Hospitality Insider - Issue One

MEMBER’S MAGAZINE ISSUE #1

THE GREEN ISSUE How the industry can reduce its footprint, one plate at a time

Delight your diners and grow your business with OpenTable, the simple solution used by restaurants everywhere. restaurant.opentable.com.au 2 | HOSPITALITY INSIDER

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

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ISSUE #1

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6 FIRST BITE What’s new in products, openings, events and books.

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RESTAURANT PROFILE

Sydney’s Nomad: The highs and lows of running a green restaurant.

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12

COLUMN

A green bean buyer on sustainability in the coffee industry.

14

ECO INSPIRATION

Three venues with one common goal — helping the planet.

18

KITCHEN WASTE

Why tackling waste needs to become a necessity, not a hobby.

22 RESTAURANT LEADERS SUMMIT Q&A

Get to know what makes our panelists tick.

26

RECIPE BOOK

Cornersmith’s quick pickle recipe.

HOSPITALITY INSIDER | 3

FROM THE EDITOR

EDITOR’S LETTER

WHAT THE HOSPITALITY TEAM HAVE BEEN UP TO

W

elcome to Hospitality Insider, a dedicated club for industry professionals run by Hospitality magazine.

Membership to the group offers myriad perks and exclusive content including a one-year subscription to Hospitality’s monthly print magazine, a quarterly digital magazine, induction into a closed Facebook group and dedicated monthly newsletters.

Our debut quarterly issue is all about sustainability and how venues can boost their eco credentials. The hospitality industry is notoriously wasteful by nature, and increasing awareness around the topic is essential to living a greener existence.

We chat with Nomad’s Al Yazbek on page eight about unintentionally creating one of the most sustainable restaurants in Australia.

Brae restaurant, Single Origin and Three Blue Ducks are three venues that have become known for their waste-warrior statuses, implementing everything from solar panels to milk systems, recycling and composting FOOD AND BEVERAGE MEDIA 41 Bridge Road Glebe NSW 2037 Australia Tel: 02 9660 2113 Fax: 02 9660 4419 PUBLISHER Paul Wootton pwootton@intermedia.com.au EDITOR Annabelle Cloros T: 02 8586 6226 acloros@intermedia.com.au

YUM CHA @ GOLDEN PALACE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT Chicken feet, prawn dumplings, pork shumai and tripe make for good eating at one of Cabramatta’s busiest yum

into their businesses. Head to page 14 for some serious inspiration.

This issue also doubles up as our Restaurant Leaders Summit souvenir edition. On page 22, find out which cuisine Chris Lucas thinks Australia is missing out on and the one food Shannon Martinez wishes she could turn vegan in a Q&A with our 2018 panelists.

I hope you enjoy the debut issue of Hospitality Insider, and if you have any feedback, I’d love to hear it.

PAPER BIRD’S KATSU SANDWICH Learn how to make Ben Seares’ brunch essential on hospitalitymagazine.com.au.

Until next time, Annabelle Cloros Editor

JOURNALIST Brittney Levinson T: 02 8586 6194 blevinson@intermedia.com.au NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Dan Shipley T: 02 8586 6163 F: 02 9660 4419 dshipley@intermedia.com.au DESIGN Kea Thorburn kthorburn@intermedia.com.au

Watch the video and recreate it for yourself.

PRODUCTION MANAGER Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au HEAD OF CIRCULATION Chris Blacklock cblacklock@intermedia.com.au To subscribe please call

1800 651 422.

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 © 2018 – The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd

4 | HOSPITALITY INSIDER

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SPIRAL FOODS X KYLIE KWONG @ BILLY KWONG The queen of Chinese cooking in Australia has officially been named as ambassador for Spiral Foods. Hospitality celebrated the announcement at Billy Kwong in Potts Point.

KEEP TRACK OF US @hospitalitymagazine #hospitalitymagazine

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FIRST BITE THE LATEST

THE LATEST

FRESH READS, OPENINGS, DISHES AND RELEASES IN THE INDUSTRY.

GIVE ME THE LOOT Find it hard to commit to one bottle?

Subscription service Whisky Loot has launched in Australia, offering curated monthly boxes of rare and unique whiskies. Each box contains three 60mL tasters with a description of each whisky along with a tasting note journal to jot down your thoughts. Discounted fullsize bottles are also available for subscribers. whiskyloot.com

Handmade Ceramicist Milly Dent expanded her ceramic horizons in Japan, and the Kumo Cup Seiji is just one of the results of her time away. The Japanese porcelain cup is dipped in celadon glaze and features a finger dimple. Sold individually or in a cup and saucer set. millydent.com

Amongst the vines The Barossa Gourmet Weekend will showcase what the region is all about – quality produce and premier wine. Held from 31 August to 2 September 2018, the long weekend features seven events along with intimate tastings, secret dining experiences, masterclasses, long lunches, garden parties and plenty of fresh produce.

barossagourmet.com

6 | HOSPITALITY INSIDER

WHISKY BUSINESS Japanese Whisky by Brian Ashcraft has been released in English for the first time, featuring never-before-published archival images and interviews with Japanese whisky-makers. The book reveals the materials and methods used by distillers including mizunara wood and Japanese barley.

Ashcraft travelled with photographer Idzuhiko Ueda across Japan to reveal how the country’s iconic whiskies are made. Tuttle Publishing.

