Hospitality February 2019

NO.750 FEBRUARY 2019

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CONTENTS // February

Contents FEBRUARY 19

22

Regulars 5 // IN FOCUS An exclusive interview with Marco Pierre White on his Australian expansion.

6 // NEWS The latest in openings, events, books and more.

8 // PRODUCE A look at the scarlet prawn.

10 // COLUMN Annam’s Jerry Mai on the impact of no-shows.

12 // BEST PRACTICE Why New Year’s goals don’t have to be cliché.

28

24

14 // BUSINESS PROFILE The story behind Haberfield’s La Disfida.

Features

16 // DRINKS There’s more to the negroni than meets the eye.

32 // BEHIND THE SCENES How to make Gin Lane’s negroni soft serve.

18 // CORN TORTILLAS What the staple’s history reveals about Mexico’s culinary culture.

22 // INDIAN Modern Indian restaurants are taking the cuisine to a new level.

33 // EQUIPMENT Tweezers: friend or foe?

24 // ESPRESSO WATER Creating perfect water is the next frontier in specialty coffee.

34 // 5 MINUTES WITH ...

Mal Meiers on changing the way the industry addresses mental health.

28 // PRODUCT LINES Why your restaurant should create a product range.

February 2019 | 3

EDITOR’S NOTE // Hello

Social

Keep up with the Hospitality team

This hot dog from Copenhagen’s Rådhuspladsen came with ketchup, mustard, remoulade, pickles, fried and raw onions. @madeline.woolway

New year, new Hospitality AS THE CLICHÉ goes, a new year is the time

The Ételek pop-up may be gone, but the craving for langos with cultured cream lives on. @hospitalitymagazine

This issue, Annam’s Jerry Mai pens a

to set intentions and switch things up. Here

column on the impact of no-shows on

at Hospitality, we’ve decided to do just that.

restaurants, journalist Madeline Woolway

Not only have we refreshed the design of the

examines the importance of water in

magazine, but a range of new sections have

the coffee-making process and I

been added including a closer look at our

talk to venues launching their own

video series and a news spread on the latest

product lines.

happenings in the restaurant world.

We’ve also kept the sections readers love such as our business profile (Haberfield’s

I’d love to hear your feedback on the newlook Hospitality, so please feel free to send me an email at acloros@intermedia.com.au.

La Disfida features this issue) and flavour of the month, which has been rebranded as

Until next time,

‘produce’ and includes bespoke illustrations

Annabelle Cloros

by Elena Fombertaux.

Editor

The charcuterie at Continental Deli CBD is the perfect start to a stellar menu. @annabellecloros

Follow us @hospitalitymagazine #hospitalitymagazine

PUBLISHER Paul Wootton pwootton@intermedia.com.au EDITOR Annabelle Cloros T: 02 8586 6226 acloros@intermedia.com.au JOURNALIST Madeline Woolway T: 02 8586 6194 mwoolway@intermedia.com.au

ADVERTISING NATIONAL Dan Shipley T: 02 8586 6163 F: 02 9660 4419 dshipley@intermedia.com.au ART DIRECTOR Kea Thorburn kthorburn@intermedia.com.au PRODUCTION MANAGER Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au

HEAD OF CIRCULATION Chris Blacklock cblacklock@intermedia.com.au To subscribe please call 1800 651 422. hospitalitymagazine.com.au facebook.com/ HospitalityMagazine twitter.com/Hospitalityed instagram.com/hospitalitymag

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DISCLAIMER This publication is published by Food and Beverage Media, a division of The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd (the “Publisher”). Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication does not indicate the Publisher’s endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Publisher, its agents, company officers or employees. Any use of the information contained in this publication is at the sole risk of the person using that information. The user should make independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information before relying on that information. All express or implied terms, conditions, warranties, statements, assurances and representations in relation to the Publisher, its publications and its services are expressly excluded save for those conditions and warranties which must be implied under the laws of any State of Australia or the provisions of Division 2 of Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof. To the extent permitted by law, the Publisher will not be liable for any damages including special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of any kind arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damages. While we use our best endeavours to ensure accuracy of the materials we create, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that may appear in this publication. Copyright © 2019 – The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd

4 | Hospitality

IN FOCUS // Marco Pierre White

Marco Pierre White announces Aussie restaurant empire Marco Pierre White has teamed up with RMAL Hospitality to bring his restaurant brands to the Australian market.

WORDS Annabelle Cloros THERE’S NO SHORTAGE of

amount of time in Australia

a foundation and you have an

Australian chefs and wait staff

restaurants in Australia run by

during the year, adding to the

infrastructure — that’s the beauty

and local produce will reign

globally renowned figures. But

motivation behind the rollout.

of hotels. I’m a great believer

supreme on the menu. “There’s

There are seven brands up

UK chef Marco Pierre White

that you employ the hierarchy

very good produce in Australia,”

will be expanding his culinary

for franchise including Marco

and then those individuals build

says Pierre White. “It will all be

portfolio to the Oceania region

Pierre White Steakhouse Bar

their team.”

local ingredients — nothing will

for the first time, with seven

& Grill; New York Italian;

restaurant brands set to launch.

Bardolino Pizzeria Bellini &

brands will launch, but Pierre

Pierre White spoke to Hospitality

Espresso Bar; Wheelers of St

White says all venues will take

atmosphere and perplexing

about what diners can expect

James Oyster Bar & Grill Room;

cues from their surroundings

food — you’ve got the wrong

from the venues, tailoring

Marconi Coffee & Juice Bar;

— people and place included.

idea. “It’s about simplicity

concepts to the Australian

Mr White’s English Chophouse

“What’s important is to develop

and service with a smile in an

market and the importance of

and Koffmann and Mr White’s

the concept around the market,”

environment you want to sit in,”

good infrastructure.

English French Brasserie.

he says. “You have to tailor

says Pierre White. “The future of

things to the environment and

dining out is making everything

Late last year, Pierre

In the UK, a number of Pierre

There’s no word on which

be flown in.”

And if you’re expecting a stiff

White signed a deal with

White’s restaurants operate

the demographic and price

affordable, delicious and in an

RMAL Hospitality to create

within hotels, and the group will

it accordingly.” There are

environment with warm service

a new group dubbed Black

consider the same arrangement

no confirmed locations, but

— I don’t think it’s complicated.

and White International. The

in Australia. “We tend to operate

Pierre White names Melbourne,

I don’t want to do three-star

primary motivation behind the

in hotels on the High Street, so

Sydney, Adelaide and Perth

Michelin food, that’s a world

partnership was to expand Pierre

we’re looking at hotels,” says

as the most likely sites. “I think

many years ago. They have

White’s franchised restaurants

Pierre White. “If you’re in a hotel

you have to be in those major

their place, but I don’t want to

into the Oceania region. The

with 300 bedrooms, you’ve

cities,” he says.

be part of that world. I just like

chef also spends a decent

already got a market. You’ve got

Venues will be staffed with

simple and straight-forward.”

■

February 2019 | 5

NEWS // Entrée

Entrée

The latest openings, books, events and more.

