoy that.” n

Tel: 09 303 4385 (24 Hours) Mobile: 021 766 096 Free Ph: 0800hamill (0800 426 455) Email: bill@hamill.co.nz

www.hamillrefrigeration.co.nz Hospitality BUSINESS | November 2018 | 15

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KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

Top Chefs’ Favourite Things

Purchasing the right kitchen equipment is an essential key to success in the culinary world so this month Hospitality Business asked some of the country’s top chefs, including a few profiled in the new book, called Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery, - what their most favourite things are and why!

Asher Boote

CHEF/OWNER HILLSIDE KITCHEN THORNDON (WELLINGTON)

Q. What is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment?

Q. What can’t you cook without?

Fresh herbs

My Benriner Japanese Mandoline Q. Why?

I like simple things. The ability to thinly, quickly and accurately slice ingredients while keeping some of the natural shape and minimising damage is important to my ingredients focused style of food.

Q. How do you use it?

In a range of ways, from simply sliced radishes to a beetroot terrine or potato gratin.

Q.What benefits does they bring to your skills and the quality of food?

Fresh herbs are vital for me to create food with layers of flavour. Their use from the start of a recipe all the way through to finishing a dish is huge for me.

Q.What would be your number one next purchase for the kitchen (in an ideal world!)?

A centrifuge. I’m fascinated with how to generate more flavour from fewer ingredients.

Marc Soper HEAD CHEF WHAREKAUHAU COUNTRY ESTATE (WAIRARAPA) Q.What is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment?

Q. What can’t you cook without?

Q.Why?

Q. What benefits does it bring to your skills and the quality of food?

My Convotherm oven.

You can pretty much do anything with them. You can sous vide, cook overnight, ferment – it’s great for the likes of Crème Fraiche – and of course all the other normal functions like cook and steam.

Q. How do you use it?

We use it a lot for lower pressure cooking, steaming, roasting. We programme it to go on the programme for our standardised recipes to work with our food safety and then take the information and include it in our food safety plan.

Ed Verner

CHEF/OWNER AT PASTURE (AUCKLAND)

Q. What is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment?

fire and heat. It is a very dynamic way to cook that requires constant attention and awareness.

Q.Why?

Q. What benefits does it bring to your skills and the quality of food?

Our custom-built fireplace, that I designed.

Our fire is the main focus of the restaurant in our open-plan kitchen and the main method of cooking.

Q. How do you use it?

We use manuka wood. We use direct flame, cooking over it, or in the embers, and use smoking methods.

Q. What can’t you cook without?

My various tools that are used to control the 18 | November 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

The taste, textures, and depth of flavour.

Our diners love watching the fire and seeing the dishes cooked right before them.

Q.What would be your number one next purchase for the kitchen (in an ideal world!)?

One of my most important purchases will always be excellent quality knives and sharpening stones. I mainly use Japanese knives.

Marlborough Flaky Sea Salt. It’s great in the both the savoury and sweet world to bring our flavours.

Salt can sweeten or dull a dish down and can change all the dynamics of a dish quite quickly. If you’ve got a sweet item like salted caramels it rounds off the sharp edges of the food and creates a better mouth feel, giving a better overall dish experience.

Q.What would be your number one next purchase for the kitchen (in an ideal world!)

A Starline dishwasher – one that’s quicker and comes with a robotic person to scrub all the dishes, as well as load and unpack them!

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KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

Darren Lovell

CHEF/OWNER FISHBONE (QUEENSTOWN)

Q. What is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment?

Q. What benefits does it bring to your skills and the quality of food?

A teaspoon.

Q. How do you use it?

Salt is your friend, not your enemy, because it makes food taste better. Every chef needs to be able to taste and season properly. I don’t buy into the warnings about salt. The only foods that have too much salt are processed foods and junk food.

Q. What can’t you cook without?

Q.What would be your number one next purchase for the kitchen (in an ideal world!)

Q. Why?

Because when I’m cooking I need to taste, taste and taste. It’s a most important tool for us.

Really? Lol!

Marlborough Flaky Sea Salt – a good South Island salt. It brings flavour to all food. It’s my best friend in the kitchen. The most important thing for a chef is to season throughout the whole cooking process and add salt when it’s needed all the way through.

At home, a Starline commercial glass washer so that I could get my wine glasses cleaned in four minutes and not 40 when I have dinner parties. In the restaurant, a commercial electric induction stove top, maybe the Electrolux brand.

Darren Wright

CHILLINGWORTH ROAD CHEF/OWNER (CHRISTCHURCH)

Q. What is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment?

My German WMF knife. I’ve had it for 20 years.

Q.Why?

Because it’s really nice to use. I bought three of them.

Q.How do you use it?

I use it for everything and that’s why it’s my favourite tool, from prepping meat through to vegetables, slicing and dicing.

Q.What can’t you cook without?

My Rationale oven. It’s awesome – really good.

Obviously it’s got steam, steam bake and bake functions, but it can do overnight roasting,

small to big, sous vide cooking. It’s a really sophisticated piece of cooking equipment.

Q. What benefits does it bring to your skills and the quality of food?

It’s like having another chef in the kitchen because of its programming – its ability to be programmed for what you want. You can probe with it and it’s accurate to like one degree.

Q. What would be your number one next purchase for the kitchen (in an ideal world!)

A smoking barbeque egg – a wood-fired barbeque that you can plug into your kitchen to get the full flavour benefits of burning the timber. It gives a nice added flavour.

Ben Batterbury EXECUTIVE CHEF, THE REES HOTEL, QUEENSTOWN Q. What is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment?

​ asic items for any kitchen home or pro would B definitely be a good non-stick frying pan, digital scales and a good blender, but after that it would have to be a toss-up between the Pacojet and the Clifton Water Bath (sous vide).

Q. Why?

Pacojets have many uses, but for me they make the best ice creams and sorbets and this is a little passion of mine. I’m always amazed at the texture you can get from these items using this machine, like Mr Whippy. Good nostalgia! As for the Clifton Water Bath I was introduced to these just before I left the UK and although there are many machines available on the market these come from my hometown so I have a bit of loyalty towards them. They are solidly built and the home range is pretty swanky too.

Water Baths create life-changing results when 20 | November 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

using slow-cooked, alternative cuts of meat.

Just delicious!

Q.How do you use it?

The Pacojet means you can freshly churn ice creams every day, or to order, so you always have that really fresh creamy mouth feel that just can’t be beaten. As for the Clifton Water Bath, it means we have full control over our longer cooked meats with very little supervision and consistent results.

Even a monkey could use it if he had the right guidelines! It’s so simple and that’s why it works so well.

Q. What can’t you cook without it?

You can make good food without these machines and there’s nothing wrong with alternative methods as long as what you’re cooking is fresh.

But these two machines can elevate to a different level and once you know how to use them it can be easier too in a way.

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TRAINING TODAY

Welcome To The Global Classroom The Problems he culinary industry is currently experiencing a chronic, global shortage of qualified chefs. Current growth expectations indicate that an additional 10 percent of qualified chefs per year, each year, up until 2030 need to enter the industry to meet global demands.

With so many chefs already working in the industry, their experience and ability to earn money, trumps the concept of taking unpaid leave to formalize their education. It is all fun and games until you can’t get the promotion you want or the industry rules in your country change and you are required by law to be qualified to continue working or want to travel the world as a Chef, but need a formal qualification to get through the door.

Thousands of chefs around the world would like to start or formalize their experience and put a culinary qualification next to their name. But with financial and family commitments, taking time off without a salary, or leaving school is not an option.

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Online culinary education to the world, offering globally recognized culinary qualifications.

STUDY APPLIED MANAGEMENT @ SIT2LRN DISTANCE LEARNING You can study full-time or part-time at home or anywhere around the world. And yes, SIT2LRN Distance Learning courses are eligible for the Zero Fees scheme too!

Call today or email info@sit.ac.nz 0800 4 0 FEES www.sit.ac.nz

22 | November 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

A Solution-International Culinary Studio – a major new online educational offering.

Believed to be a first of its kind, the studio offers online culinary education to the world, providing globally recognised culinary qualifications to any student in any country – from their home or work kitchens.

Students do not need to take time off work or school to attend classes and are able to work in their own pace and at their own time, accessing course material and uploading assignments from wherever they may be. 24/7 – 365 days of the year.

With flexible start dates and affordable payment options, students can enrol at any time of the year and pay off their studies as they progress. Everything takes place online, students have unlimited access to course material and never have to miss a lecture. They can just login and view any material, tutorials and videos at any time.

Without limitations.

Waiting in line to catch a flight or see a Doctor? Logon to your Learner Management System and complete your assignments while you wait, from any hand held device.

Written feedback from the studios’ Chef Instructors is always available for any student to refer back to when they need to. Face– to-Face feedback in a classroom is often not retained. All of the organisation’s students have 1 on 1 mentoring with highly qualified Chef Assessors and its team is on hand for support, guidance and assistance 24/7.

A virtual kitchen and library with access to immeasurable resources of recipes, a library of commodities, equipment lists and a glossary of culinary terms complete with an audio for the correct French pronunciation for each French term. Need to make 2000 scones in a hurry? Students can access recipe tools that immediately adjust quantities of any recipe for them online.

Industry practical’s take place in commercial kitchens and our Chef Assessor comes out to assess the student in their workplace for their final exams. The possibilities of online education are limitless, qualifications are now accessible to students all over the world.

Culinary online education is the future, welcome aboard.

Compliance peace of mind – a game changer for the hospitality industry.