FIRST BITE THE LATEST

French connection Restaurateur Chris Lucas is expanding his empire with the announcement of a new French bistro, Batard.

Located on Bourke Street in Melbourne’s CBD, the venue is set to open early December and will focus on charcuterie, steak and house-baked batards. “I’m somewhat of a nostalgic and want to bring some of that romance to Melbourne with my own touch at Batard,” says Lucas. “I mean, who doesn’t love steak frites with a glass of Burgundy?”

SNOW DAY Melbourne’s L’Hotel Gitan is popping up for Victoria’s ski season when the gastro pub takes over Dinner Plain’s Alphutte restaurant from 8-21 August 2018. Gitan Alps will be dishing up classic French fare including croque monsieurs, coq au vin and boeuf bourguignon. lhotelgitan.com.au

QUICK-FIRE ROUND WITH OPERATION DAGGER’S LUKE WHEARTY

On the grill Hong Kong venue Yardbird has released their first book, Chicken and Charcoal.

Run by Canadian chef Matt Abergel and partner Lindsay Jang, Yardbird has developed a cult following worldwide. The book reveals the venue’s signature recipes and features detailed explanations on the process behind yakitori, from sourcing birds to butchering and the cooking process. au.phaidon.com

DESCRIBE SINGAPORE’S BAR SCENE Singapore has a very tight-knit community and everyone works together and helps one another.

This is mainly due to the fact that it is such a young scene and also because it’s concentrated to such a small area.

HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO THE LOCAL INDUSTRY? There is still a great community here in Australia, especially in Melbourne, but I think people seem to stick to their own a little more here. For me, there is so much to be gained by

TRUFFLE TIME

collaborating with others not just

The Australian truffle season is in full swing and Sydney’s Devon Café has devoted a whole menu to the foodstuff.

Diners can choose from truffle mie goreng, truffle egg sandos or even a truffle sundae with chestnut poptarts and truffle honey. devoncafe.com.au

within your own industry but outside with other industries as well.

WHAT COCKTAIL SHOULD EVERY BAR HAVE ON THEIR MENU? Something local! I strongly believe in provenance. It can really contribute to a unique experience and ensures we each have our own individual identity.

HOSPITALITY INSIDER | 7

RESTAURANT PROFILE NOMAD

It’s

8 | HOSPITALITY INSIDER

Al Yazbek

RESTAURANT PROFILE NOMAD

BUSINESS OWNERS OFTEN THINK ABOUT THE LEGACY THEY’LL LEAVE BEHIND. FOR AL YAZBEK, IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF HIS SYDNEY RESTAURANT NOMAD, BUT THE PLANET, TOO. WORDS MADELINE WOOLWAY PHOTOGRAPHY PETRINA TINSLAY

A

l and Rebecca Yazbek didn’t set out to create one of Australia’s most sustainable restaurants, but upon opening the 200-seat behemoth Nomad, they were confronted with the environmental impact of their new venture.

“I was shocked at the amount of waste we were generating, so I started implementing sustainable practices bit by bit,” says Al. Fast-forward close to five years and sustainability has become an integral part of the restaurant’s operation; more than that, it’s intrinsic to Al’s personal philosophy.

“Ultimately, humans have done a really good job at messing up the planet,” he says. “I have a little boy, and I think about the kind of world he’ll be able to enjoy. We have a finite planet and vacuuming up resources just isn’t responsible.”

But sucking up resources is what restaurants do, so how has Al reconciled the personal with the professional? The answer is simple: business owners have the opportunity to make an impact.

UNDER PRESSURE First, there are hurdles to jump over. Much of the discussion around sustainability in the restaurant industry has orbited around reducing food waste, but there’s a glaring gap in the conversation — energy use. And while Nomad has done everything from sourcing local, ethical and environmentally friendly produce to reducing water use,

Wood-roasted rainbow trout

finding a sustainable alternative to charcoal and even switching to Australian Ethical Super for their staff, implementing sustainable energy practices has presented the biggest challenge.

“We developed a whole system to line the roof of the restaurant with solar panels with Pingala,” says Al. Pingala Solar, a small start-up that builds community-owned solar farms, had previously implemented a similar scheme with Young Henrys in Newtown, Sydney. Inspired by the project, Al developed a plan in

partnership with the company.

“When I put it to the owner of the building, they said we’d need to pay $120,000 a year as a licence fee to use the rooftop,” Al tells Hospitality.

“Some people just don’t get it and that’s what we’re up against. The gaping hole in our sustainability management is the amount of power we use. If we can get those panels on the roof, it can go a huge way to fixing that.

“So, that was a really disappointing experience. We gave it our best shot — I even offered to insure the rooftop and take precautions.”

HOSPITALITY INSIDER | 9

RESTAURANT PROFILE NOMAD

UNDER CONTROL For now, Al is focused on what can be achieved at Nomad. “Everything else is in-house and it’s all under our control,” he says.

That includes tackling energy use from another angle. “All our lighting is low-voltage LED, but you couldn’t tell; you’d think it was regular 240-volt,” he says. “The tradesmen have educated me, they say, ‘Did you know you can do this?’ and I didn’t know about it, but I can then say, ‘Let’s do it’. Sometimes it’s a bit more expensive because the technology is new. But the savings far outweigh the costs.