Totti’s opens Pinbone chef Mike Eggert has teamed up with ex-

EDITED BY Annabelle Cloros

Rockpool chef Khan Danis to spearhead Merivale’s new Bondi eatery Totti’s. Located in The Royal Hotel, Totti’s

Dan Hunter x Koko Black Dan Hunter has released a range of chocolates in collaboration with Koko Black. The Brae chef worked with head chocolatier Remco Brigou to create chocolate pralines and blocks that showcase Australian native ingredients. Flavours include finger lime, green ant and burnt butter cream along with whipstick wattle with roasted coconut and Arriba 39 per cent single origin. kokoblack.com

revolves around Italian fare with a menu that’s split into four sections: breads, cheese and charcuterie; pasta, protein and Italian desserts.

“It’s visual, aromatic and very hands on,” says Eggert.

“We want it to feel really communal, where people see a table full of little plates and fresh bread and immediately want to tuck in and have fun.” merivale.com

Nadine Ingram releases debut book Flour and Stone Nadine Ingram $55, Simon & Schuster Flour and Stone’s Nadine Ingram has released a book that covers her 30-plus-year career as a baker alongside recipes for her cult baked goods. Best known for her pannacotta lamingtons, mouth-watering cakes and croissants crafted in Woollahra, Flour and Stone features a range of recipes to suit multiple skill levels. Highlights include lemon drizzle cake, carrot cake and apple tart.

Alanna Sapwell heads to Brisbane Alanna Sapwell has moved to Brisbane to head up ARC at the Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane.

The venue features a 140-seat wine bar and a 100-seat restaurant which is scheduled to open in February. The former Saint Peter chef says the culinary team will be working closely with local producers, utilising whole carcasses and animals that have “served one or two purposes in their life” such as mutton and hogget. howardsmithwharves.com

6 | Hospitality

NEWS // Entrée

Gin Lane launches boozy soft serves Gin Lane’s head mixologist Grant Collins has created a range of boozy soft serves with Florentina’s David Lopresti. Flavours include Aperol spritz, Singapore sling, south side and negroni, which will be on rotation until the end of summer. The ice creams are all served with dedicated toppings including candied orange, candied mint, popping candy and chocolate flake and are available in a cup or cone.

Shaun Quade heads to LA

ginlanesydney.com

Shaun Quade has officially handed

The butcher’s book Meat: The Ultimate Companion

over the reins of Lûmé to John Rivera and is focusing on opening a new restaurant in Los Angeles.

Anthony Puharich and Libby Travers $79.99, Murdoch Books

Why Los Angeles?

Victor Churchill butcher and co-owner Anthony

LA is probably the most exciting

Puharich and food writer Libby Travers have penned a

US city to eat in right now, and

practical guide to all things meat. The book features a

my partner Veronica and I have

range of perspectives on meat from farmers, butchers

increasingly fallen in love with the

and cooks alongside more than 110 recipes. Meat also

city. A lot of what Veronica and

includes illustrated butchery techniques, expert tips on

I originally planned for Lûmé in

selecting, storing and cooking meat and a history of

Melbourne just wasn’t the right place

every animal Australia raises for meat.

at the right time, but for LA, it is.

We’ve always been interested in the psychological, technological and experiential elements of dining as much as the food and the LA concept allows us to explore those ideas.

How would you describe the culinary direction?

The LA menu is an evolution of what

Go wild

I was working on previously at Lûmé — only it’s more in tune with what I prefer to cook personally, which

Chef Sarah Glover has

means more plant- and seafood-

created six food boxes

based dishes, more reliance on

for Unyoked’s hidden

the land and the incorporation of

cabins across Sydney

animal-based protein as an accent

and Melbourne. Revolving around the concept of

rather than a feature.

I’ve been working with a local

high-end campfire food, the

forager who has been showing me

recipes are designed to be

some of the many ingredients that

cooked over fire using basic

are indigenous to California. It’s been

equipment. The veggie box

a joy to learn more about them and

features campfire spinach

work them into this style of AusCal

lasagna while the carnivore

cuisine. I’m also working with a farmer

box includes bangers and

growing native Australian ingredients

mash. unyoked.co Photography by

and we’ll have a big focus on Australian low-intervention wines.

Luisa Brimble.

February 2019 | 7

PRODUCE // Scarlet prawn

Up to 30cm in length and 150g inclusive of the shell

Scarlet Prawn

Striking red in colour and large in size, the scarlet prawn (Aristaeopsis Edwardsiana) is one of the most coveted crustaceans worldwide.

ILLUSTRATIONS Elena Fombertaux Origins

only take 10–15 minutes and will limit the

The species is known by a plethora of

loss of flavour and texture. Once thawed,

names — here in Australia, it is known

the prawn should be used quickly to

as a coral prawn, giant red prawn or

avoid oxidisation which will not only

velvet prawn.

result in discolouration (blackening) of

The prawn is the result of a new fishery in Cape Moreton which has

the head and shell, but will taint the flavour of the flesh and the liver.

A large liver sits

been developed in consultation with the Federal Fisheries Management Authority

Flavour profile and appearance

behind the head

and the Queensland government.

Known for the deep red colour of their

and the main

Historically, the catch of the species has

shell, scarlet prawn flesh is translucent

carapace

been random and mostly the result of

and finely textured with a soft, yielding

bycatch. Caught in depths of 400–

bite and deep, umami-rich aftertaste.

2,000m, in the deep oceanic trenches

Thanks to the depths they are found in,

of the South Coral Sea between 50

they’re similar to scampi or lobster in

and 100km off the coast of South East

terms of texture. They have a large liver

Queensland, the prawns are graded

which sits behind the head and the main

making soups,

and frozen at -45 degrees Celsius on

carapace. Their colour and large size

sauces and oil

the catching vessel.

are appealing when plated whole.

Excellent for

The fishery is subject to strong currents that move up and down the East Coast

Culinary uses

of Australia and while further research

The texture makes the prawns ideal

is being undertaken, is likely to be a late

for sashimi, however chefs have also

autumn and winter fishery. Volumes

experimented with steaming, grilling

will be small and offered to Australian

and roasting. Leave the shell on during

Translucent flesh

seafood wholesalers first.

cooking to retain natural juices. The

is finely textured,

prawn’s natural layer of fat sits under

with a soft,

Storage

the shell, rendering during cooking to

yielding bite

The scarlet prawn should be stored at

retain both moisture and texture. The

-28 degrees Celsius or less and ideally

shells can also be used to make clear

thawed in a strong ice brine. This should

and creamed soups and sauces. ■

8 | Hospitality

COLUMN // No-shows

The real cost of no-shows Annam’s Jerry Mai didn’t have the festive season she was hoping for thanks to diners who simply never turned up.