A Simple Step Towards Compliance

Having well-trained staff who are motivated and fully equipped to perform their roles, can be a game-changer for a hospitality business. A team who understand what is expected of them and are confident in their day to day responsibilities, will not only provide peace of mind for a manager or business owner, but allow more time to focus on other aspects of their business, which are just as important for a business to thrive.

The Food Act 2014 which is progressively rolling out across the food industry has brought new focus to legislative requirements. For hospitality businesses, this means that they need to avoid causes for regulatory non-conformances through building a strong food safety culture within the team and creating a robust Food Control Plan or National Programme.

Investing in food safety training for staff may be a simple step toward achieving these goals, and ensuring that the food being served is safe.

The AsureQuality Academy is recognised as a Category 1 Private Training Establishment with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and provides highly interactive training for the hospitality industry. Courses such as Food Safety, Food HACCP, Auditing and Prevention of Food Fraud are run throughout New Zealand and can be tailored to your business needs.

AsureQuality Academy’s Introductory Food Safety course provides an entry level understanding of general practices used to create an environment that is safe to produce food. Topics include preventing cross contamination, promoting good hygiene practice and monitoring the temperature of high-risk foods. Participants will gain a certificate and learn insights and skills which they can apply immediately, making a positive impact to the food safety culture of their workplace. This in turn provides confidence that customers are consuming food that is safe and free of contamination. >>

For more information: www.asurequality.com

WE’RE READY FOR THE CHANGING HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, ARE YOU? AIS students learn from industry-experienced lecturers and gain hands-on training via internships, as well as live events and a working café on campus.

They are skilled, experienced and ready to work.

Graduates earn NZQA-approved hospitality qualifications at a variety of levels suited to fill the gaps in your team.

See our website for all the programmes on offer.

The hospitality management programme at AIS definitely helped me get the role. I am now putting my study to practical use on a daily basis - Archana Kawatra, Head of Sales and Marketing for Amora Hotel and AIS Graduate

Talk to us about our graduate placement and intern programmes and see how AIS students can help you.

Campuses in Mt Albert with live training café | Scholarships available Freephone: 0800 STUDY AIS (0800 788 392) | Email: enquiry@ais.ac.nz

www.AIS.ac.nz

Hospitality BUSINESS | November 2018 | 23

TRAINING TODAY

Key Skills Taught To Grow Students

Business leaders of tomorrow have the experience, knowledge and advanced capabilities required to hold down senior managerial positions or lead their own business.

The Master of Applied Management at Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) gives you these tools and assist in advancing your career goals. Available both at the Invercargill campus and

by SIT2LRN Distance Learning, a full time course of study can be completed in 18 months or at a more relaxed pace part-time.

Student Jodi Conway is currently studying the Master of Applied Jodi Conway – Management and says her expectations have been exceeded, her expanding her views expanded and she is being challenged in the best possible way. management skills.

Jodi is improving her skills including researching management trends and issues, governance, business planning, strategic management and corporate social responsibility, all of which are incredibly valuable and transferable to various fields.

Programme Manager Paulette Caulton thinks the Master of Applied Management is a great fit for students both in Southland and across the country. “Because it is applied management, the range of students that it fits is quite large.”

As part of this programme, students focus heavily on case studies and literature which is applied directly to different aspects of management. They then complete either a 17-week long research project or a year-long thesis. This makes it a great option for people already employed, to expand on and use their current working environment to feed into their thesis.

With the added bonus of being covered by SIT’s Zero Free Scheme and that fact it is offered via our distance learning faculty, there’s never been a better time to upskill and get the qualification you need to advance or further develop in your area.

Get Liquor Sorted via GETLCQ.CO.NZ Since the introduction of the online Licence Controller Qualification in 2015 the feedback from candidates completing has been overwhelmingly positive.

With a 95 percent pass rate for candidates completing the assessment you would be forgiven for thinking it is easy to pass.

Instead what has been developed

by The Learning Place, the training provider behind GETLCQ. CO.NZ, is an enjoyable learning opportunity that supports candidate achievement and minimizes risk to licensed premises.

Director of The Learning Place, Piet van de Klundert calls GETLCQ the quiet revolution in the liquor compliance sector. “We want our people working in the frontline to have a thorough knowledge of compliance risk as it affects them personally, the business and business owner if they get it wrong. GETLCQ is comprehensive, thorough and easy to use. 95% of candidates say they have a far greater understanding of the law after completing the course.

“When you look at the high approval ratings for learner support on the 0800 number, the fact that it is all online, it is easy to understand and follow and it only costs $150.00 including the LCQ certificate it is obvious why GETLCQ.CO.NZ has grown to be easily the largest provider of Licence Controller Qualifications in New Zealand.”

The 2012 Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act changed the landscape putting greater emphasis on the licensee to comply with the Act and greater penalties if they didn’t. GETLCQ.CO.NZ is comprehensive – it is not a rush job on the way to getting your Manager’s Certificate. Candidates have to engage so they have a true understanding of what their obligations are with the end result of protecting them, the business, the business owner and providing a safer drinking environment. GETLCQ.CO.NZ has input from police, a licensing inspector and a representative from the Medical Officer of Health.

It is easy to sign up and candidates can access the course at any time. Go to GETLCQ.CO.NZ get your LCQ sorted! >> 24 | November 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

www.ServiceIQ.org.nz

0800 863 693

Please call ServiceIQ now to find out how your hospitality business can go to the next level with one small step. With ServiceIQ it could even be free.

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

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

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

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

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Staff key to great profits Good employees are the lifeblood of any successful venue. Well-trained, friendly and reliable bar staff can keep customers flocking in and, in turn, keep your till in hot demand.

On the other hand, everyone has had an experience where poor service has left a sour-taste in their mouth. It only takes one post on social media these days to turn that bad experience into something seriously damaging for a venue’s reputation.

So, how do you make sure you assemble the ‘A Team’?

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www.internationalculinarystudio.com 26 | November 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

By Peter Nelson, Sculpture Hospitality Managing Director New Zealand, Australia and Pacific Islands

BE PROACTIVE ABOUT PRODUCTIVITY

Staff wages are one of the biggest costs for hospitality venues, so it’s important that you are getting a good return on investment.

There are a couple of sums you can do to calculate the productivity of each employee. Firstly, total the bar’s gross sales and divide it by the number of hours each staff member worked. This will give you a general picture of the performance of your team, although it’s important to take in to account the expected turnover for day and night shifts. Staff working the night will have significantly higher sales figures, for example.

You can also track the sales per hour for each shift and compare that to the individual sales figures of each staff member. If two employees working the same shift on the same night have significantly different individual takings, it could be time to consider a roster re-shuffle.

INVEST IN TRAINING

Staff who aren’t performing at their best may simply require some extra training. External industry training, such as conferences, seminars, workshops and even online courses, are a great way to professionally upskill and inspire your staff.

It can be easy for owners and managers to dismiss upskilling as too expensive, yet there are plenty of low or zero-cost options that still deliver great results. Consider having experienced staff hold an in-house training session on a particular skill or have newer staff job-shadow for a day. It is essential that you look at training as an investment rather than an expense.

WORK IS WHERE THE HEART IS

It’s no secret that the hospitality industry suffers from high staff turnover.

Talented bar staff are always in demand, so ensure that you keep yours by creating an environment they love.

If your staff are performing well, make sure to reward their hard-work.

This could be in the form of a financial reward, a monthly certificate or trophy, or even just simply saying ‘thank you.’ Organise out-of-work events or activities with your staff to help them de-stress and bond as a team.

Consistently having to replace and retrain staff is not only costly and time-consuming, it’s annoying for regular customers.

LOOKING AFTER MENTAL WELLBEING

Our industry can be stressful at the best of times, so the mental wellbeing of staff should be top of mind for owners and managers.

Ensure no staff member is working longer hours than expected and that they have enough rostered leave. Regularly check in with your employees to make sure they are happy with their workload and give them the opportunity to be open with you if they aren’t.

If a staff member has a particular skill within the team, train someone else up to be able to comfortably take over. While it’s nice for staff to feel they are a crucial part of the team, they also need to feel they can take leave without letting the side down. n

SWEET TREATS

New Life For Historic Factory Attracting a lot of attention from international cruise ship tourists and school children is the revitalised Chelsea Sugar factory which has enhanced its 134 year old fully functioning heritage site with a new visitor drawcard.

Two iconic Kiwi baking brands, Chelsea Sugar and Edmonds, have joined forces to create the Chelsea Bay Visitor and Food Education Centre and the Chelsea Bay Bakery & Eatery. Located at the bottom of Colonial Drive in Birkenhead, on the shores of the Waitemata harbour, the new features add to the legacy of New Zealand’s only sugar manufacturing factory, which was made on-site from one million hand-made bricks. The original workers’ cottages remain dotted along the scenic entrance. Raw sugar arrives from Fiji and other sugar cane producing countries by ship at the plant and is refined into a multitude of sugar products.

The Chelsea Bay Visitor and Food Education Centre encourages New Zealanders and overseas visitors to rediscover the simple joy of baking, learn more about where their food comes from, and take a step back in time to experience the 134-year history of Chelsea Sugar’s heritage site.

Bernard Duignan, General Manager NZ Sugar, says it’s estimated Chelsea Bay will be visited by more than 60,000 people over the next 12 months.

“Chelsea Bay is the culmination of more than ten years of planning and development, and we’re very excited to finally be able to open our doors to the public.

“We recognise that as the only sugar manufacturer in New Zealand, we are in a unique position to be able to show people what’s involved in the production of our ingredients, and also celebrate the tradition of baking that has helped define us as New Zealanders.”

Mr Duignan concludes: “Whether it’s entertainment, education, or simply a spot to relax and take in the beautiful surrounds of the Waitemata, Chelsea Bay has something for everyone – from families looking to entertain the kids on a weekend to cruise ship tourists wanting to learn something unique about our city. We can’t wait to welcome the world to Chelsea Bay.”