“Plumbers are also installing more water-saving devices — you save a tonne of water every year — it’s extraordinary.”

The above is all progress worth shouting about, but it’s the water system Nomad has in place that Al is most proud of. Developed in Tasmania, the Vestal on-tap system allows restaurants to dispense filtered tap water in three ways: plain, chilled or carbonated.

“It means we’re not importing boxes or crates of water from the Italian Alps that come with a very high carbon footprint,” he says. “Glass isn’t going to landfill.”

It seems nothing has been skimmed over in Al’s quest to build a sustainable restaurant, which begs the question, where do the ideas come from?

“That’s the key — always ask questions,” he says. “Is there a better way of doing this? There’s too much waste, how can we do this in a way that minimises waste? If you ask enough questions and talk to enough people, you’ll find the answers and get to a point where you’re sustainable.”

Nomad’s charcuterie room

“AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU CAN’T BE DISAPPOINTED

BY WHAT PEOPLE AREN’T DOING — YOU HAVE TO BE INSPIRED BY WHAT THEY ARE DOING.” – AL YAZBEK

GIVING BACK And when you have the answers, pass them on.

“Imparting knowledge to customers is a pivotal part of what we do,” says Al. “But it’s not about bludgeoning 10 | HOSPITALITY INSIDER

Duck liver parfait

them; that’s not what we’re about.

We’re there to let them know our ethos and what we do and that we’re proud. If they have questions, we can give them more info. It’s not about sending them out the door having changed their religion.”

Having built a reputation for sustainability, Al is now in a position to give back to the industry.

“We get inquiries from other restaurants all the time that want to know who our contractors are and we’re happy to pass on the information and help everyone,” he says. “It’s great to see more restaurants getting on board in ways they can.

“At the end of the day, you can’t be disappointed by what people aren’t doing — you have to be inspired by what they are doing.”

One thing Al wants everyone to know is once you have the structures in place, running a sustainable restaurant isn’t that much of an impost.

“It’s not so much the cost, it’s the time, education and training,” he says.

“That surprised me. I was under the impression people didn’t do these things because it costs money and restaurants run on really tight margins.

“But, god damn it, you know, if we aren’t going to make the extra effort, we aren’t going to have a planet to hand over to our kids.”

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COLUMN SUSTAINABILITY IN COFFEE

GREENER PASTURES The spotlight is firmly focused on sustainability in the coffee realm, but roasters and industry alike have failed to implement impactful, long-term change.

K

im Elena Ionescu, chief sustainability officer of the Specialty Coffee Association, says the industry has done a great job of ‘greenwashing’ sustainability and marketing it to consumers as ‘coffee with a conscience’.

So much so, marketing efforts have diluted the meaning behind sustainability in coffee. Ionescu believes we need to stop thinking of sustainability as a transactional endeavour, but rather pursue sustainable development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations.

Toby’s Estate is pushing to close the knowledge gap between farmers, producers, roasters and consumers.

The knowledge ensures we’re not leaping before looking and actually understanding the true issues at origin. We want to implement impactful practices, projects and products which facilitate real change for the people at origin.

For too long, we’ve been lost in the Geisha hype. But how

12 | HOSPITALITY INSIDER

WORDS CHARLOTTE MALAVAL

sustainable and practical is it for our industry to continue to promote Geisha, as well as other fancy varietals and well-recognised growing regions like Panama or Ethiopia, as the defining pillar in coffee excellence, when they’re often expensive to produce and purchase?

We’re encouraging the industry to look outside the box instead of relying on well-known coffee varieties and growing regions to provide us with specialty coffee.

Global consumption of coffee is far outgrowing our ability to grow and harvest it, and we’re increasingly seeing the effects of global warming playing havoc with growing conditions. We need to start supporting emerging specialty coffee origins that are creating a new wave of excellence in coffee.

It’s important for us to work with emerging origins producing quality specialty coffee like Myanmar, Malawi, Uganda and Mexico directly to ensure we’re establishing the correct sustainable development practices to support their future growth and viability.

GLOBAL CONSUMPTION OF COFFEE IS FAR OUTGROWING OUR ABILITY TO GROW AND HARVEST IT.

CHARLOTTE MALAVAL is a green bean buyer for Toby’s Estate.

Customers Tap. You Save.

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Tap & Save least-cost routing processes eligible contactless debit card transactions through the eftpos network, helping you save a little more!

As an average, Tyro hospitality customers could save over 8% on Merchant Service Fees.2 And we’re bringing it to you first, so you can start saving sooner.

The Bank that’s Born for Business Visit tyro.com

Tyro Payments Limited ACN 103 575 042 AFSL 471951 is the issuer of its own financial products. See T&Cs at tyro.com Please consider if these products are suitable for you.

1 Cost savings are not guaranteed. Savings on eligible eftpos processed transactions vary for each business depending on their card mix, transaction volume and amount, industry, and pricing plan. Transactions less than $15 or $1,000 and greater are excluded. Tap & Save is not available on Special Offer pricing or where you surcharge on debit card transactions. Yomani CR, Xentissimo and Xenta terminals do not support Tap & Save. For details refer to the FAQs at Tyro.com or call 1300 966 639.