CHRISTMAS IS A whirlwind in

We hold tables for bookings,

our ability to make the profit

their credit card details and go

hospitality. Venues often rely

thus turning away walk-ins and

our restaurant needed during

on a shopping spree!

on increased earnings during

declining other parties.

the period.

the period to help carry them

When we are fully booked, we

When we first opened, we had

Somewhere along the line manners have been forgotten.

through quieter times. So why do

put on more staff and have more

strict booking policies where

In light of this, and after hearing

people leave common courtesy

food. We close Sundays, so what

we would take credit card

similar stories of no-shows from

in a cupboard during a time

we order for Saturday is enough

details if customers booked a

others in the industry, we’ve

that’s supposed to be festive?

to cover us given the bookings

table of six or more and would

been forced to reintroduce our

we have. If bookings don’t show

charge a small nominal fee in

previous booking policy instead

no-shows who seemed to think

up, we have to carry over any

the event of a no-show. The

of relying on common courtesy.

it was ok to book a table on a

food we can to Monday and

policy isn’t uncommon in the

Perhaps a shared blacklist

Friday or Saturday night and not

waste the rest.

industry, however we found we

across online booking systems is

were losing large bookings as

the way forward to help venues

In December, I was chasing

turn up! I’m not talking about

We also put extra staff on

small tables of two or three,

to meet the needs of our fully

people were reluctant to secure

cope with no-shows. Maybe this

but large groups of six or more

booked restaurant. When so

a booking with their credit card

will have more impact on people

that ghosted on the night. They

many people don’t turn up, we

details. It didn’t matter how

who ghost on bookings if they

didn’t even have the courtesy

can’t send extra staff home as

many times we explained we

find multiple venues declining

to make a phone call to cancel

they need to work a minimum of

wouldn’t take money unless

them. Just a thought … or maybe

or answer when we called to

three hours. No-shows cost us

they were a no-show — people

manners need to come back

check if they were still coming.

a chunk of money and cut out

seemed to think we would take

into fashion? ■

10 | Hospitality

BEST PRACTICE // Growth directions

Growth directions for a profitable year The themes and directions influencing the Australian industry — no matter how big or small your business is.

WORDS Ken Burgin

Clean up your act with employees

themselves. Appoint some

includes online bookkeeping,

underpaying wages. If your

unofficial photographers from

roster systems, payroll, a better

concept or business model

Fair Work is not going away, and

your staff (including the kitchen)

POS that integrates with your

doesn’t work when you operate

the ‘informal’ wage arrangements

and give them a quota of happy

accounts, ordering systems and

legitimately, it’s time for a hard

that have been relied on in the

snaps to collect each week

booking apps. Feed them all into

look at what you’re planning for

past are coming back to bite many

for social media posts. Find a

your Xero or MYOB accounting

the future. Paying legal rates

operators. Managers must now

helper to post on social media

system — sales, purchasing

could push up your wage bill by

alert staff to their right to ‘casual

or send out the newsletter you’ve

and wages create a powerful

30 per cent. We’re a land of high

conversion’ after 12 months. The

been planning. There should

dashboard. Don’t fear your

rents and high wages — your

unpaid overtime many chefs put

be several lively updates on

numbers — bring them under your

re-imagined concept needs

up with is also becoming more

Facebook and Instagram every

surveillance and control.

to take up less space, be more

problematic and is a key reason

week without fail.

productive with staff, diversify

Simplify for efficiency

sales channels and implement

Hospitality wages in Australia are

Embrace delivery

What processes can be done

non-stop marketing. This will

higher than other countries, but so

Handing over 35 per cent to Uber

more quickly with fewer phone

be your most challenging and

is our cost of living — employees

Eats or Deliveroo doesn’t leave

calls, less moving parts and

rewarding project of the year! ■

are not living the high life on what

much left for you, but demand

requirement for skilled staff?

you pay them! Underpayments

is soaring and delivery provides

It’s not about dumbing down or

are now commonly referred to as

extra sales. Explore white-

going back to pen and paper.

wage theft and it’s not what you

label apps such as OrderUp or

Simplify rostering with online

want to be known for.

Takeaway Solutions along with

systems such as Tanda and

special deals with couriers such

Deputy that provide more control

Genuine & consistent marketing

as Drive Yello. You could also

and offer an instant review

consider creating your own app

of wage costs. Simplify food

Occasional or scrappy social

and install a dedicated window

costs with software such as

media posts are no longer

for takeaway.

Hospitality Genie or Cooking the

why they leave the industry.

an option. Most of what your

Books which give you control of

competitors do is lifeless: fancy

Control the numbers

plates, stylish bars, clever quotes

Smart operators ensure they

and nothing much we relate to.

have instant access to sales,

Get out amongst your customers

wages and purchasing data that

Design your business to be profitable

and take photos of them

they use every day. Low-cost

Many businesses have

eating, drinking and enjoying

technology is available and

maintained their profits by

12 | Hospitality

recipes, menus and ordering.

Versatility you want, performance you expect.

SERVING SUGGESTION

Mainland Mozzarella is a versatile cheese, giving chefs great results across a wide range of applications.

It comes pre-shredded to save you time so your customers can enjoy and savour its golden stretch.

anchorfp.com.au | csaustralia@fonterra.com | 1300 738 484

La Disfida

They say hospitality’s in your blood — and for Peter Zuzza, it really is.

WORDS Annabelle Cloros

A YEAR OF travel for a restaurateur is

Zuzza bought Haberfield’s La Disfida

more than just a holiday — it’s a buffet of

in 2009 with plans to exact his produce-

to your heart’s content. After the sale of

pickle when he had to completely staff

inspiration and a chance to eat and drink the Zuzza family’s Glebe restaurant, The

Mixing Pot, Peter Zuzza decided to head to Italy with his wife and children. “We went

to Treviso where I grew up and I did some

food and wine courses,” he says. “I spent a month in Tuscany with a winemaker and

first vision, but was left in a bit of a

or from afar. “We’re looking for staff all

says Zuzza. “My father, sister and some friends came to help, but it was hard.”

Trying to find staff at the end and the

employees had to fit the bill. “I’m not an

so I thought, ‘Why can’t we do that here?’”

14 | Hospitality

La Disfida currently employ 12 staff

until we closed to fix a few things,”

restaurant helped for a couple of weeks

see what they were doing, which was

in season. That’s what Italian food is to me

we feed off each other.”

members, but Zuzza says it’s hard to find

beginning of the year is tough, but Zuzza

always simple and using produce that was

fantastic. I’ll do anything to help them and

the venue. “The people who owned the

went to Bologna to make gelato and pasta.

I would eat at osterias in small towns and

staff who have the same passion as me, it’s

was set on what he wanted to create and easy person to work for but I’m fair — I

think it all comes down to trying to be a perfectionist,” he admits. “When I find

good people — whether they’re local

the time,” he says. “We sponsor overseas workers, but I think people might be getting discouraged if they want to

continue their experiences in Australia.”

The restaurateur has also noticed a

downturn in people swinging by in the hopes of securing a job. “There’s less

people coming around asking for work — we used to get a couple of resumes

a week. We advertise for apprentices

sometimes, but the uptake isn’t great.”

Zuzza finds the best method of

recruitment is through existing staff

members or other restaurateurs. “Danny Russo [Russolini group] is a good friend

of mine and he helps me out, but [we] ask staff if they know someone who’s looking for work. Sometimes we suck it up and

wait until we find the right person. [We

BUSINESS PROFILE // La Disfida

“I would eat at osterias in small towns and see what they were doing, which was always simple and using produce that was in season.

That’s what Italian food is to me.”

– Peter Zuzza

extensive specials board which changes

so people can try them,” he says. “We used

can get his hands on. The restaurateur

was hard at first because you had waste,

every week in line with what Zuzza

estimates 85 to 90 per cent of customers order a dish from the specials menu

No-shows and customers cancelling

vegetarian, something cold, seafood,

many venues struggle with. La Disfida

week. “We always have something

meat and larger meat dishes for mains,”

he says. “We started the specials menu to take pressure off the pizza because the

section would get slammed, so I thought let’s do something that can help them

while offering more variety to customers.”

The size of the specials menu is

impressive, but La Disfida also offers set

town osterias — one that offered an Italian wine list, the pizza La Disfida was famed

for and a menu that celebrated seasonality.