Chelsea Bay has something for everyone – from families looking to entertain the children on a weekend to cruise ship tourists.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

As We See It Highlights from Hospitality NZ’s Annual Conference

Innovate, create and collaborate were the themes of our 21st Annual Conference in Queenstown this year, where we were privileged to host around 300 of our members and some very high calibre speakers.

Hospitality Our Annual Conference is always New Zealand a high point on the hospitality Vicki Lee, CEO calendar; it gives those who are usually busy providing epic service to customers a chance to relax, celebrate success, mix with peers, hear industry forecasts from leading business people and be inspired by talented thought leaders.

After more than two years at the helm of Hospitality New Zealand as CEO, the Conference was a chance for me to reflect on what our organisation has achieved and look to our next exciting chapter of challenges and opportunities. I spoke first about the need to innovate and adapt, and of the importance of being where our customers are at - keeping up with their needs and behaviours. The notion of adaptability was elaborated on by former Lonely Planet innovator Gus Balbontin who urged industry members to always “focus on fixing the customer’s problem, and not your own” - counter intuitive though that might sometimes seem!

I shared my joy that over the past two years Hospitality NZ has created a strong brand that is recognised as a leading voice in all things hospitality. We are also now well positioned in the tourism sector and

I regularly meet with the tourism networks about matters that affect our members. In the past 12 months we’ve grown our membership by around 500 and formed new partnerships to provide quality offers and deals to all our members.

We are committed to advocating for the wellbeing of the industry, whether that be fighting against Auckland’s targeted rate for our Accommodation members, vociferously arguing for hospitality roles to be added to the Immigration skills shortages list, or tackling other proposed changes under the Employment Relations Act Bill. Our team is happy to fight the good fights for this excellent industry, with a warrior spirit and member interests top of mind.

Other speakers at our two-day Conference included Al Brown, who traced his journey from expelled school boy to running Auckland restaurants Depot, Federal Deli and Best Ugly Bagels, saying he was driven to succeed in hospitality through a love of “kiwi informality, authenticity, and breaking down pretension”. Al talked about the importance of knowing yourself well enough to do what you’ll enjoy and will be good at. He also warned against arrogance and hierarchies, saying that as a boss he takes the rubbish out to show his staff that all jobs matter in hospitality and no one is above any one task.

Gus Balbontin’s phenomenal energy was as infectious as the energiser bunny’s, as he bounced around the Conference stage singing the praises of adaptability, flexibility, resourcefulness. Gus spoke of the importance of failing, (since we learn quickest following our failures), and embracing change - since it’s going to happen with or without you. He identified curiosity, courage and resilience as the key qualities driving success, and left our members with food for thought to take back to their businesses at the end of another great conference.

“Our team is happy to fight the good fights for this excellent industry, with a warriorspirit and member interests top of mind” 30 | November 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

SUPREME HOSPITALITY NZ WINNER

Cardrona GOOD AS GOLD!

Prince Harry and Reece Witherspoon thought it was pretty good and so did the judges at this year’s Hospitality New Zealand Awards.

O

ne of the country’s most darling, historic hospitality icons, the Cardrona Hotel cleaned up both the Supreme Award and Best Country Hotel, fending off some of the country’s top national players.

It was a mind blowing moment for Cade Thornton, who co-owns the hotel with James Jenneson. “We were so surprised to win Best Country Hotel against so many great contenders and then when we got the Supreme Award .We were like, ‘Oh, my gosh!’” says Cade. “We never expected it at all.”

Not bad for a construction project manager and an optician, who hailed from Christchurch, with no hospitality experience at all. The pair had been looking to buy a hotel on Banks Peninsula when the Cardrona Hotel caught their eye. The rest is history. They bought the quaint, country, roadside pub, positioned in the heart of New Zealand’s most popular tourism district, just over the mountain pass linking Queenstown and Wanaka, and very close to the nearby Cardrona Ski Area turn-off.

Their investment has more than paid off with business quadrupling in that time. “It’s been fantastic,” says Cade. “We’ve grown enormously.”

The historic 1863 property had been renovated in 2002 by previous owners, who had added the boutique hotel-style accommodation rooms. Cade, who lives close to the hotel with his marketing consultant fiancé Alexis Baronian and their two-year-old, Freddie, worked with Alexis to improve the marketing, “scrubbed the place up” and improved the food offering.

During the past five years they’ve built up quite a reputation for destination diners from both Wanaka and Queenstown, as well as

32 | November 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

passing tourists and visitors. “We get everyone from those popping in during the day for a cup of coffee to people staying seven to 10 nights for skiing.” Cardrona Hotel has one of the most popular grassy, outdoor garden bars in the district, which is also a huge attraction.

Established in 1863, it’s one of New Zealand’s oldest hotels, and is one of only two remaining buildings from the Cardrona Valley gold rush era.

It would have to also be one of the country’s most photographed historic buildings with its irresistible historic façade – an important part of New Zealand’s history - proving impossible to pass by for most motorists.

Cardrona was a prosperous settlement during its hey-day and a significant commercial hub for the area. The hotel was then one of four in the township, offering accommodation, livery services and a coaching stop for gold miners and itinerant travellers. Cardrona remained a significant commercial hub through the 1870s and 1880s, although its fortunes waned as the initial momentum of the gold boom quickly dwindled. Although the mining days were over, a small settlement of farmers persisted in the valley well into the 20th Century, but only the Cardrona Hotel and the all Nations Hotel remained, alongside two stores and a blacksmith’s business.

Perhaps its most colourful era was what’s known locally as the ‘Jimmy Patterson days’ – 1920’s until 1961. Jimmy bought the hotel in 1926 and became a local legend, owning it until he died in 1961, aged 91. He mightn’t last long today, but Jimmy was famous for his attitude to serving alcohol. He controlled the amount his patrons could drink, depending on which direction they were travelling in. Men travelling over the treacherous Crown Range mountain pass to Queenstown were only allowed one drink, while those heading to Wanaka were allowed two.

SUPREME HOSPITALITY NZ WINNER Cardrona Hotel

Some of the delicious food that has people from all over the world stopping off at the award-winning Cardrona Hotel.

Jimmy preferred not to sell any alcohol to women. Licensing issues meant the hotel was closed after his death, while still owned by a local, until Cardrona Valley farmer and local ski area founder John Lee bought it in 1970. Wanaka couple Rosemary and Eddie Jones then bought it, taking on the mammoth task of restoring its by now derelict buildings, with the restaurant opening in 1983 and the Jones serving ‘after ski high tea’. This opened up what is now a thriving apres ski market for the hotel. There have been four owners since the Jones, including UK-based Mark Wescott who added 14 of the hotel’s now 16 accommodation rooms.

With such a colourful history there are few Kiwi passers-by who haven’t heard of the old hotel and many of them have some sort of historic family connection with it, says Cade. “It’s a bit of homage for Kiwis and super famous for the tourists. We can have an elderly couple, a bunch of guys on motorbikes and a family all on different leaners at once. Everyone just loves it, has heard a story about it or visited with their grandparents or parents when they were young,” he says.

“Everyone’s got that story they want to tell us, which is really special.”

The 85-seater restaurant and bar is always a buzz, day and night.

The hotel is famous locally for its apres ski ‘Frickles’ – deep-fried dill pickles and ‘secret recipe’ fried chicken. Beef Wellingtons and venison burgers take first place on the dinner menu. “We do all the usual pub food like burgers and blue cod, but we offer a pretty comprehensive contemporary evening menu and people love it,” says Cade. They’re surprised to delight in first-class venison, house-made ravioli and delicious lamb ragout, also with house-made gnocchi, in rural, alpine New Zealand.

The head chef, aptly named Angela Cook, is a former pastry chef who loves to turn out deliciously tasty treats. In the heart of Central Otago – the country’s stone fruit capital - Angela’s renowned for her beautiful plum and white chocolate crumble.

It’s nothing for the hotel’s 40 staff to have the rich and famous drop in. Prince Harry came for a bangers and mash dinner during his 2015 visit to the district, while actress Reese Witherspoon also stopped by for a coffee during a visit to Queenstown last year (2017).

So what’s the key to their instant success? “A ton of hard work is what’s made it successful,” says Cade. They’re open 365 days a year, even serving up what is almost already a fully-booked Christmas lunch and dinner. With Alexis due to deliver their second child on November 30, they’re in for a busy summer.

“Making decisions, sticking to them, believing in yourself and going for it has also been key,” says Cade. New to hospitality when he started, he’s had to learn to stick to that winning formula and not get confused by other people’s opinions. “With so much story behind the hotel, everybody has ownership of it and they’ve all got opinions about what we should do as well,” he says. “We have such a huge range of customers that we have to cater for that we have to keep our offering very broad.”

Staffing can also be a challenge. “We pretty much have every nationality in the UN represented here – French, Italians, English, Danish, Americans. We even had some Lithuanians this winter.” He and James have bought several local houses in which to house staff. With hundreds of thousands of visitors passing through the hotel every year, it’s vital to offer the best of service. “We’re hugely busy so it’s important to always have a good crew of capable staff.” n Hospitality BUSINESS | November 2018 | 33

CAFÉ BUSINESS New Zealand’s longest serving coffee bean roaster Bernard Smith.

VivaceEspresso Perfecting New Zealand’s coffee from plant to cup

T

here are few remaining medium-sized coffee companies’ in New Zealand that can boast they are 100 percent locally owned and operated – Vivace Espresso is one of them.