2 Represents the potential savings of Tyro eligible hospitality merchants (calculated as an average), over the period December 2017 to February 2018, based on actual eligible transactions processed during this period.

Thierry, Co-Owner Enzo Italian Restaurant backed by Tyro

EFTPOS | Deposits | Lending

Dan Hunter and Damien Neylon

FEATURE ECO INSPIRATION

IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

THREE CASE STUDIES IN REDUCING YOUR FOOTPRINT.

VENUE Brae.  LOCATION Birregurra, Victoria.  CHEF Dan Hunter.  ECO CREDENTIALS eWater, rain water tanks, biological pest control and composting.

WORDS ANNABELLE CLOROS PHOTOGRAPHY COLIN PAGE

S

ustainability and the concept of ‘going green’ can often seem out of reach, costly or overrated. From ethically sourced produce to reducing waste, there’s a lot to cover, but who better to look to than those who did it first? Hospitality Insider speaks with Brae’s Dan Hunter, Single O’s Mike Brabant and Three Blue Ducks’ Chris Sorrell about greening out.

BRAE Brae can be described as a rural and unusual melting pot. Located on a hillside on a 30-acre organic farm in Birregurra, Victoria, chef Dan Hunter has been making waves since the restaurant opened in 2013, stacking up the 14 | HOSPITALITY INSIDER

awards and rankings that come with being a pioneer.

“We work on a farm, are inspired by our local environment and our primary business is to grow and serve food,” says Hunter. “We decided long ago that it was important to us as individuals to assist in making a positive change. Caring for our immediate environment and instilling sustainable and environmentally aware ethics within our team is an important part of how we run our business.”

Brae doesn’t consider their work as revolutionary, but appropriate given the current landscape. The restaurant industry is notorious for low sustainability levels, and Hunter lists the use of endangered

The gardens at Brae

THREE BLUE DUCKS Three Blue Ducks (TBD) is all about real food that also happens to be sourced sustainably and ethically. For TBD, reducing their footprint is more than just a trend, but part of the venue’s ethos and key to their

FEATURE ECO INSPIRATION

fish, promoting grain-fed beef and failing to separate waste as some of the most common practices that occur in restaurants day in, day out.

The chef juggles a number of eco elements at Brae, and the list is lengthy and impressive, to say the least. “We farm and manage 30 acres strictly organically with between 70 per cent (winter) and 90 per cent (summer) of all fruit and veg consumed at Brae coming from our own property and picked by the kitchen and garden teams each morning,” says Hunter. “We capture rainwater on-site and have over 200,000 litres of tank space, providing sparkling and still rainwater for the restaurant.”

Brae chooses biological pest control, green manure and crop rotation over synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. The venue also uses eWater, which reduces the need for costly cleaning materials. Kitchen waste is separated into compost and soft green waste which is then fed to the farm’s hens. “A large compost system is made from kitchen and garden green waste resulting in just six to eight domestic green wheelie bins per week of actual waste,” says Hunter.

It all boils down to something so simple — the industry solely exists on what nature is able to offer. But the offering will continuously dwindle if it’s all take and no give. “It seems logical that we would want the cleanest version of these resources to exist and their production to be achieved in the fairest and most equitable manner,” says Hunter. “The way to sustain our own industry is to take into consideration what goes on a few steps back from our own businesses. Is what we do as individual businesses having a negative effect on the planet? Can we achieve our individual goals and have a positive effect on our environment and local economy? It’s often not that hard — it’s simply being aware and making some small changes.”

Three Blue Ducks’ garden bananas

“WE FARM AND MANAGE 30 ACRES STRICTLY ORGANICALLY WITH BETWEEN 70 PER CENT (WINTER) AND 90 PER CENT (SUMMER) OF ALL FRUIT AND VEG CONSUMED AT BRAE.” – DAN HUNTER expansion. “Sustainability is a word thrown around a lot these days, especially when it comes to food,” says co-owner Chris Sorrell. “Every second business claims to be sustainable, and I think this is starting to lessen the force and meaning behind the word itself, but it is honestly something that is important at Three Blue Ducks.”

TBD doesn’t claim to always be right, but instead focus on making the best decisions that align with their ethics. The business invested in solar panels at their Bronte site four years ago, covering the entire roof of the venue. “I’m really proud we went solar in Bronte,” says Sorrell. “It was quite an investment that will take a long time to

VENUE Three Blue Ducks.  LOCATIONS Byron Bay, Bronte, Brisbane and Rosebery.  CHEFS Mark LaBrooy, Andy Allen and Darren Robertson.  ECO CREDENTIALS Solar panels, composting, bulk-buying produce and serving beverages on tap.

HOSPITALITY INSIDER | 15

FEATURE ECO INSPIRATION

convert to a saving in power, and when you don’t own the building, it becomes quite an investment in the environment rather than increasing the value of your property. We make enough energy on a sunny day to run just about everything.”

At the Byron site, TBD has significantly cut down on glass bottle waste, opting to serve everything from the tap including beer, cider, sparkling water and wine. “We buy everything in bulk, and if it’s not already in a keg, we put it into kegs ourselves,” says Sorrell. “It means we can buy premium organic, biodynamic or natural wines and offer them all by the glass and carafe without the cost of manufacturing glass bottles and shipping them around Australia.”