“I was set on what I wanted to create and I

thought it’s either going to work or it’s not,”

polenta chips with gorgonzola, calamari and the salumi board,” says Zuzza. “We also have gnocchi and spaghetti with

mussels, which were from the original menu — we never took them off.”

offering and is something Zuzza developed 19 and working at The Mixing Pot, a wine group would come in every month,” he

show up — what can you do? If it’s early

in the evening, we can cover the table, but if it’s after 8pm, it’s hard.”

Spying a line of customers hanging

for diners walking or driving by, and La queue out the door. Restricting the size of bookings allows the restaurant to

focus on walk-ins who are split into two categories — those who chow down a

pizza in under 30 minutes and others who take their time. “The wait is rarely longer than 25 minutes,” says the restaurateur.

“We’re only open for four and a half hours a day, so we have to maximise occupancy

to cover the costs of running a restaurant.

They’re not getting any cheaper.”

La Disfida will celebrate 10 years in

business under Zuzza this year, and the

let me try them.” The restaurateur began

of the staff teamed with fresh, honest and

and they would talk about the wines and researching varieties in his own time

and even planned holidays around wine regions to further his knowledge.

While La Disfida’s wine list isn’t strictly

menu to emphasise what I had seen in these

sample something new. “There are so many

The restaurant is well-known for its

“On many occasions, people just don’t

says. “They had McGuigan and Max Lake

Italian, Zuzza decided to hone in on Italian

small towns.”

of groups not turning up for seatings.

Disfida is one venue that has a constant

as zucchini flowers, bocconcini and speck,

he says. “We didn’t want to change the pizza, but we wanted to change the rest of the food

five people, but they still have the dilemma

were dishes people kept asking for such

classics. “In the first six months, there

a passion for at a young age. “When I was

restaurant inspired by the simplicity of small-

doesn’t offer bookings for parties under

around a restaurant is a huge drawcard

for food, wine or customer service and can

Zuzza was committed to running a

reservations are an industry-wide issue

pizzas and a permanent menu with the

Wine forms a huge part of La Disfida’s

get along with everyone.”

but now people are more willing to try.”

which follows the same format every

look for] people who aren’t afraid of hard work, love what they do, have a passion

to offer a lot of wines by the glass and it

wines in a bid to encourage customers to grape varieties people don’t know about,

so I thought let’s introduce different wines

restaurant is as strong as ever. The passion simple food makes for a consistent dining experience — which is not an easy feat

and one worth celebrating. When asked

if he could run the restaurant for another 10 years, Zuzza responds with a chuckle before answering. “It’s adrenaline — it’s a rush,” he says. “You see food and get excited when you try something new — so, probably, yes.” ■

February 2019 | 15

DRINKS // Negroni

Bitter sweet kick An OG Italian cocktail from the 20th century, the negroni is having a renaissance.

WORDS Madeline Woolway

IN 1919, COUNT Camillo Negroni walked into a bar in Florence and asked bartender Fosco Scarselli to mix him his usual drink,

enough mainstream folk didn’t know what it was. It indicated, ‘Hey, I’m hospo’.”

After emerging as an industry libation, the

but with a twist. Inspired by travels through

negroni eventually re-entered the common

— and potential weariness after a long day

with which it fits into modern cocktail lists

North America and time spent in London

— the Count ordered an Americano. Instead of the usual soda, he wanted a dash of gin to accompany the Campari and vermouth.

Matteo Downtown’s bar manager Maurizio

drink, its elegance isn’t assured. In fact,

when Count Negroni was imbibing, it was most likely a different experience.

“Drinks that were pretty rough have

conscience buoyed by its simplicity, the ease

become more refined and approachable for

and some master marketing. According to

a combination of three things: sweetness,

Casben and Furiani, it’s currently one of the most consumed cocktails in the world,

everyone,” says Furiani. “The negroni is

bitterness and a kick. It’s the holy trinity.”

The sweetness and bitterness come

only coming in behind the martini.

from the rosso vermouth and Campari

widely accepted.

everywhere and generally consistent, so

kick. The simplicity is obvious — three

the classic negroni. On the timeline of

Casben. “Something that shouldn’t be

Furiani says the story is well-known and

Of course, there’s a longer history behind

cocktails, it sits somewhere in the middle and its fame has oscillated over the

decades. But the reason for its popularity

among Furiani’s contemporaries elucidates the mechanics of the modern bar industry.

At Moya’s Juniper Lounge in Redfern,

“The simplicity makes it available

people feel confident ordering it,” says neglected is that there is a body in the

world that stands to profit from it; one of

the ingredients is a branded product that’s unique, bordering on irreplaceable, [and]

Campari has a long history of promoting it.”

One such promotion is Negroni Week.

Sydney, negronis make up a considerable

“It opened the door for everyone to know

left off the cocktail list upon opening. “About

it,” says Furiani.

percentage of sales, despite being purposely 2006, maybe 2004, it started showing up

as a real hospo drink,” says owner Charles Casben. “At the time, it was left of centre 16 | Hospitality

what the negroni is about and how to twist

Before rules are broken, they need to be mastered. While the negroni is a simple

respectively, while the gin delivers a

ingredients combined in even quantities.

What modern mixology has brought to the

bar are techniques that help the components meld together more harmoniously.

“The first time I had one it was served

up,” says Casben. “But 12 years later we’re back on ice with a twist of orange. I think it’s better on ice and I think it’s better to

dilute. It’s bitter as hell and so sweet — the more dilution, the better.”

Furiani agrees. “We used to just pour

over ice, so you could really feel the kick,”

he says. “There was way less harmony than

what we’re drinking in Australia now. It has

become more elegant and enjoyable for everyone because we stir over ice and strain to allow

dilution and balance the flavours together.”

Bartenders may be doing their utmost to create a softer negroni, but the kick is still key and

“With all drinks, your customers will judge

you more harshly than anyone else, so listen to them,” says Casben. “If you make a couple of

variations and one is hitting the mark, go with it.

If it isn’t, chop it.”

Furiani follows the same formula, and says

many variations achieve their twist by way of it.

it’s always about elegance of taste and

there are other ways to achieve a similar result.

understand who my customer is and what they

Furiani says gin is the catalyst for the kick, but

“You can have a beautiful negroni with tequila, rum or even bourbon,” he says.

Matteo Downtown has five versions in its

negroni family: the classic Downtown negroni sits alongside the negroni al caffe, the golden sbagliato, the il conte bianco and the negroni

tailoring drinks to suit customers. “I need to love to drink.”

When Scarselli mixed the first negroni for the

Count, he did just that and bartenders shouldn’t be afraid to do the same — the result might just be the next classic. ■

invecchiato. The most popular is the negroni

invecchiato, a riff on both the negroni and the boulvadier, a cocktail similar to a negroni but with an entirely different origin story.

“I don’t want to just replicate a recipe,” says

Furiani. “I follow the specs — sweet, bitter,

kick. There is no Campari or gin — it’s whisky,

vermouth and an amaro aged in a wooden bottle made especially for ageing cocktails.”

Negroni Week at Moya’s Juniper Lounge 154 dry gins

Some variations, like the negroni al caffe, stray

less from tradition, combining the original three ingredients with a single origin espresso, but

the lines have become increasingly blurred as Campari alternatives enter the market.