The Christchurch based roastery and café was founded

by New Zealand’s longest serving coffee bean roaster Bernard Smith in 1997. However, Smith’s roasting lineage extends back three generations – his grandparents and father Trevor were coffee pioneers and the first to roast in Christchurch in the 1940s on an imported Italian roaster out the back of the Cashel St store Browne and Heaton.

Today, Vivace Espresso supplies only the finest quality beans sourced from indigenous plantations around the world to over 200 wholesale clients nationwide. The beans are sourced from as far afield as Africa, central and south America and closer to home in Papa New Guinea.

Senior Roaster Cameron Hoogervost recently returned from a trip to Papa New Guinea with New Zealand based importing company John Burton Ltd, to form relationships with the people producing Vivace Espresso’s coffee from the Ulya Plantation and the HOAC (Highlands Organic Agriculture Cooperative). Hoogervost cupped and evaluated close to 100 coffees and returned to the Christchurch roastery with samples that will be used for the companies’ new subscription service, launching in October “We always want the coffee to match the flavour profile we are looking for but the quality of the bean is also determined by its screen size, density, moisture content and defect count.

As a senior roaster we need to know where the beans come from and what the story is behind them so we can understand the product we are working with and also portray this information to the consumer.

More and more people care about where the products they are consuming come from so if you market as being locally owned, people 34 | November 2018 | Hospitality BUSINESS

feel confident spending their money on ethical and sustainable business practices,” says Hoogervost.

Vivace Espresso’s General Manager Paul Baker says there has been a noticeable shift in fast-growing boutique coffee roasters getting bought out by international companies that treat everything as a spreadsheet balancing exercise and that has an impact on the quality of the coffee we are drinking.

“These international companies tend to have a huge focus on the bottom line balance sheet dollar and have bought a lesser graded bean and sold it cheaply to wholesalers around the country. As a 100 per cent New Zealand owned wholesaler, Vivace Espresso is committed to supplying our customers with an ethically produced, high quality product,” said Baker.

The Vivace Subscription service will be the first of its kind in New Zealand – through a ‘Roaster’s Choice’ option, coffee lovers will be able to purchase high grade single-origin beans sourced from around the world and change their subscription monthly depending on what bean origin they want to try.

Cameron Hoogervost is brimming with excitement in the roastery. “We have just finished restoring and modifying Bernard’s first roaster which is a 20-year-old 5kg Toper which we will be using to roast the coffee. Like most subscriptions it works on the basis that coffee is delivered weekly without the hassle of ordering or going to the shop.

But the Vivace Espresso Subscription is unique as the Roasters Choice option will feature interesting coffees which will change monthly giving customers the ability to sub in or out of at the push of a button.

I think there is a real demand for a service like this – the modern, often “time poor” consumer now has the opportunity to try out a range of different coffee varietals and processing methods they usually wouldn’t be exposed to – and all the research and information behind the bean’s origin has been made accessible to them.” n

IF YOU LOVE SPORT...

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

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www.theshout.co.nz

November 2018

8 Wired’s Multi-Award Winning

Cucumber Hippy

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October 2018

September 2018

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EDITORIAL

The Shout Editor Charlotte Cowan EDITORIAL

A few of our favourite things…

It may seem like just yesterday that you finally found a place to display that Christmas gift from your great-aunt Edna but, Shout friends, the merry season is upon us again. And while we all look forward to sand, sun and some sparkling beverages over the summer break, we also have the task of buying the perfect presents for our family. Luckily for you, that’s where we come in. Take a look at pgs 8-9 for 12 nonsock gifts guaranteed to put a smile on your loved ones’ faces on Christmas morning.

And if you’re looking for a beer challenge over your Christmas break, why not see if you can get your mitts on John Oszajca’s ‘four beer styles you’ve never heard of’?

A far cry from your average lager or IPA, these styles have been virtually extinct, but could just be making a comeback. Check out the list on pgs 16-17.

On another note, this is my last issue for the year as I am off to add another wee member to my family. But you’re in good hands with The Shout NZ team and FMCG Business Head of Content, Tamara Rubanowski, who will be taking over as Interim Editor while I am away. If you need to contact Tamara, please email her on trubanowski@intermedianz.co.nz. I’ll be back on board in March, so until then, have a spectacular summer!

Contents 04 I ndustry news and insights 06 W hen it comes to alcohol sales, Happy Hour is big business

International insights from Nielsen

07 8 Wired Brewing takes title

at the 2018 NZ Food Awards Q&A with Monique Eriksen

08 T he 12 days of Kiwi Christmas

10 T equila!

This month’s spirit on show with Tash McGill

12 C hardonnay shines

Tasting notes from Cameron Douglas MS

16 F our beer styles you’ve never heard of

John Oszajca unearths some interesting drops

The Shout NZ’s Christmas gift guide

THE COVER: 8 WIRED BREWING

8 Wired is a microbrewing company based in Warkworth, whose aim is to produce mind-blowing beers that will wow craft beer lovers. 8 Wired’s range is inspired by the legendary Kiwi can-do mentality and includes IPAs, Saisons, Porters, Stouts and the award-winning Cucumber Hippy Berliner Weisse. For more on 8 Wired’s recent win at the 2018 Food Awards, head to pg 7. And for contact details, visit www.8wired.co.nz

Editor’s picks ZEFFER CHERRY INFUSED CIDER

Could you get any more festive than a delicious cider infused with Central Otago cherries? We think not. This new cider from Zeffer is the perfect alternative to sparkling wine on a hot summer’s day and makes a great gift for all cider lovers. For more perfect pressies to give your loved ones this Christmas, check out our gift guide on pgs 8-9.

MUDDY WATER WAIPARA VALLEY CHARDONNAY 2016

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

If you’re looking for a buttery Chards, you won’t find it here. Muddy Water favours a classic Burgundy-style approach of producing bright, crisp Chardonnays featuring stone fruit and citrus notes. We have so many amazing Chardonnays in this month’s issue, you won’t know where to start. To check them out, head to Cameron Douglas MS’ tasting notes on pgs 12-15.

MOA LEGASEA LAGER

If you want to feel virtuous whilst drinking a cold brew, then give Moa LegaSea Lager a try. A percentage from every pack of this new drop sold over summer will go to LegaSea, a non-profit organisation committed to

restoring New Zealand’s marine environment and ensuring there’s an abundance of fish left for future generations. Now there’s a reason to buy beer! For more on LegaSea, visit www.legasea.co.nz

TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | November 2018 | 3

NEWS AWARDS NEWS

Entries open for the world’s oldest brewing and cider awards

AWARDS NEWS

Gold medals announced for NZ Wine of the Year Awards

Bill Taylor, Chair of Judges Applications for the 2019 International Brewing Awards and International Cider Awards are now open.

The oldest awards of their kind in the world, the International Brewing Awards were established in 1886, while the International Cider Awards began in 1901.

Held every two years, both awards are open to breweries and cider makers from around the globe and entries are uniquely peer reviewed by a carefully selected panel of commercially practising brewers and cider makers. Recognising the best beers and ciders in the industry, more than 100 medals and trophies are awarded to winners from over 50 countries.

The awards encourage innovation and diversity and as such, this year sees the inclusion of new classes in The International Cider Awards, including barrel influenced cider. Believed to be the only international awards to do so, judging classes within styles are also differentiated by alcoholic strength.

“We pride ourselves on the high standards and the integrity of the judging, by only working with cider making professionals,” says Ruth Evans MBE, Director of Brewing Technology Services. “We will shortly be announcing an impressive line-up of judges for both awards, which will once again be headed up by industry stalwart, Bill Taylor.”

Both award entries close on 1st February 2019, with the medal winners announced on March 8th 2019. Visit www.brewingawards.org/ for more information.

SPIRITS NEWS

Sazerac Company brands distributed by Federal Merchants & Co. SouthTrade International has announced the appointment of Federal Merchants & Company as distributors of select Sazerac Company brands in New Zealand, including Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Buffalo Trace’s famed antique collection of whiskies and Monte Alban Mezcal.

“We’re excited about our new partnership with the team at Federal Merchants & Co,” says Ray Noble, Managing Director of SouthTrade International. “They have a like-minded, passionate approach to our great industry and we know that the Sazerac brands will complement their fantastic portfolio.

“We have big plans for Fireball and Buffalo Trace in New Zealand and we know that Aidin and the team at Federal Merchants will help us realise this ambition.”

Aidin Dennis, Federal Merchants & Co’s CEO, says the company is delighted to add the brands to their stable. “We recognise the same family values in Sazerac and SouthTrade that we pride ourselves on and it is what has made us a successful Kiwi owned business,” he says. “It is these values that will allow for a successful partnership. We look forward to expanding the distribution footprint of these Sazerac brands in New Zealand.”

4 | November 2018 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

Chair of the New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards, Warren Gibson Following three days of judging more than 1300 wines, 78 Gold medals have been awarded in the inaugural New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards.

Chair of the New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards, Warren Gibson, says he was very pleased to see a spread of Gold medals throughout the majority of the New Zealand’s wine regions. The larger areas of Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago took out the lion’s share of the awards but Golds were also given to Gisborne, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury and North Otago.

“The Gold medal list shows that our maturing and evolving wine industry begins to display a very strong relationship between variety, style and wine region,” he says. “This link appears far more dramatic than in past awards and suggests we are beginning to find a true sense of place.”

Marlborough dominated the Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, sparkling and aromatics classes. Central Otago was equally prominent in Riesling and Pinot Noir. Chardonnay was shared between Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough and the full-bodied red classes were dominated by Hawke’s Bay. In addition to the 78 Gold medals, 236 Silver medals and 601 Bronze medals were awarded by a team of 29 judges. There was a total of 915 medals awarded across 16 classes, including the newly introduced Provenance Class, in which wines were judged over three vintages.