TBD are also fans of composting. The Byron and Bronte sites use food scraps and green waste to make compost. The Bronte compost is collected and taken to local community gardens to grow fresh vegetables. In Byron, The Farm compost TBD’s waste and use it to produce vegetables they use in the restaurant.

SINGLE O Way back in 2013, Single O decided to install 94 solar panels on the roof of their roastwork facility, spending a year’s worth of investment on just one initiative. Call it a risk, but coowner Emma Cohen was adamant Single O needed to think about how they could reduce their footprint and offset their actions.

The panels now generate 5800 degrees Celsius worth of energy which covers 90 per cent of the roastwork’s operation when it’s in full swing from 7am to 2pm.

“If anything, we don’t even think about it anymore, it’s just the system we use,” says Single O’s Mike Brabant. “Back at the time, the concern was how would it affect production, but it doesn’t. If anything, it supplements our electricity usage and it’s a win-win.”

Single O also played a hand in the creation of The Juggler milk tap system, which eliminates the need for plastic bottles and instead utilises reusable milk bladders. “We conservatively worked out we save six million plastic milk bottles,” 16 | HOSPITALITY INSIDER

SIngle Origin’s custom KeepCup

says Brabant. The hands-free system eliminates any wastage thanks to its in-built sensors which detect the size of the jug being used and has additionally improved Single O’s service model.

The group recently celebrated the ultimate milestone: officially recycling every piece of waste product from the production process. “The chase from our coffee, which comes out of the roast, is delivered to a lady who uses it for her free-range chickens,” says Brabant. “We recycle the hessian sacks which are provided to Reverse Garbage in Marrickville and also have a project called the three R’s — reduce, recycle, reuse.

“The [program] was about working out everything in our production process and determining how we can make sure we are recycling or reusing,” he says. “We source the coffee, it gets used and we recycle the waste products to get some eggs, which we can use in our café.”

Organic food waste is sent to EarthPower and turned into green energy, with any residual converted into fertiliser.

Paper, cardboard, soft plastic and comingled recycling is all collected from Botany fortnightly and repurposed locally and internationally.

As for a simple way to cut down on waste? Don’t allow diners to have takeaway sitting down. “I think it’s ridiculous,” says Brabant. “If someone is going to take the time to sit down, why waste a cup?

Encourage customers to take five and enjoy their coffee.” Trading plastic bottled water for tap water is another easy way to reduce waste as well as encouraging diners to go without a lid on their cup or ask the barista to serve coffee at a cooler temperature so it can be consumed straight away.

VENUE Single O.  LOCATIONS Surry Hills, Sydney CBD and Carriageworks.  ECO CREDENTIALS Solar panels, The Juggler milk system, recycling, encouraging the use of reusable cups.

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FEATURE KITCHEN WASTE

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT Tackling kitchen waste isn’t just a sales pitch for environmentally conscious consumers — it’s an absolute necessity for the industry.

WORDS MADELINE WOOLWAY PHOTOGRAPHY KATIE WILTON

18 | HOSPITALITY INSIDER

reports suggest the food and beverage sector produces nearly one million tonnes of food waste each year, almost all of which goes to landfill,” says McGrath.

UNDERSTANDING WASTE The only way to begin reversing these stats is to discover where waste is being created and what processes are causing it.

“With food and beverages being a high-ticket item for businesses, you would think that its use is tracked nearly as closely as staff hours,” says

“I RUN THROUGH OUR PRINCIPLES WITH NEW EMPLOYEES AND HOW WE CAN COMMUNICATE THAT TO CUSTOMERS WITHOUT BEING PREACHY.” – ADAM CHAPMAN McGrath. “This is not the case. In some interim results from my research, there are suggestions there may be less than one in four businesses doing regular food waste audits.”

When more businesses begin auditing their waste, we will start to see progress concerning the amount of food that goes to landfill. Thanks to the Hawthorne effect, says McGrath, people start to alter their behaviour once they’re made aware of it.

“Most businesses do not track their food waste regularly, so they don’t see it,” says McGrath. “You cannot

manage what you do not measure, and food waste occurs one scraped plate at a time. Does the person in charge of menu design, stock ordering and management and food preparation see this? I suspect not in most instances. If you saw the complementary side salad scraped in the bin from 1 in 5 dishes for example, businesses would shift to offering it as an optional side instead, saving food waste and money alongside increasing profit-per-plate.

“Once you can see the size of the problem and it becomes evident what the issue is, you can target your strategies to suit your own business. If we are looking at the excessive waste occurring, we are usually looking at portion size issues. Are staff prepping food to correct portion sizes? Can businesses offer more varied portion sizes (small, medium, large) to diners?

Smaller plates could be used for managing the appearance of visually smaller dishes if businesses decide to trim serving sizes and the price. Do businesses offer doggy bags? Many diners would like them offered. These are a few small but effective solutions.”

BUSINESS SENSE Put simply, it makes an inordinate amount of sense to tackle food waste, not just because it’s the right thing to do ethically, but because it will ultimately result in a stronger business.

“If businesses calculated how many meals they serve in a week or month, the estimated 40g of wastage per dish would have a huge impact on the bottom line,” says McGrath.

Some businesses have already introduced efforts to reduce their impact, implementing a range of strategies both big and small to shrink their wastage.