Casben is pleased to see one of Moya’s

22 sweet vermouths

variations, which uses local ingredients,

hitting the mark with guests. “It has a Campari

substitute; Okar amaro, which is quite similar in 3 bitters

= 10,164 possible negroni recipes

style to Campari. Visually, it’s almost identical

and although the taste profile is a little different, you would need to be reasonably experienced

to pick it out,” he says. “I’m a bit of stickler for tradition so I would say it’s a negroni if it’s the original recipe. [But] once a drink becomes

recognisable, it becomes about what’s going to sell a drink — if adding negroni to the name helps move it, you’re going to do it.”

However, if bartenders are taking such liberties

with their twists, how will the integrity of the negroni be maintained?

February 2019 | 17

DRINKS // Negroni

“The negroni is a combination of three things: sweetness, bitterness and a kick.

It’s the holy trinity.” – Maurizio Furiani

FEATURE // Corn tortillas

Full circle

Mexican fare varies greatly across its regions, but one flatbread is a staple everywhere — corn tortillas.

WORDS Madeline Woolway PHOTOGRAPHY La Tortilleria

HEAD CHEF OF Chupacabra Evan White says “there’s nothing more culturally

defining than bread”. The same sentiment

is echoed in tortillas, which have long been at the centre of debates about what is and what isn’t ‘authentic’ Mexican. In fact, the origins of wheat and corn tortillas reveal an abundance of information about the food and culture of Mexico.

“Corn tortillas are the original tortilla,”

says White. “Corn comes from Central

America, while wheat was an introduced species. There’s a big difference between the two.”

Although wheat tortillas are a feature of

northern Mexican fare, those made from corn are more pervasive throughout the country. In Australia, it’s the other way

round, which is something Gerardo Lopez 18 | Hospitality

processed in a specific way to unlock

Hull, the pair decided to open a Mexican

Nixtamalisation was the process

change. When Lopez met his partner Diana restaurant. “We needed authentic corn tortillas — that’s what would make or

break the restaurant,” says Lopez. “At the time, neither of us really knew what that

meant, so I told Diana to go to Mexico and find the best corn tortillas.”

Three months into the trip, Hull called

to say the pair would need to use the

process of nixtamal to make authentic tortillas with corn.

The early peoples of the Mexican regions

relied heavily on plants for their diet, first domesticating teosinte, a wild grass that

is the ancestor of corn. Some 10,000 years ago, people in the area began selectively

breeding the grain in order to cultivate a plant with multiple, large kernels.

Under the right conditions, corn is

nutritious. However, it needs to be

one important amino acid — niacin.

developed by indigenous Mexican people looking for ways to make the grinding of corn kernels easier.

The method not only unlocks nutrients,

it results in tortillas that are wholly

different in flavour and texture to their wheat counterparts, which were only

produced after Europeans introduced wheat to Mexico.

There’s no consensus as to how the process was discovered, however, Lopez points

to the use of limestone during grinding

as a potential starting point. Originally a

seasonal crop, corn was dried and stored for the winter, reconstituted through

boiling before being ground into a paste.

“At the time, corn was mashed between

two stones,” says Lopez. “They started

adding wood ashes to make the corn softer.

“There’s nothing more culturally defining than bread.”

– Evan White

February 2019 | 19

FEATURE // Corn tortillas

from Melbourne’s La Tortilleria hopes to

FEATURE // Corn tortillas They then realised the corn was softer

when they used specific stones to grind the kernels: lime.”

Limestone was eventually added straight

It’s an artisanal process that results in

masa, an earthy-tasting dough that forms the backbone of every regional Mexican cuisine.

into water during the boiling process,

Masa is ubiquitous throughout Mexico.

However, the pressures of industrialisation

and panuchos,” says White. “It’s like in

and the same method still exists today.

have resulted in mass-produced tortillas

that bypass much of the nixtamal process.

But Lopez says there’s been a noticeable return to ancient ways in recent years.

“When I was growing up, most of the

tortillas were industrialised corn flour

tortillas,” he says. “There was a need to

do Mexican food without all the labour, so

they created this tortilla flour that uses the

“From masa, you can make gorditas, sopes Italy, if you go 30km in any direction, you

start seeing totally different things. But all

Although wheat flour tortillas have

these things are corn-based — it all starts

dominated the Australian market in the

push your thumb into it and cook it on

corn tortillas.

with masa. If you make it into a little ball, the flat top, it becomes a sope. You can

take that little ball, put a bit of meat in the middle and fry it to make a gordita.”

In some areas, Lopez says masa is rolled

past, Lopez is hopeful about the future of “Last year, we manufactured 9 million

tortillas,” he says. “At the moment, 70

per cent of the tortillas we produce go to

wholesale and restaurants and 30 per cent go

nixtamalisation process but then they put

into dumpling-like balls and added to soup

tortillas last longer and stay soft.

tortilla is the most recognisable product.

“In Australia, we’ve never really gotten our

produced tortillas or I could get tortillas

various regional cuisines in different ways.

to wheat tortillas, but there are differences.

process behind them — it wasn’t talked

like Mexican pizza,” says Lopez. “It’s a

in additives and preservatives to make the “Growing up in Mexico, I could get massfrom indigenous people. I didn’t know the about. When I went back to Mexico a

couple of months ago, I was surprised to

— the uses are almost endless, but the Corn tortillas are incorporated into

“In Oaxaca, there are tlayudas, which is huge tortilla.”

There are myriad taco variations

see nixtamal coming back.”

found around the country, with each

factory, where Lopez and his team are

even preparations, from tacos dorados

La Tortilleria also run a tortilla-producing promoting a return to tradition. Australian corn is harvested and cooked in an

alkaline solution made with lime (calcium carbonate, not the fruit). Kernels are

region offering different fillings and

to retail — but that’s changing.”

There’s still work to be done, though.

heads around it,” says White. “We’re used Wheat tortillas are similar to a Middle

Eastern flatbread. I find them more pliable,

whereas corn tortillas are a little crisp when you cook them. You can wrap them or put them in a basket and let them steam —

wheat tortillas become mush if you do that.”

Just like Mexican cuisines evolved

to tostadas. “Tortillas are a staple,” says

to include wheat tortillas, Lopez hopes

family is about a kilo per day.”

creative in the way they use corn tortillas.

Lopez. “[In Mexico], the consumption per When Lopez opened La Tortilleria

Australian venues will become more

“There’s a shift of Mexican restaurants

soaked overnight in the lime solution

restaurant, the aim was to show

moving from wheat to corn tortillas,” he says.

kernels before they are rinsed and ground

“There is a lot of consumption of wheat

embrace them. There are so many cafés

which releases nutrients and softens the in a molino (mill) using volcanic stone from Mexico.

20 | Hospitality

Australians what ‘real’ Mexican food was. tortillas, too, but corn tortillas are of official value in the culture.”

“But it would be great to see other places

using tortillas in breakfast dishes and pubs [making] tacos. We’re seeing a shift.” ■

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FEATURE // Indian

New wave Modern Indian restaurants are offering up far more than just butter chicken and samosas.