The eight major trophies for the New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards will be announced early this month. For more information, visit www.nzwine.com/en/events/new-zealand-wine-ofthe-year-awards/

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

NZ Winegrowers launch inaugural National Cellar Door Day

KERI EDMONDS New Zealand Winegrowers Wine Tourism Manager

Wine tourism is on the rise in New Zealand. Of all international holiday visitors, 27% visit a New Zealand winery, and in 2017 we had 712,000 visitors who spent more than $3.8 million. The international wine tourist is spending more, staying longer and visiting more regions than the average visitor. They are premium travellers who are looking for experiences and memories, and wineries are developing their offerings to ensure they are meeting their needs and making it on to these visitors’ ‘must-do’ lists.

There are 279 wineries offering more than 400 wine tourism experiences in New Zealand, with services available ranging from cellar doors with tastings, wine tasting experiences with winemakers, vineyard tours, to restaurants and luxury accommodation. Those current experiences are highlighted on nzwine.com/visit, and broken down into four separate segments – Sip, Dine, Stay and Play. Each section shows what is on offer in each region, by winery, and is a very handy tool for people to use if they are wanting

to plan a stay featuring a wine experience.

But the wine tourism experiences on offer are not just for the international visitors. NZ Winegrowers are launching the inaugural National Cellar Door Day, a celebration of the start of the summer 2018/2018 season, on Saturday 17 November.

The aim is to encourage New Zealanders to get out, visit and experience cellar doors in their own backyard, or to escape the city and travel to another wine region for a weekend cellar door experience.

Across New Zealand, Regional Wine Associations and local wineries will throw open their cellar doors to celebrate this new annual event, with initiatives happening throughout the regions.

Mark the date in your diary now and keep an eye out on social media on @nzwinegrowers and #cellardoorday to see the fun! A reminder that visiting a cellar door doesn’t mean a reason to overindulge, and consumers can visit www.cheers. org.nz where useful information on safe and responsible drinking can be found.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Beer trends for the hazy, lazy days of summer

DYLAN FIRTH Executive Director, Brewers Association of New Zealand

While I’m not usually one to try and predict the future, there are certain beer trends that saw considerable action in the Northern Hemisphere summer and are growing in popularity here too. With that in mind, let’s have a look at what is likely to be on the beer menu for the upcoming sunny months.

If you can’t see through it, don’t worry. Hazy or juicy beers have already started to make real inroads into the New Zealand beer scene, and if you read John Oszajca’s article back in the August edition of The Shout NZ, you will see what I’m talking about. The number of hazy New England Style IPAs (or NEIPAs) will only continue to grow as the days lengthen.

Hot days, cold lagers. While hoppy, full-flavoured beers such as IPAs have driven much of the craft growth over the last five years, more and more we are seeing the classic Lager and Pilsner styles coming out of our breweries. Old

favourites such as Heineken and Steinlager are never far from the Kiwi BBQ. These styles are traditionally harder to brew well, so as new breweries develop their people and processes, more will come into market. Looking at the data, Lagers and Pilsners currently make up 33% of supermarket and retail sales, so it’s no wonder breweries are looking to ensure they have a quality lager offering in their range.

Keeping with the lighter varieties, we have seen the resurgence of the Kölsch style; this beer is perfect for those wanting to bridge the gap between the two ends of the beer spectrum. The style, historically from Cologne in Germany, is a Lager fermented with ale yeast. Perfect for those in search of something with a full flavour but crisp finish.

So as the days heat up, you can cool off with an old favourite or push the boat out with something new.

TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | November 2018 | 5

INTERNATIONAL INSIGHTS

When it comes to alcohol sales, Happy Hour is

big business Happy Hour is the clear winner when it comes to on-premise alcohol sales in the US. But as expected as it might be, a recent Nielsen analysis shows just how important it is for bars and restaurants.

A

s bars and restaurants navigate the slowing growth of alcoholic beverage sales in the US, many are exploring ways to keep customers engaged and coming back. But given the long operating hours of many establishments, however, operators need to know what time periods generate the most business as they plan their engagement strategies, whether it be through karaoke, live entertainment, dart-throwing contests or even more elaborate offerings.

As many might expect, Happy Hour, defined here as 5pm-8pm, is the clear winner when it comes to on-premise alcohol sales. But as expected as it might be, a recent analysis from Nielsen CGA’s CLIP (Check-Level Insights Pool) data shows just how important this time of day is. In fact, US bars and restaurants generate 60.5% of their average weekly sales from Happy Hour—just 15 hours of the total business week. The average happy hour bill in the US is $68.99 (after discounts), including food and drinks, which is $8.00 more than the average bill during other daypart occasions.

As business picks up through the weekend, Nielsen CGA data shows that the Happy Hour/early evening time of day becomes less important.

That said, however, the period is still the most important for dollar sales, representing 51% and 46% of total sales on Saturday and Sundays, respectively. While Friday, Saturday and Sunday contribute 40% more sales than the rest of the week combined, the new data about the strength of Happy Hour highlights a potentially undervalued occasion.

WEEKDAY UNDERDOG: WEDNESDAY

Looking within the work week highlights the strengths of each day. While Thursday is often touted as a strong drinking occasion, Nielsen CGA data shows that Wednesday Happy Hour traffic is an average of 23.9% higher than other weekdays. This makes Wednesday’s Happy Hour the fourth most valuable for bars and restaurants, with the same hours for Saturday and Friday coming in first and second place, respectively.

“For the first time, foot traffic and check averages are quantified and brands should act on it,” says Scott Elliott, Senior Vice President at 6 | November 2018 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

Nielsen CGA. “This Wednesday Happy Hour ‘spike’ is an opportunity for retailers to better cater to consumer’s need for a mid-week break by promoting more premium products rather than the lowest priced alternatives so often available mid-week.”

Elliott adds that in today’s complex and increasingly competitive marketplace, companies need to tap into the power of data to gain a competitive advantage. Through transaction-level insights, brands are able to better understand the dynamics of their own products within the on-premise and begin to target often-overlooked days and time frames in order to drive traffic and increase revenue. n For more Nielsen insights, head to www.nielsen.com

Q&A

Intermedia NZ Publisher Dale Spencer with 8 Wired’s Monique Eriksen

8 Wired Brewing takes title at the 2018 NZ Food Awards

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arkworth’s 8 Wired Brewing beat out the competition to take home ‘The Shout NZ Alcoholic Beverage Award’ with their Cucumber Hippy beer at the 2018 NZ Food Awards last month.

We chat to 8 Wired’s Monique Eriksen about their big win…

Congratulations on your award! How did you feel when you won?

Quite overwhelmed and very proud of our great little team! We were up against some fantastic products, so to come out on top was a great honour.

Why did you decide to enter the Cucumber Hippy in this year’s awards?

The NZ Food Awards showcases innovation in the food/beverage industry. We feel that Cucumber Hippy fits this quite nicely. It also recently won its category at the New World Beer and Cider Awards, so we knew it had a good chance.

How did you come up with the idea for the beer?

We had been wanting to make a cucumber beer for years but were struggling to find a base beer that had enough flavour to be interesting, but not so much that the delicate cucumbers would get overwhelmed. When we developed our Hippy Berliner, the lightbulb went on, and after a couple of small scale experiments, we put it into production. The zesty, fresh citrus flavours of the

hippy is the perfect companion for the delicate, thirst-quenching properties of the cucumbers.

What makes it special/different from other craft beers out there?

Cucumbers, obviously! To our knowledge it is still the only cucumber beer available in New Zealand, although we do know of a few others overseas. Apart from that, the base beer is a hoppy sour beer, which in itself was really unique when we first made it four years ago.

How do you ensure 8 Wired beers stand out from the crowd?

We always try and stay innovative, always coming up with new flavour combinations, developing new styles of beer or tweaking existing ones to be uniquely 8 Wired. Among other things, we have a very large barrel program, where we brew and age a large range of experimental beers.

What’s next for 8 Wired?

There’s always something new in progress. At the moment we’re working on a non-alcoholic IPA. A beer that packs all of the flavour of a normal strength beer but without the alcohol. It’s a tricky task but so far we’ve gotten down to 1% ABV and retained great flavour. We’re confident we can get below the illusive 0.5% barrier required to legally call it ‘alcohol free’, but only time will tell. n For a full list of 2018 NZ Food Awards winners, visit foodawardsv.massey.ac.nz/winners/

CUCUMBER HIPPY BERLINER WEISSE (4.5% ABV) Bursting with sweet cucumber notes, balanced by lemon peel and tropical fruits. On the palate this beer is puckering, but very refreshing, full of cucumber, citrus and balanced by light hopping, finishing very clean.

AWARDS: 2018 NZ Food Awards The Shout NZ Alcoholic Beverage Award - Winner 2018 New World Beer and Cider Awards - Winner 2018 Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards - Silver AIBA (Australian International Beer Awards) 2017 - Silver

“There was a very high standard of entries in the Alcoholic Beverage Award this year and it was great to see some modern twists on traditional style beers. The overall winner was a very well-made classic style, clean and crisp - a faultless beer with very high drinkability.” Josh Scott – Judge, 2018 NZ Food Awards.

TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | November 2018 | 7

GIFT GUIDE

The

12 Days

of Kiwi Christmas Find the perfect present for your loved ones this festive season with our very merry gift guide.

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4 OIY VARIETAL 1 J SERIES Travel where other wines don’t dare with this portable, quirky, wine in a can, now available in Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Great for outdoor gatherings with friends - the beach, camping, boat and BBQ’s – JOIY cans are single-serve and eco-friendly.

Also available in Sparkling White and Sparkling Rosé.