At Small Print Pizza Bar in Melbourne, co-owner Adam Chapman and his team have left no detail unturned. Chapman established the HOSPITALITY INSIDER | 19

FEATURE KITCHEN WASTE

S

easonal produce. Local produce. Sustainable produce.

All three are used to market menus. For all the progress made choosing ethical ingredients, the specter of waste still hangs over the hospitality industry.

“Food waste has significant impacts on the environment and food security,” says sustainability expert Dianne McGrath. “If we do not reduce food waste, we will continue to have an increasingly negative effect on the environment — the same environment we need to preserve to grow the food we will cook and eat in the future.”

It’s undeniable every food business, from local cafés to clubs that turnover thousands of tables a week, needs to address food waste.

“The environmental impacts of food waste include the water, fertiliser, soil and other resources wasted when food grown is not eaten,” says McGrath. “It is the vast amount of greenhouse gases generated when food waste goes to landfill that is one of the greatest concerns. Many people do not realise that when food waste goes to landfill, it’s covered over and doesn’t receive air, leading to the creation of methane; a greenhouse gas around 21 times stronger than CO2. Globally, if food waste were a country, it would be the third-highest emitter of greenhouse gases behind China and the US. “There are also implications on society — how many people go hungry while perfectly good food is thrown away? Australia produces enough food to feed around 60 million people, yet at least 8 per cent of the population goes without a meal at some stage during the year because they cannot afford food.”

Adding to the predicament is a lack of understanding about the true extent of food waste.

“National estimates from the Australian Government in recent

FEATURE KITCHEN WASTE

If food waste were a country, it would be the third-highest emitter of greenhouse gases behind China and the US.  Australia produces enough food to feed around 60 million people, yet at least 8 per cent of the population goes without a meal at some stage during the year.  Less than one in four businesses are conducting regular food waste audits.

venue as a way to increase the impact he could have as an individual. “As a business, you have a tenfold impact,” he says. “Why not start a sustainable business that you can then use to introduce concepts to people in a non-pushy way.”

Small Print, named after the concept of having a small eco-footprint, takes a holistic approach to decreasing their waste, which includes shrinking the amount of packaging they use as well as minimising food waste.

“In our front of house and bar area, we don’t use any packaging — everything is on tap,” says Chapman. “We use a company called Greenbox for our pizza boxes; they use 100 per cent recycled materials to make them. They’re perforated so people can break them up into plates or smaller boxes for storing leftovers. We use one piece of greaseproof paper to line the box — it’s like a sacrificial piece that keeps the boxes clean so they can be recycled.”

Adam Chapman

When it comes to food waste, the team use an industrial composter that processes everything including meat and bones. “We give the compost to a group called City Harvest; they collect it every couple of weeks and get disadvantaged youth to spread it around the gardens they have. Any produce they harvest can be sold back to us.”

While any organic waste produced goes through the composter, Chapman also stresses that reducing the amount of waste 20 | HOSPITALITY INSIDER

produced in the first place is a priority.

“We use a nose-to-tail approach and try to use cuts of meat that others aren’t using as much, as well as providing lots of vegan and vegetarian options,” he says. “In the front of house, we’ll use offcuts, like the pineapple we use on pizza, to make cordials for drinks and so on.”

BEYOND THE INDUSTRY The hospitality industry has an opportunity to influence the future of food waste in Australia. Businesses often argue their choices are a reaction to consumer demand, but this may not be the case.

“This is an interesting question to consider,” says McGrath. “In my consumer research, the diner looked for cues from businesses as to whether they could have a doggy bag or not, as well as what size the meal would be. Dining out is a theatre where there is participation between two actors (the diner and the business) to create the experience. The establishment sets up much of the script and the diner responds to it.

“The diner does not want to think about food waste when they go out — UK research is clear on this,” McGrath explains. “They want to enjoy their night out and their meal.

This is where the business needs to step up and guide the outcome of food waste reduction without significantly affecting the experience. Quality of an experience comes in many shapes and sizes, and this does not need to be reflected in portions.”

While diners might be reticent to actively think about food waste when they’re out, there are some businesses that might have an avenue to engage customers in conversation about the issue.

“I run through our principles with new employees and how we can communicate that to customers without being preachy,” says Chapman. “I give them a list of all the sustainability initiatives we do as a business and tell them if anyone asks questions, then just fire away and give them as much information as you can.”

Perhaps if more venues had this attitude, the industry would be closer to solving the problem of food waste.

Get more For the latest hospitality news, get our free e-newsletter at: hospitalitymagazine.com.au

OPENINGS • TRENDS • TECH • LEGISLATION • JOBS

GET TO KNOW THE 2018 RESTAURANT LEADERS SUMMIT PANELISTS.

Shannon Martinez

>>

RESTAURANT LEADERS SUMMIT Q&A

Q&A

WHAT DISH DO YOU WISH YOU COULD TURN VEGAN?

VICTOR LIONG

Choux pastry. I’ve tried on and off for years and still can’t nail it. I try not to think about it too much because failure really annoys me.

>>

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SPEAKING ABOUT AT RLS?

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SPEAKING ABOUT AT RLS?

The importance of including vegan food on all menus along with listening to your customers and taking their feedback on board.

Discussing the intellectual aspects of our industry with passionate and enthusiastic people. On the whole, the industry is shifting. Operators need to adapt and customers need an education, to a point.