WORDS Annabelle Cloros PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Chen for Don’t Tell Aunty

INDIAN FOOD IN Australia is in the midst

Song of India in Singapore to create a menu

spins on the same cuisine. Take Japanese,

are raising the bar, dishing up food unlike

showcased Indian food with an Asian twist.

yakitori bars and high-end eateries all

of a renaissance and new establishments anything we’ve seen before. Hospitality

not seen in Brisbane before — one that

The Michelin-star chef always wanted to

speaks to Don’t Tell Aunty’s Jessi Singh

do something in Australia and was more

how they’re pushing the boundaries and

a global stage, Indian food is known to

and Heritij’s Manjunath Mural about

changing customer perceptions of Indian food in the process.

Singh has run restaurants across the

globe from New York and Santa Barbara

to Melbourne, and the chef couldn’t pass up the opportunity to launch in Sydney

when Colin Fassnidge’s 4Fourteen closed.

Singh opened Don’t Tell Aunty in 2018, filling a gap in the market for modern

Indian cuisine. “Sydney has the best Thai,

Vietnamese, farm-to-table and I think there was a bit of space in the market for me

than happy to jump in on the project. “On be traditional and very classic,” he says.

“My dream has always been to change it.” Mural describes Heritij’s offering

as “Indian-Asian gastronomy” and the

Singapore-based chef has taken a strong

Sridhar Penumechu decided to call on his former classmate Manjunath Mural from 22 | Hospitality

it can’t happen given the dining public’s

willingness to trying something different.

“I love the way Australians embrace new creations and food,” says the chef. “In

Brisbane, people are ready to accept it.”

Heritij has honed in on street food

has split the menu into five sections:

experienced a lot of Asian cuisines and

always thought the cooking techniques, spices and flavours were interesting.”

lamb rogan josh and perhaps chicken tikka

Owner of Brisbane’s Heritij restaurant

Indian? Mural says there’s no reason why

Singapore for the past 12 years and have

such as Thai and Indonesian. “I’ve been in

cocktails. It’s focused on the four regions and Melbourne, too.”

shouldn’t the same formula apply to

from the north and south of India but

For many Australians, their experience

of India and has influences from California

operating within the same suburb. Why

interest in a number of Asian cuisines

to come in,” he says. “Don’t Tell Aunty is

no-frills Indian dining with great wine and

for example. You’ll find sushi roll outlets,

with Indian food is limited to samosas,

masala. But things are starting to change, and restaurateurs are giving Indian food the same treatment as Thai, Japanese or Italian. In most suburbs, you won’t

struggle to find venues offering different

takes cues from across the board. Mural shuroo (entrée); tandoor; phir (mains), saath me (sides) and baad (dessert).

Asian influences are woven throughout the menu in dishes such as the Bengali

wrap which can be compared to a sushi

roll, but instead of seaweed, it’s wrapped in handkerchief roti and stuffed with

pulled lamb and sticky rice. Onion bhaji

is amped up with the addition of prawns and samphire and kabobs are flavoured with rendang and lemon myrtle over

traditional tandoori spices. “I think you

have to give people choices and things they’ve never seen before,” says Mural.

Don’t Tell Aunty has also departed from

tradition with their menu which features naan pizza, uni biryani and papadi chaat — India’s

Singh completely avoids using ghee, oil,

ginger and garlic so you don’t need to add

a direct influence from Singh’s time in Santa Barbara, California, where he used to go sea urchin diving with his friends and kids. “We

on other ingredients. “You’re using spices, onion, those elements — it just makes it heavy, greasy and oily,” he says. “Indian people don’t cook

with ghee and don’t add cream and butter — everyone eats super simple food.”

Don’t Tell Aunty also caters to a range of dietary

would catch sea urchin and just put Tabasco

requirements, and Singh says Indian food is

curries and rice in my tiffin carrier the next time

vegetarian. “65 per cent of our menu is vegan and

on them, but I got sick of eating it, I brought

we went diving,” says the chef. “I had a bowl of curry and rice with sea urchin on top and everyone loved it.”

Indian food has a reputation for going all out

when it comes to oil, butter and sugar. But Singh

known to be

[more substantial dishes].”

life,” says Singh. “Naan is similar to pizza, so I

and make a tomato sauce.” The uni biryani was

food is

menu starts with lighter dishes before moving to

butter and sugar in his food and instead relies

thought it would be fun to do naan with spices

stage, Indian

The curries are served in small portions and the

version of nachos and salsa. “My wife is Italian

and from New York, so pizza is a big part of her

“On a global

simple without compromising on the spices.

heaven for those who are gluten-free, vegan and

vegetarian,” says the chef. “I always gear half my menu towards them and it’s so easy to do in my

cuisine. I’m just about to launch gluten-free naan and we have so many flours in Indian cuisine

including chickpea and corn that we can use.”

and Mural are out to disrupt the norm, using

Restaurants such as Don’t Tell Aunty and Heritij

same heaviness as most Indian food,” says Mural.

the opportunity to eat Indian food that’s breaking

a deft touch instead. “Heritij doesn’t have the

“The kabobs are cooked in dry heat and we don’t cover our breads in butter. We don’t use much

butter or cream in curries and we’ve kept recipes

have been a hit with diners who are relishing in

the mould, which is music to the ears of the chefs who are working hard to start a new chapter for the much-loved cuisine. ■

traditional and very classic.

My dream has always been to change it.”

– Manjunath Mural

February 2019 | 23

FEATURE // Indian

Jessi Singh and Amar Singh

FEATURE // Espresso water

24 | Hospitality

FEATURE // Espresso water

Water for espresso Coffee aficionados know the nuances in flavour that come with variations in origin and processing. Some have taken it to the next level, finding the right water to extract those characteristics.

WORDS Madeline Woolway BRUCE TEA COFFEE opened in Glebe,

bitterness to the coffee and preventing

Tony Sleiman had to spend six months

dissolving the [coffee] flavours.”

Sydney, almost two years ago, but owner getting to the root of a rather serious

water coming into the building from

problem — getting the coffee right.

The example of Bruce Tea Coffee is an

underway and Sleiman was in the

be a key concern for the entire industry,

The lease was signed, fit-out was

process of finding the best beans, perfectly roasted and aged when

the issue came to light. After tasting

extreme one, but water quality should from specialty coffee shops to momand-pop cafés.

“Everyone should be worried about

hundreds of cups of coffee over a two-

it,” says Adam Carr, head of the Coffee

hadn’t managed to produce a great

Miles Coffee Roastery.

to three-week period, the team still coffee. “We had no idea why,” says

Science and Education Centre at Seven Carr and his team recently conducted

Sleiman. “We were wracking our brains

research on the issue and says the

variables. We asked all the experts and

to damage equipment and change the

— it’s very unusual. We cut out all the

caught up with all the coffee companies [we work with].”

The troubleshooting process started

in August 2016 and didn’t end until

December. The brand new equipment was checked to reveal no problems.

Brewing methods were assessed using

quality control and assurance methods.

Again, everything was fine. There was only one variable left. “We realised it

had to be the water,” says Sleiman. “We went through filters and tried all the

composition of water has the ability

flavour of espresso — for better or worse.

When it comes to the longevity of

coffee machines, operators need to be

aware of calcium carbonate levels, which are responsible for the build up of lime scale. Over time, this can lead to costly machine failure. Filtering water can

protect the machine, but the minerals

that contribute to lime scale build up are the same ones responsible for extracting flavour from coffee.