RRP $6.50 (250ml can) Contact: admin@joiy.co.nz www.joiy.co.nz

WIRED ISTOUT 2 8 AFFOGATO 440ML ‘The ‘i’ might be in lower case, but beware - this is a capital beer. Brimming with luscious roasted coffee and chocolate malt flavours, drizzled over a scoop of velvety ice-cream. iStout Affogato is balanced by a brisk bitterness and bold hoppy freshness, remixed by the addition of lactose, coffee and vanilla in the brew. As with all 8

Wired beers, this is a very modern interpretation of this classic style.

RRP $11.99 (10% ABV) Contact: Quench Collective on (0800) 946 326 www.8wired.co.nz

3 N O UGLY PLUM Wellness brand No Ugly has added a third flavour to its range of tonics with the launch of No Ugly Plum. Combining the antioxidant qualities of plums with nature’s most potent antioxidant, Enzogenol, No Ugly Plum steps up the power of No Ugly’s functional benefit and is the perfect way to kick Ugly’s old arse – just in time for summer. Available in selected stores and online now.

RRP $8.99 Contact: orders@nougly.nz www.nougly.nz

4 Z EFFER CHERRY INFUSED CIDER This refreshing new drop from Hawke’s Bay cider makers Zeffer Cider is infused with world renowned Central Otago cherries,

8 | November 2018 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

resulting in a beautifully balanced cider with a delicate cherry flavour. Housed in an elegant new 1L glass flagon to celebrate Zeffer’s 10 years of cider making, this new addition to the range is perfect for summer entertaining and Christmas gifting. A great alternative to a Rosé or sparkling wine and if you weren’t a cider fan already, this one will win you over.

RRP $12.99 (1 Litre Flagon) Contact: Quench Collective on (0800) 946 326 www.zeffer.co.nz

HE VINEYARDS OF 5 T CENTRAL OTAGO BY VIV MILSOM This stunning book tells the enchanting tale of the people who risked it all to capture the Pinot dream in Central Otago: the vineyard developers and owners, the viticulturists and winemakers.

From diverse countries and backgrounds, they have all shared a passion for Central Otago and a belief in its one-of-a-kind winegrowing potential. Full of colour and character, The Vineyards of

Central Otago is a must-have for anyone who’s ever fallen under the Pinot spell.

RRP $55.00 www.penguin.co.nz

6 TOHU MÉTHODE TRADITIONELLE REWA ROSÉ Tohu Wines has collaborated with artist Flox to design an exclusive gift box and label for their limited edition Méthode Traditionelle Rewa Rosé. Inspired by the Rosé, Flox’s vibrant distinctive illustrations depict native birds, ferns and flowers of Aotearoa.

The collaboration with Tohu Wines and Flox includes an exclusive Flox-designed tote bag. For every tote sold, Tohu Wines will donate a native tree through Te Rahi o Tāne - Trees That Count.

RRP $40.00 (Tote RRP $20.00) www.tohuwines.co.nz/rewarose

7 G LENMORANGIE SIGNET EMBLEM GIFT PACK The perfect gift for lovers of single malt, enjoy the original

GIFT GUIDE 7

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9 expression of elegant, floral spirit and the real backbone of the Glenmorangie range with this exclusive gift edition of The Original. The sophisticated set includes Glenmorangie 10YO Single Malt Whisky (700ml) and two classic branded whisky tumblers in a gift box showcasing Glenmorangie’s iconic emblem, the Signet.

RRP $74.99 www.glenmorangie.com

HURCH ROAD 8 C GWEN HAWKE’S BAY ROSÉ 2018 Honouring the legacy of pioneering winemaker Tom DcDonald and his wife Gwen, this Church Road Rosé is delicate and refreshing, crafted from Hawke’s Bay grown Merlot and Tempranillo grapes. Finely textured, dry and pale salmon pink, the wine draws inspiration from the elegant Rosés of Provence, France while retaining an unmistakably, vibrant local flavour. The bottle depicts a profile of Gwen, and an excerpt

from a poem written by Tom McDonald in 1971 that draws parallels between a good wine and his beloved wife.

RRP $26.59 www.church-road.co.nz

9 S EEDLIP GROVE 42 Seedlip Grove 42 is a citrus blend of copper-pot distillates including bitter orange, mandarin, blood orange, lemongrass, ginger and lemon. Describes as ‘sunshine in a glass’ Grove 42 pairs perfectly with soda and an orange twist, offering a completely sugar- and alcohol-free cocktail. The 42 of Grove 42 is a nod to 1542 which was the year the word “orange” was first used to describe the colour as well as the fruit.

RRP $64.99 (700ml) www.cookandnelson.com

10 R OKU GIN ROKU, meaning six, is a gin lovingly crafted by Japanese artisans to capture the full unique taste of Japan. It harks from the same premium distiller of whisky, Suntory, enjoyed by Bill

Murray in the 2003 classic Lost in Translation. The exotic spirit is distilled using six distinct Japanese botanicals; sakura leaf, sakura flower, gyokuro tea, sencha tea, sanshō pepper and yuzu. Discerning gin drinkers will be pleasantly surprised with the oriental aromas of green tea and cherry blossom, giving a taste that is both distinctly gin-like and proudly Japanese.

RRP $64.99 (700ml) www.beamsuntory.com

ONELY PLANET’S 11 L WINE TRAILS: AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND Featuring 40 weekends of winetasting across New Zealand and Australia, this book features maps, practical details and weekend-long itineraries for each region, including where to stay, eat and, of course, drink.

The follow-up to Lonely Planet’s best-selling 2015 book, Wine Trails, meet New Zealand and Australia’s best winemakers, and discover each place, its people

and their traditions through the wine that’s made there.

RRP $36.99 www.lonelyplanet.com

OA LEGASEA 12 M LAGER Moa’s LegaSea Lager is a crisp, clean drop that is helping to raising funds to help restore New Zealand’s marine environment.

A percentage from every pack of LegaSea Lager sold over the summer months will go to LegaSea, a non-profit organisation committed to restoring New Zealand’s marine environment and ensuring there’s an abundance of fish left for future generations. Moa is setting a fundraising target of $50,000 to help restore depleted fisheries, create an inshore coastal zone to reduce waste and educate people on how they fish smarter while protecting marine life.

RRP $23.99 (12 x 330ml cans) www.moabeer.com

TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | November 2018 | 9

SPIRIT ON SHOW

Tequila!

You may shudder at the thought of the time you had one (ok, 10) too many tequila shots, but this sophisticated spirit is so much more than something to be paired with lime and salt, as Tash McGill explains.

has been used by Native Americans and Mexican tribes for hundreds of years – for food, sugar, soap, the natural fibres and more. It’s the agave nectar that is frequently used as a sweetener in food production and finally, the mezcal family of distilled alcohols is made from agave.

Mezcal, you say? Yes – mezcal is the broader category, despite lesser awareness and sales of delicious, smokey mezcal. Just like whisky and bourbon, technically all tequila is mezcal but not all mezcal is tequila.

You could be forgiven for any confusion, as the Mexican government only formally classified what is and is not tequila in 2001 in the North American Free Trade Agreement with the European Union. Yes, it’s because of a trade deal we can now say that in order to be called tequila, the alcohol must be made with agave azul (blue agave) within the state of Jalisco and five other small municipalities within the rest of Mexico.

THE STEPS…

W

e call them Tequila Tuesdays for a reason – on Tuesdays, any reason for a shot of tequila will do. At least that is how many of us have known tequila, as a grimace-inducing shot lined up along the bar and served with salt and lime. We may even be fond of tequila in its so-called natural habitat; the Margarita or served ‘with the worm’ in B-grade cowboy flicks. It’s got a tough guy kind of image but the real truth is that drinking tequila can be as refined, complex and varied as a wine tasting. So here’s the lowdown on why you should be trading your shot glasses for sipping snifter.

The parallels to the whisky and wine industry don’t stop there. There are seven carefully regulated steps to producing tequila – harvesting the blue agave, cooking, fermentation, distillation, aging and bottling. Each distillery has its own source of agave and their unique elements of the process that affect each tequila’s taste.

You take only the piña, the heart of the agave plant, to make tequila. While a single heart might weigh up to 80 or 300 pounds, it’s not the weight but the sugar volume that makes a difference to the fermentation and distillation process. The older the agave plant is, the longer it has been collecting the fermentable sugars that convert into You take only the piña, the heart of the agave plant, to make tequila

TEQUILA OR MEZCAL?

Let’s begin with the agave, that spikey dusky green succulent that thrives in the arid desert climates of Mexico and parts of South America. It

Agave nectar is used in the mezcal family of distilled alcohols

10 | November 2018 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

beautiful spirit. Once harvested, the piña are cooked using a steaming method and then crushed for extraction of the sugars. This differs slightly to the method for mezcal, where traditionally the piña were cooked in underground ovens lined with coals, imparting a smokey and earthy flavour. Tequila is not smokey, unless it draws some charcoal from the barrel later on.

SPIRIT ON SHOW If you ever saw a scene in a Western film with a donkey or oxen hauling a millstone around a circular pallet, that’s exactly what traditional extraction looks like. The cooked piña are crushed and milled, so the sugars and juices can be taken and then fermented to turn the natural sugars into alcohol. Again, traditional methods have given way to the efficiencies of modern distilling. There is naturally occurring yeast that grows on the agave leaves that would be used to bolster the fermentation process, but in a modern distillery you’re more likely to find a cultivated wild yeast being used. This provides a little more control and consistency in what is otherwise the only aspect of distilling tequila that isn’t controllable.