ADVICE FOR BUDDING CHEFS? Don’t do it unless you truly love it. It’s a hard job that will consume most of your life. When deciding between music and cooking as a career, I remember my Mum asking me, “What is the first thing you think about when you wake up and the last thing you think about when you go to sleep”.

The answer was cooking and the rest is history.

THE ONE DISH YOU WILL NEVER TAKE OFF LEE HO FOOK’S MENU? Crispy eggplant with caramelised red vinegar. I’m lucky that I’ve managed to merge creativity, gastronomy and deliciousness into one simple dish.

I also love the idea of an iconic dish that is tied to a city, much like Frank Camorra’s Anchoa tapas or Tetsuya Wakuda’s confit of ocean trout.

WHAT DO MILLENNIALS EXCEL AT OVER OLDSCHOOL OPERATORS? I feel that technology and its influence has grown at such a rate that it affects almost every facet of our industry that is rooted in tradition, being hands-on and creative. The ability to adapt and understand how it works and how to make it work for you would be an advantage to a generation familiar with technology.

22 | HOSPITALITY INSIDER

Chris Lucas

>>

WHAT CUISINE IS AUSTRALIA MISSING OUT ON RIGHT NOW? I just announced I’m opening a French bistro, so for me French food is certainly gaining new friends around the world.

BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? That restaurants aren’t meant to please everyone.

YOUR THOUGHTS ON MELBOURNE VS SYDNEY? Each city has a deep and amazing food scene. I would say the liquor restrictions mean Sydney is not realising its potentials as one of the great cities of the world.

RESTAURANT LEADERS SUMMIT Q&A

MELISSA LEONG

>>

FOOD TREND YOU’D LIKE TO SEE DISAPPEAR? Existential naval gazing.

Cooking is about feeding people, so let’s not get too carried away, shall we? I’m not really into hearing a three-hour dissertation by the wait staff with each new course served: I want hot food and cold drinks.

The importance of sleep. We live in a culture that celebrates people being burnt out and stressed out, but the truth is even adrenaline junkies need to rest … if they want to have a career with longevity.

FAVOURITE HIDDEN GEM IN MELBOURNE? I’m loving Bar Saracen right now. They understand that we want to eat good food that’s not fucked with and know how to season properly.

Kate Reid

>>

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SPEAKING ABOUT AT RLS?

ADVICE FOR BUDDING PASTRY CHEFS? Be open to learning and always listen to the more experienced chefs around you in the kitchen.

Improvement and growth as a chef comes from focus and time on the job. Starting out in pastry, you must commit to learning the techniques. Pastry is as much a science as it is a culinary art.

ONE STEP OPERATORS CAN TAKE TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND WELLBEING? Hospitality has a reputation for brutally long hours, no breaks, eating on the job, split shifts, early starts and late finishes. Ensuring you have happy, healthy staff starts with reasonable working hours that allow work–life balance. We cap the working day at Lune, we insist our staff take breaks to sit down and eat food and we always ensure staff get two days off in a row.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SPEAKING ABOUT AT RLS? The importance of mental health in our industry with my peers. I believe we all experience some form of mental health issue in our lives, just on a sliding scale. Increasing awareness can only improve support channels and make work and life better for everyone.

MAL MEIERS

>>

HOW CAN OPERATORS PRIORITISE MENTAL HEALTH IN THE INDUSTRY? As an industry, we need to look into better support and training from the top-down to better equip, identify and deal with people struggling with mental health issues.

An ideal starting point is the re-connection between management and staff where a supportive environment is harboured.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SPEAKING ABOUT AT RLS? I’m looking forward to listening to different points of view as well as sharing mine and touching on the message behind Food for Thought and R U OK?

HOW DOES WORKING IN TASMANIA COMPARE TO THE REST OF AUSTRALIA? It’s the end of the Earth — well, almost. It’s been great to be in one spot after doing pop-ups in Europe for nine months last year.

HOSPITALITY INSIDER | 23

HOW DOES THE HOSPITALITY SCENE IN MELBOURNE COMPARE TO YOUR TIME IN THE UK? Quality of life and working hours are much better in Melbourne.

London is an incredibly fastpaced city and doesn’t allow for a great work–life balance.

The tipping culture is also very different in London, with 12.5 per cent the standard across the city, which encourages a high level of service across all sectors.

FAVOURITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM? Instagram by far. I love messages told through imagery and the varied ways individuals and businesses use it, from the solely visual and beautifully curated to more thoughtful, wordier, personality-filled content.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SPEAKING ABOUT AT RLS? PR as a true partner for restaurants and an integrated part of their business.

Restaurants that have the best results from PR see them as an extension of their team and use them for far more than media relations.

PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO RESTAURANT OPERATORS? Know who you are and what makes your brand special. And then stay true to that vision in everything you do, from your menu to your staff training to your Instagram account.

>>

JONNO FORBES

>>

RESTAURANT LEADERS SUMMIT Q&A

Jeanine Bribosia

WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO BUDDING CHEFS?

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SPEAKING ABOUT AT RLS? The impact and importance of training in the hospitality sector. This is often overlooked in restaurants, but is one of the most important aspects of our business. I would also like to discuss the impact of strong company culture and what we can do to change the perception of our industry.