Calcium, for example, contributes

major brands.”

to water hardness, along with other

test results came back showing trace

and copper. According to Seven Miles’

Nothing worked. Eventually water

levels of iron attributed to a building

problem. “It was contributing a lot of

elements such as magnesium, iron

research, calcium and magnesium do the most heavy lifting when it comes

February 2019 | 25

FEATURE // Espresso water

“The two big things we found affected coffee flavour were the hardness level and the acidity or pH.” – Adam Carr

to flavour extraction during the espresso-

circumstances, such as Sleiman’s, will

like Sleiman’s, will need to opt for reverse

in the filtration process, and you’ll end up

Unlike calcium and magnesium, Sleiman

practical for most cafés to achieve.

making process. Remove too much of either with a lacklustre cup of coffee.

“To protect your machine, you go to the

significantly cost businesses in set-up costs. found the iron in his water was inhibiting

osmosis, he argues it’s not necessarily

The second part of Seven Miles’ study

the extraction process.

looked at strategies cafés can employ.

flat,” says Carr. “Where is the middle point?

osmosis,” says Sleiman. “This way, you

Carr. “Then, we work out how to get them

while protecting your machine?”

it doesn’t matter what water you’re getting

other side, but then your coffee starts tasting What is the right point to extract your coffee Finding the answer was the first step in a

two-part project undertaken by Seven Miles.

“Nothing removes it except reverse

filter to pure water and start from zero, so

into the building. Then you can rebuild the water into [what] you want.

bitterness and we saw how the measured

concentrations of those chemicals change with changing water chemistry.”

The study tested basic tap water and

was limited to espresso, although Carr

suspects the lessons could be used for other brewing methods, too. “The two big things we found affected coffee flavour were the hardness level and the acidity or pH,” he says.

For Sydneysiders, the results are a boon.

“When we looked at Sydney water, we

found concentrations of everything were by and large ideal. For hardness, the optimum

point is almost exactly where Sydney treats its water.”

For those based in Sydney, perfect water

for espresso isn’t guaranteed. Some unique 26 | Hospitality

“We tested Sydney water and the general

or Perth water will require specific testing

a varying affinity for those compounds.

roasted coffee flavour, caramel and

quality we want.

in coffee to the water, but they both have

the best?” asks Carr. “Best is a subjective

we know are related to chocolate flavours,

employ that will actually give us the water

lessons are the same for anywhere in the

materials that bind the flavour compounds

term, but we took a few flavour compounds

practically, so what filter systems we can

“Calcium and magnesium are the two

“What are those things you can manipulate in water that will make your espresso taste

“We found the best water qualities,” says

Magnesium has a strong affinity, it binds flavour really well, but calcium has a

world, but Brisbane water, Newcastle water to determine the ideal filtration system for your coffee and your machine.”

To protect coffee machines, the majority

relatively weak affinity. [If] there’s more

of operators in Australia can get away with

easier to dissolve so you could get more

systems, most of which don’t cost more

magnesium, it will be more potent and bitter flavours. You can compensate

for that with your grind size, roasting

and temperature, but I decided — for

installing relatively cheap carbon filtration than $80 and only need to be changed

every six months depending on volume.

consistency’s sake — to only have calcium,

Given taste preferences are subjective, the

effective and keeps me further away

equipment will vary, but water designed for

not magnesium. Calcium is more costfrom bitter.”

Adjusting the magnesium or the

calcium levels in water will affect pH

levels, which also impact the extraction

right water for each café, their coffee and

coffee extraction could become ubiquitous, with some roasters already requiring cafés to use specific formulas.

“It takes the pressure away from the

process. Generally, the higher the pH,

barista to make great coffee,” says Sleiman.

or bitter. A neutral pH of seven is the

equipment, you can basically copy and

the more likely the coffee is to be flat

industry standard, but the water Sleiman

uses has a pH of eight, which Carr says is also suitable.

While Carr acknowledges some cafés,

“If you use the same water and the same paste a method for brewing. It makes

coffee programmable — less artisan, but more of a science. In the future, I think that’s where everyone will go.” ■

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FEATURE // Product lines

Side Hustle

Chefs are using their venues as a springboard to launch niche product lines.

WORDS Annabelle Cloros PHOTOGRAPHY Eugene Hyland for Fancy Hank’s

WHEN YOUR RESTAURANT is fully

“A lot of sauces are full of sugar and use

do to increase revenue. Developing a

director Mike Patrick. “We wanted to do

booked, there’s not much more you can product range can bridge the gap, allowing operators to tap into a new market and

name a few. “I worked on a couple of the

“The difference for me is you have a restaurant with 100 seats — once it’s full, it’s full. Barbecue sauce is limitless — you can keep producing and selling it.” – Mike Patrick

things just came to me like the coffee-

tried a lot of hot sauce and decided on the

fermented orange marmalade came about

says. “I’m also good friends with the guys

imported ingredients,” says chef and something local and Australian.”

expand beyond four walls.

A significant amount of research and

product range was always his dream.

line the best chance to succeed. Dobra

For chef Daniel Dobra, creating a

When he joined St Ali, owner Salvatore

Malatesta asked him what he wanted to do with the brand, and developing a product range was top of the list. “A lot of chefs

think about diversifying their skill set and I wanted to add a touch of uniqueness,”

says Dobra. “It’s taken about eight years to get here.”

Developing a product range was

a natural progression for barbecue

restaurant Fancy Hank’s. The Melbourne

venue was already making barbecue and hot sauces in-house, and the team saw a gap in the market for sauces made with local, high-quality ingredients. Plus,

customers regularly requested bottles

of sauce to take home after their meals.

28 | Hospitality

development is required to give a product worked on some products for years, while others came together relatively quickly.

The café launched their range in December 2018 with a total of nine options covering

chip seasoning, sauces and maple syrup, to hot sauces for quite a few years but other infused maple syrup,” says Dobra. “The

after we assessed wastage in the kitchen.

We were throwing out boxes of orange

peels and I wanted to use perfectly good waste products and elevate them using some skill and technique.”

Patrick tackled R&D by buying as many

sauces he could get his hands on. “We

styles we thought we could do better,” he from Lillie’s Q in Chicago and spoke to

them about how they launched their hot sauce range. Retail is a whole different

ballgame.” Patrick says not cutting corners on ingredients and investing in high-

quality packaging were two important

takeaways from Lillie’s Q’s experience. “It’s

FEATURE // Product lines

Daniel Dobra

“We’re not trying to be like every other café or coffee roastery — St Ali is no longer just about the coffee.”

– Daniel Dobra expensive to do those things well, but it’s

manufacturers and did some tastings,”

good-quality stuff.”

scaling it up to big quantities because the

all about the product — we’re trying to do

St Ali and Fancy Hank’s took two

different approaches when it came to

the production of their lines. St Ali made everything in-house while Fancy Hank’s worked with an external manufacturer.

Dobra took a conservative approach for the first run of products which tied in with the exclusive nature of the line. “Everything

was made out of our main kitchen in South Melbourne — I produced and packaged

he says. “You have to be really careful recipes can stuff up if they’re not spot

on. We added a tiny bit of thickener like

xanthan gum to stop them separating, but other than that, they’re exactly the same.”

The first run in August 2018 consisted of 2,500 bottles across two barbecue

options (original barbecue and coffee and molasses) and three hot sauces (cayenne

and watermelon, jalapeño and peach and habanero and carrot).

everything myself,” says Dobra. “Once

St Ali’s line has been well-received so far,

to relaunch.” A limited run also meant

and on the café’s website. The venue

everything sells, it’s gone until we decide Dobra didn’t have to tweak recipes to cater to large-scale production.