The process of fermentation is largely spontaneous and while you can add certain compounds to speed up the proceedings, you want to allow the bacterial and chemical reactions that do so much for the flavour of tequila to occur during fermentation. There is a little wild element that brings character to the spirit – in the form of more than 300 naturally occurring compounds that can be found in tequila, each contributing to the unique flavours and aromas. Tequila isn’t just sweet or salty or even astringent – it has a complex nose and palate.

After fermentation, the distillation commences with a minimum of two runs through the still. At this stage, we have tequila blanco or silver tequila. Some distilleries might run it through a third time but the next level of magic happens when the tequila is placed in the barrels for aging.

American oak barrels and how long you lay them down. Reposados are aged between two and twelve months, Añejos are aged between one and three years and Extra Añejos are aged for more than three years. The longer the tequila ages, the more colour and tannins the final product will have and as with whisky, the treatment of the barrel itself can impact the final spirit. The only rule is that the barrels must be oak.

These aged spirits are not for shots across the bar or even for tasting in classic tequila cocktails like the Margarita or the Paloma.

Rich, complex, savoury and sweet – aged tequila should be tasted neat and savoured. While the tequila ages in the barrel, the initial sharp burn of a tequila blanco is mellowed with oak and vanilla, even passing through the char of the inside of the barrel can give a smoother finish to the spirit.

“Drinking tequila can be as refined, complex and varied as a wine tasting”

AND LASTLY…

There are some other rules you should remember – especially when looking at the tequila bottle. As with any spirit ruled by provenance, the labelling matters. To be a tequila, it must be labelled with 100% agave and the designation of origin. Without the 100% agave, it is a mixed tequila. Therefore, flavoured tequilas - although delicious - are mixtos (mixed) and not considered 100% agave.

THE AGEING PROCESS

The Scots aren’t the only ones to love reusing an American oak exbourbon barrel. Tequila is almost always aged in either French or

Tequila is almost always aged in either French or American oak barrels

Añejos are aged between one and three years

So now you know the basic rules, why not change it up? Try using a smokey mezcal or Extra Añejo tequila in your next espresso martini – the earthy sugars really compliment the coffee notes. Mezcal also makes a delicious Old Fashioned or go to town with using a premium Extra Añejo tequila in your next skinny Margarita – all natural lemon and lime juice, Cointreau and a dash of blue agave nectar. n TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | November 2018 | 11

TASTING NOTES

Chardonnay shines

BY CAMERON DOUGLAS MS

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

O

ne of the more important white wine varieties sold in restaurants and wine stores is Chardonnay.

Along with Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay is responsible for significant cashflow contributions. It is a variety and wine that is easy to pronounce, with flavour and texture expectations which are easily recognised, with common terms such as peachy, citrusy, oaky and buttery. Staff employed in restaurants and wine stores are equally important in the cashflow equation - their knowledge of the wine list and salesmanship connecting customers to the right wine and food combinations is critical.

The style and range of expressions Chardonnay is growing, albeit slowly, and staff selling this noble variety must keep abreast of the changes as best as possible.

The use of oak is typical and, in fact, expected, in many Chardonnay. However, the use of new oak is decreasing in favor of second and third year wood use, different barrel sizes and toastier wood flavour

reduction. Some of this reduction is due in part to economies of scale, the need for wine to be released sooner onto the market and the expectation by the public of price stability.

Conversely - vine ages in many instances are at a tipping point where flavour profiles are becoming more complex and using too much oak can mask some of these complexities, change the weight of the wine and suggest more oak sweetness than necessary.

Natural or part-natural fermentations are being used more often showing off more floral, mineral and regional signatures. How the fruit is managed from hand harvesting to machine assisted will have an impact on style also.

A popular approach by some producers is to allow a portion of solids to remain in the juice (immediately post juice extraction), rather than drawing clear juice for fermentation off a settled batch of Must (pre-fermentation liquid), enhancing palate feel and a sense or suggestion of minerality.

The range of Chardonnay tasted for this month’s issue reflects many of the ideas suggested above. n

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

Numbers are not indicative of a ranking.

Smoky, earthy and mineral led bouquet. Complex and alluring.

A great wine on the palate - dry, layers of spice and fruit, medium+ acidity, weighty and creamy. White peach and lemon, nectarine and red apple. Wood spice and wood smoke. Complex, layered, long.

Drink now and through 2030.

Points 96 RRP $34.99 Distributor: Villa Maria Phone: (09) 255 0697 www.villamaria.co.nz

12 | November 2018 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

2 NAUTILUS MARLBOROUGH

CHARDONNAY 2017

Rich, complex, nutty, fruity and engaging bouquet. Dry, full-bodied, youthful and quite intense on the palate with plenty of new oak and oak spice, roasted stone fruits, baked apple and grapefruit flavours. Bold acidity and complex with fine wood tannins and smoky toasty layers. A lovely youthful and well made wine. Drink from 2020 through 2030.

Points 95 RRP $39.95 Distributor: Negociants NZ Phone: (09) 531 5205 www.nautilusestate.com

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VILLA MARIA SINGLE VINEYARD TAYLOR’S PASS MARLBOROUGH CHARDONNAY 2016

TASTING NOTES MARIA SINGLE MARIA RESERVE 3 VILLA 4 VILLA VINEYARD KELTERN HAWKE'S MARLBOROUGH BAY CHARDONNAY 2017

CHARDONNAY 2017

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Floral, flinty, fragrant, complex and enticing bouquet. Aromas and flavours of white-fleshed fruits, oak and wood spice. White peach and red apple, gun metal and flint, stones and tannin textures. A delicious wine with tension, poise and length. Drink now and through 2030.

Points 95 RRP $59.99 Distributor: Villa Maria Phone: (09) 255 0697 www.villamaria.co.nz

Smoky, toasty, nutty, rich and complex. Equally intense on the palate with flavours of roasted stone fruits and grape fruit. A sweet nutty richness follows with cashew and brazil, spices and acidity. Dry lengthy finish with an intensity, complexity and richness that lasts long after the wine is swallowed. Delicious! Drink now and through 2030.

Points 94 RRP $34.99 Distributor: Villa Maria Phone: (09) 255 0697 www.villamaria.co.nz

Developing bouquet of Chardonnay with a nutty richness and spice overlay, some smoky wood and toasty layers, burnt butter and ripe orchard fruits and plenty of complexity. Dry, rich, full and packed with flavours of mineral, spices, a core of fruit and complexity. Quite delicious.

Lengthy and well made. Drink from today and through 2024.

Points 94 RRP $42.00 Distributor: Red+White Cellar Phone: (0800) 946 3792 www.redwhitecellar.co.nz

MUDDY WATER WAIPARA VALLEY CHARDONNAY 2016

MARIA RESERVE DOMUS THE BATTEN 6 VILLA 7 ALPHA HAWKE’S BAY CHARDONNAY HAWKE’S BAY CHARDONNAY 2017

2016

Quietly complex bouquet with aromas and flavours of yellow peach and baked red apple, wood spices and vanilla custard. Dry, creamy spicy and delicious. Flavours reflect the bouquet with layers of delicate wood tannins, medium+ acidity and a core of fruit and texture.

Lovely power and balance, great length. Drink now and through 2026.

Points 94 RRP $39.99 Distributor: Villa Maria Phone: (09) 255 0697 www.villamaria.co.nz

Distinctive bouquet, a little mysterious and very alluring aromas of stone fruit, citrus and specific use of oak; complex. On the palate dry, rich in texture and flavour. No mistaking the use of oak with ripe fruit and concentration to match. Fresh and youthful. Best from now and through 2026.

Points 94 RRP $38.95 Distributor: CoLab Wine Merchants Phone: (03) 445 1670 www.alphadomus.co.nz

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TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | November 2018 | 13

TASTING NOTES ROAD CENTRAL 8 DOMAIN OTAGO CHARDONNAY 2017

VALLEY HAWKE’S BAY 9 ESK CHARDONNAY 2017

Complex bouquet with aromas of ripe orchard fruit, minerals and sweet vanilla oak wood.

Lovely palate textures and flavours with apples and stone fruits, sweeter citrus and oak intertwined. Plush lengthy finish, great balance and intrigue. Drink now and through 2028.

Points 94 RRP $28.00 Distributor: Co Pilot Phone: (09) 412 9137 www.domainroad.co.nz

Immediately intriguing, complex, fruity and spicy. Layers of cashew and spice, white peach and citrus Dry with a weighty, creamy texture contrasted by acidity. Lengthy, and well made.

Drink now and through 2025.

Points 93 RRP $19.99 Distributor: Villa Maria Phone: (09) 255 0697 www.eskvalley.co.nz

AWA SINGLE ESTATE 10 TE HAWKE'S BAY CHARDONNAY 2017

A rich and enticing bouquet with a mix of cashew nutty oak, baking spices and toasty vanilla wood. Dry, full-bodied, rich in flavour of white fleshed fruits and wood spices. Medium+ acidity, vibrant creamy texture and lengthy finish. A lovely example, great balance and drinkability as well as cellar potential. best from today and through 2026.

Points 93 RRP $24.99 Distributor: Villa Maria Phone: (09) 255 0697 www.teawacollection.com

WAITAKI VALLEY DOMUS THE SKYBOLT 12 QCHARDONNAY 11 ALPHA 2017 HAWKE’S BAY CHARDONNAY 2016

Very enticing bouquet with layers of wood spice, yellow and white-fleshed fruits, gun metal and dry stone mineral. Lovely complexity and dryness on the palate with tension and impact from the oak, medium+ acidity and plenty of weight and richness. Lengthy finish.

Must like oak expression. Drinking well now and through 2025.

Points 93 RRP $24.95 Distributor: CoLab Wine Merchants Phone: (03) 445 1670 www.alphadomus.co.nz

TWELVE

ELEVEN

TEN

NINE

EIGHT

14 | November 2018 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

Floral, mineral and intriguing Chardonnay. A core of white fruits and lemon, layers of oak spice and flavour add complexity as well as structure. Plenty of acidity adds in a layer of freshness and palate engagement. Youthful, fresh, balanced and well made with a fine and well placed layer of oak. Drink now and through 2028.

Points 93 RRP $57.00 Distributor: Q Wine Phone: (021) 349 400 www.qwine.co.nz

TASTING NOTES CENTRAL OTAGO 13 AKARUA CHARDONNAY 2017 Floral, mineral, citrus and white-fleshed stone fruits lead the initial aromas. A fine layer of flintiness adds depth and complexity with the oak a little spice and richness. Dry, plush, fresh, fruity and youthful. A lovely refreshing style with great balance and length. A wine that will maturely well over the coming three to five years. Best from 2019 through 2024+.

Points 92 RRP $29.00 Distributor: Hancocks Wine, Spirits and Beer Merchants Phone: (03) 445 4292 www.akarua.com

HILLS EQUINOX 14 WAIPARA WAIPARA VALLEY CHARDONNAY 2015

Lovely bouquet with vanilla and cream, peaches, apple and a whisper of tropical fruit.

Plenty of nutty cashew oak moments adding depth and complexity. Dry on the palate with flavours that match the nose, medium+ weight, creamy texture and contrasting acidity. A lovely wine to enhance any meal. Drink now and through 2023.

Points 91 RRP $34.90 Distributor: Hancocks Wine, Spirits and Beer Merchants Phone: (0800) 699 463 www.waiparahills.co.nz

NELSON 1 5 WAIMEA CHARDONNAY 2016 Nutty, textured bouquet with aromas then flavours of peaches and popcorn, apples and oak spices. Weighty and dry on the palate with creamy and fine textures as well as grapefruit, tree and stone fruit flavours. Decent length and balanced. Drink now and through 2023.

Points 90 RRP $24.99 Distributors: Federal Merchants & Co Phone: (09) 578 1823 www.sapor.co.nz

THE BROTHERS RIVER BY LOUIS 17 GIESEN 1 6 AWATERE MARLBOROUGH VAVASOUR MARLBOROUGH CHARDONNAY 2016

CHARDONNAY

Full-bodied, rich in oak aromas and flavours, punchy with accentuated baking spices and toasty wood flavours. Baked stone fruits, grapefruit peel and apple. Dry, balanced acidity and lengthy rich finish. Well made. Drink now and through 2023.

Points 90 RRP $29.99 Distributor: Federal Merchants & Co Phone: (09) 578 1823 www.sapor.co.nz

Varietal, bright, very fresh, fruity and packed with aromas and flavours of red apples and just ripe peaches, citrus and wet stone mineral notes. Dry, crunchy, crisp and weighty.

Balanced and well made. Drinking well now and through 2023.

Points 90 RRP $28.99 Distributor: Giesen Group Phone: (03) 344 6270 www.giesenwines.co.nz

SEVENTEEN

SIXTEEN

FIFTEEN

FOURTEEN

THIRTEEN

TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | November 2018 | 15

BEER FEATURE

Four beer styles you’ve never heard of To contact John Oszajca regarding beer features or samples, please email him at john@newzealandbrewer.co.nz

Forget IPAs, lagers and pilsners, beer writer John Oszajca has unearthed some fascinating beer styles that may be new to even the most accomplished beer aficionado.

J

ust 20 years ago, many of the world’s once-popular beer styles were either extinct, or found only in a few far flung corners of the world. A devastating combination of wars, temperance movements, and the industrial revolution, led to the homogenised lager-driven beer markets that dominated the second half of the last century. But my, how the pendulum has swung back.

Today, we see a beer landscape that has been transformed by the thousands of craft breweries that have opened their doors over the last few decades. With so many craft breweries now competing for tap handles and shelf space, standing out in the line-up is more important than ever. From Gose to Dark Mild, we have seen a revival of many once ‘all-but-forgotten’ beer styles as craft brewers attempt to get the attention of the ever-fickle craft beer drinker.

Despite the enormous variety of beer styles now back in production, there are still quite a few beers that even the most passionate beer aficionados have likely never heard of, let alone had the pleasure of trying. Let us take a look at four examples of once-popular beer styles that, save for a handful of adventurous craft brewers, are still largely relegated to cobweb-laden books and references from centuries past.

ADAMBIER

Adambier

16 | November 2018 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

Adambier is a historical style of beer from Dortmunder, Germany, made before the advent of lager. Unfortunately, the style went extinct long ago, and we know relatively little about it, save for a few historical references and one analysis of the beer that was documented in the American Handy Book of the Brewing, Malting and Auxiliary Trades, written in 1902.

A traditional Dortmunder Adambier is a dark, very strong (about 10% ABV), slightly sour ale, which is aged in barrels for at least a year. The dark colour is believed to come from long boiling and aging times rather than the use of highly roasted malt, and the slightly sour character (said to be about half as sour as a Belgian Lambic), comes from the long aging times in oak barrels (a common home to lactic acid producing bacteria). But perhaps the thing that is most unique about this enigmatic dark and sour ale, is the high hopping rate. Unlike most historical sour beers styles, such as Berlinerweiss, Gose, and Lambic - that typically have very low to no hop

BEER FEATURE

German Porter

Kentucky Common

bitterness - the Adambier, is said to be highly hopped, and clocks in around an estimated 50 – 60 IBUs (the equivalent of many modern IPAs).

While this author knows of no New Zealand breweries currently producing an Adambier, there are a few inventive craft breweries around the world now offering their take on this unusual beer style.

GERMAN PORTER

While the once nearly extinct English Porter has enjoyed an enormous renaissance in recent decades, the German Porter is largely unknown to most craft beer fans outside of Germany, and is extremely hard to come by. The style is first believed to have been brewed about 200 years ago, when German brewers tried their hand at producing a local version of the then internationally renowned English Porter. However, instead of using English roasted malts, ale yeast, and floral hops, they used German ‘de-bittered black malt’, German hops (known for their more-herbal qualities), and (at least on some occasions), German lager yeast strains. The result is said to have been a strong (typically over 6.5% ABV), smooth, dark beer that was probably more similar to a modern Schwarzbier than an English Porter.

Perhaps most interesting of all, is that this German beer seems to have been consistently brewed with the addition of Brettanomyces, a semiwild genus of yeast known for producing ‘funky’ or ‘barnyard’ flavours.

Brettanomyces is also capable of consuming larger sugar molecules than normal brewer’s yeast, which means it would have had a drier finish.

The practice of adding Brettanomyces in secondary fermentation was likely adopted from the traditional English Porters that were aged in wooden vats, and thus exposed to Brettanomyces.

While the style all but disappeared in Western Germany, it was kept alive in Eastern Germany where it was brewed until the fall of the Berlin wall. Today, the best known German Porter is produced by the Hoepfner Brewery of Karlsruhe. However, it does not use Brettanomyces and is said to be quite different from a traditional German Porter. Though very rare, more traditional interpretations of the style are occasionally produced by modern craft brewers.

Lichtenhainer

Louisville Kentucky area prior to the American Civil War. In the early 20th century, the style was so popular as to make up approximately 75% of the beer sold in the area.

Like (the also American) Steam Beer and Cream Ale, which were created to appeal to the demand for beer from America’s rising number of European immigrants, the Kentucky Common was a lager-esque beer brewed in a warmer climate with American ingredients. Because America’s 6 Row Barley was much richer in protein than the European 2 Row barley of the time, a significant percentage of corn (up to 35%) was used to help dilute the high protein levels. Additionally, a small amount of caramel and dark malt was used in the grist, either to appeal to a regional preference for darker beer, or, more likely, to help acidify the regions highly carbonate water. The result was an amber coloured, easy-drinking ale that had moderately low levels of hop bitterness and alcohol. The beer was cheap to produce and much loved by Kentucky’s working class.

“Despite the enormous variety of beer styles now back in production, there are still quite a few beers that even the most passionate beer aficionados have likely never heard of”

KENTUCKY COMMON

A Kentucky Common is a uniquely American beer style that was lost to prohibition, until being resurrected by a small number of American homebrewers and craft breweries in recent years. As its name suggests, the beer was originally brewed, and almost exclusively sold, in the

LICHTENHAINER

Lichtenhainer is another obscure German beer style that was popular in Germany but died out in the late 20th century, until being (at least somewhat) revived by the modern craft beer revolution. Not a beer that is likely to appeal to every palate, the Lichtenhainer is a lower alcohol (3.5% 4.5% ABV), smoked German ale, soured with lactic acid producing bacteria, and (at least historically) drunken fresh while still somewhat hazy.

Typically (though not always) brewed with a healthy percentage of wheat in the grist, a Lichtenhainer presents a complex combination of lemon, sometimes apple, smoke, acidity, and a subtle crackery note that is both complex and refreshing. This rare and unique balance of smoke and sour is not found in any other beer, and while loved by some, can be a bit challenging to others. Largely unknown to New Zealand beer drinkers, the odd bottle does occasionally show up in craft beer bottle shops and online beer stores.

Just a few decades ago, the varieties of beer available to the average Kiwi beer fan were extraordinarily limited. Today, it is impossible to keep up with the explosion of new and interesting beers to hit the market. Some of these beers are new and never before seen, and many are old and all but forgotten styles. Thanks to an increasing number of beer historians and adventurous brewers, who have taken it upon themselves to revive these (and other) once-impossible-to-find historical beer styles, we are able to explore many of these forgotten flavours from our past. Cheers. n TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | November 2018 | 17