Patrick didn’t have to alter Fancy Hank’s

recipes either, but decided to work with a manufacturer as in-house production

wasn’t an option in a busy restaurant — a

20-litre pot of sauce would only equate to 40 bottles. “We took the recipes to some

with the products only available in-store already sells a range of merchandise

including cups, totes and clothing and

decided to place the products with the

existing display next to the POS. Dobra

says the team will also start to showcase some of the hot sauces on menu items,

joining the chip seasoning which has been a regular menu fixture. St Ali has used

February 2019 | 29

FEATURE // Product lines their social media platforms to advertise the

products and placed a notice inside their menu listing available items.

Fancy Hank’s decided to take a multi-faceted

approach to retailing their sauces, and used existing relationships to extend their reach

beyond their website and restaurant. “We thought if we’re going to do it, let’s try to get them into

as many stores as possible,” says Patrick. “We’ve

got a bunch of connections like barbecue shops,

Fancy Hank’s hot and barbecue sauces are priced

at $11 and $13 respectively which puts them

in between low- and high-priced products. “We

looked at what people are willing to spend and put ourselves right in the middle,” says Patrick. “We thought we’d go with a marketing campaign of

‘good, better, best’ and put ourselves in the middle.

We’re not trying to put bottles into Woolworths or Coles for $2 — we can’t compete with that.”

Dobra treated his product range the same as

boutique butchers and meatsmiths, so it was a

any regular menu item and utilises St Ali’s kitchen

sauces. We’ve also gone in with a couple of local

them through the software to adjust the price,” he

given when we asked them if they’d stock the

distributors and are approaching stores on a case-

by-case basis.” The sauces are located on a display stand at the front of the restaurant and the menu also advertises the products, which is working

well. “We sell quite a lot through the restaurant

accounting software. “We set out our GP and put says. “But there’s been a lot of outlay in terms of

what we’ve spent and put into them. For example, a 250ml tin of maple syrup uses triple-A grade

Fancy Hank’s best seller is

orange peel

which is $38 per kg. We’re not robbing people

the original

to make their

Quebec maple syrup which is $37 a kilo and coffee

St Ali save

blind, but we’re making enough money to cover

barbecue

fermented

costs and offer something cool to customers.”

sauce

marmalade

customers and Fancy Hank’s are up to their third

St Ali and Fancy Hank’s are both onto a good

2500

bottles. “Once you get into some stores and start

next step is to diversify. Patrick is contemplating

— people try it with the food and take a bottle home,” says Patrick.

The sauces have been a smash hit with

production run, recently ordering 40,000 glass

selling, you have to be able to replenish and keep up the production,” says Patrick. “The customer

reaction has been really good; I think people are enjoying the branding and the packaging which we put a lot of effort into.”

Beyond a marketing exercise, launching a

product range can open up a new revenue

stream with surprising results. Lillie Q’s launched their sauce range four years ago, and Patrick says it has turned into the biggest money-maker for the brand. “The sauce has eclipsed everything else they do and it’s sold in 30 countries,”

he says. “The difference for me is you have a

restaurant with 100 seats — once it’s full, it’s

full. Barbecue sauce is limitless — you can keep producing and selling it.”

30 | Hospitality

thing with their product ranges. Naturally, the a limited-edition run of sauces created with

other suppliers. “Once we get to the next level

of production, I’d like to do a batch maybe twice a year,” he says. “We did a six-month-aged hot chili sauce in a Melbourne Moonshine barrel; it would be cool to do a collab with a spirit

company, brewery or even another restaurant.”

The team will also be taking their hot sauce to the Australian festival scene. “We’re doing a bunch of events around the products so we can show how versatile they can be.” Dobra is also interested in moving forward with St Ali’s product line.

“My first list had 28 items I wanted to do but we culled it back,” he says. “There’s still another 21

products I’ve got up my sleeve. We’re not trying to

be like every other café or coffee roastery — St Ali is no longer just about the coffee.” ■

The number

St Ali make

of bottles in

all their retail

Fancy Hank’s

products

first run

in-house

BEHIND THE SCENES // Negroni soft serve

Gin Lane’s negroni

soft serve An in-depth look at Hospitality’s masterclass series.

GIN LANE FOUNDER and

1

2

3

4

5

6

mixologist Grant Collins says the process of formulating classic cocktails into soft serves was extensive, to say the least. “We chose 15-20 drinks and narrowed it down to six with the help of a gelato specialist,” he says. “The first few attempts were quite thin and we really wanted the viscous mouth feel which we eventually got. We wanted them to taste exactly like the classic but with a milder alcoholic finish.”

Ingredients 30 ml Tanqueray 30 ml Campari 30 ml Rosso vermouth Filtered water Orange zest Pressed citrus Aquafaba (emulsifier/stabiliser)

Method Mix Tanqueray, Campari and rosso vermouth with aqua, pressed citrus, orange zest and filtered water into soft serve machine until frozen.

Serve in a waffle cone or cup and garnish with dark chocolate flake, candied orange and popping candy.

Watch the video now at hospitalitymagazine.com.au

32 | Hospitality

EQUIPMENT // Culinary tweezers

Culinary/food tweezer offset Culinary tweezers can be used for multiple purposes, from food to drinks.

Won’t bruise the stems of botanicals such as herbs Fine tips are suited

Variations between

and edible flowers

brands include

to placing garnishes

grip, firmness and

atop cocktails

fineness of tip

Quay gives diners tweezers instead of cutlery to eat their Look for high-grade

hand-harvested seafood dish

stainless steel Image credit chefclub.com.au

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February 2019 | 33

5 MINUTES WITH ... // Mal Meiers

Mal Meiers The Subo head chef and Food for Thought founder on mental health, spreading the message and what 2019 holds for the organisation.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT was born from my own struggles with depression and anxiety. I wanted to share my story to

draw attention to the avenues of support available in an effort to reduce the

amount of people who would have to go through what I did before seeking help.

In creating Food for Thought, I created a way to tackle my struggles head-on.

In creating Food for Thought, I created a way to tackle my struggles head-on.

they have balance so they are at their best at work. As a society, we tend to be very

disconnected from each other with social

media and instant access to information. By reconnecting with staff, family or members of a group (sport/hobbies, etc) and taking the time to invest in these communities,

you have the ability to better understand

the people around you and may be able to

Support for Food for Thought grows

OK? to complete the circle of awareness

involved to the opportunities to share my

The aim is to spread the campaign across

need to destigmatise mental health through

more manageable.

recent R U OK? hospitality campaign.

every year, from the chefs and producers story. The concept has grown and 2018

was our biggest year so far. We held five

events, including one in Auckland, which

and support for those suffering in silence. the year, add extra events and make them Wellbeing is important and trying to

ranged from degustation and canapĂŠ to

achieve balance is something I strive

In 2019, Food for Thought is going to

encourage them to find interests and

conversation events.

work more closely with Lifeline and R U 34 | Hospitality

for with my staff at Subo. I support and hobbies outside of the kitchen and ensure

identify if someone is struggling.

I believe the industry has recognised the

the support of Food for Thought and the Considering it was almost taboo to talk

about mental health six years ago, the fact

there is support around campaigns like this and a push for better understanding and staff wellbeing is inspirational. â–

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