GO-TO VENUE TO UNWIND AT? Embla or Neptune for a wine bar.

>>

Start thinking about your long-term goals now.

It’s important to ask yourself what environment you need to put yourself in to gain experience that will help you achieve your goals. Continue this questioning throughout your career and make strategic decisions as you go.

Frank Camorra WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO AT RLS? Listening to the other speakers, finding out what makes them successful and what I could apply to my business.

ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO RESTAURATEURS LOOKING TO EXPAND?

HOW DOES RUNNING AN AIRPORT VENUE DIFFER TO YOUR OTHER RESTAURANTS? The main issue is dealing with the logistical nightmares of airport life, not only security, but the longer operating hours and peaks and troughs of flight schedules. Also, customers’ ever-present anxiety of missing flights.

WHAT SHOULD OPERATORS CONSIDER BEFORE LAUNCHING A POP-UP CONCEPT? It’s best not to expect anyone to be as emotionally invested in your pop-up as you are. In a market full of pop-up concepts, it’s important to make sure you stand out. You have to consider what your point of difference is and what you are bringing to the market that’s new and exciting.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SPEAKING ABOUT AT RLS? Before opening my restaurant Ides, I was constantly putting on pop-up dinners. Thinking about how we ran our pop-ups has brought up lessons I’ve moved to the back of my mind and taken for granted.

>>

Make the systems for reporting the financial health of the individual business accurate and efficient. Providing managers with access to trustworthy and prompt figures is the cornerstone for expansion.

24 | HOSPITALITY INSIDER

PETER GUNN

MOST UNDER-RATED COCKTAIL? An Americano. It’s light, refreshing and doesn’t require many tools or ingredients.

SCOTT PICKETT

Never think you’re the main event. A bartender plays in the house band in everybody’s evening. Wise words from my mentor Sasha Petraske many years ago when talking about ego and the industry in New York.

NUMBER ONE STAFFING PET PEEVE?

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SPEAKING ABOUT AT RLS? What owning a bar means to me and the responsibility I have to ensure our customers get what they deserve.

>>

BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN?

Finding good staff is really difficult. You have to search for great staff, and unfortunately in this industry, there are so many jobs around that once you attract good ones, you really need to work at keeping them interested in their jobs and mentoring them to provide new challenges.

CHRISTIAN MCCABE >> AUSTRALIA’S BEST WINE LIST?

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SPEAKING ABOUT AT RLS?

There’s a lot of great lists out there, and Melbourne tends to be much more ‘priced to drink’ than Sydney which is a good thing. The best list continues to be France Soir for me; amazing depth.

How we, as an industry, can address the staff shortage and what we can do as a group to ensure the industry I love so much continues to be successful.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU’RE CURRENTLY FACING?

BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU FACE AS AN OPERATOR?

Wine taxes! Australia has a value-based tax system for wine versus a volumetric tax for other alcoholic beverages. At the mid to high end, a large amount of the price goes to the tax man. We won’t win much sympathy if we storm the steps of parliament demanding fairer taxation of fine wine, but it is an issue, and makes drinking well increasingly out of reach for many people.

Surely, we should be promoting quality over quantity.

Between all five businesses, we have staff shuffling around the venues, which can be great for them as they are exposed to different levels of service and a variety of kitchen environments. I think you gain clarity as staff can see the good and not-so-good points in each business and share knowledge.

Veronica Fil WHAT’S ONE THING DINERS NEVER NOTICE BUT SHOULD AT LÛMÉ?

Most guests probably don’t realise their Friday night booking begins on Monday morning when the chefs take a three-hour drive to get 10g of sea succulents to create the iconic dish they’re coming in for. We bring creatives through the restaurant each day, from actors and musicians to screenwriters and sculptors, who help shape the experience from behind the scenes. We put our front-of-house staff through rigorous training and emphasise human psychology and behavioural economics, understanding body language and speech patterns and how to communicate with guests in a way that will give them the exact experience they want.

TREND PREDICTIONS FOR 2019?

In 2019, we’re going to see many restaurant owners ditch third-party digital platforms they’re currently held hostage to. Online review platforms, reservation systems, group buying websites and online delivery — anyone who claims to give you more exposure and customers in return for a heinous commission fee can be left behind.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SPEAKING ABOUT AT RLS? When it comes to technology, I want to show restaurant owners how far behind the Australian hospitality scene has been up until this point. In a highly competitive environment, anyone who’s not getting on board right now with restaurant tech will quickly get left behind.

HOSPITALITY INSIDER | 25

RESTAURANT LEADERS SUMMIT Q&A

>> Michael Madrusan

>>

RECIPE BOOK CORNERSMITH’S QUICK PICKLE

CORNERSMITH’S QUICK PICKLE

BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT THROWING IT AWAY – HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT PICKLING IT? WORDS ALEX ELLIOTT-HOWERY AND SABINE SPINDLER

This recipe is great for using up things

METHOD

that might be left over at the end

1. C ombine vinegar, hot water, sugar

of the week in the veggie crisper.

and salt in a jug. Stir until salt and

Cauliflower, wrinkly carrots, red onion,

sugar is dissolved.

red cabbage, spring onions and even pumpkin are the perfect candidates for pickling. Vegetable stems are also ideal including those from kale, beetroot, broccoli and cauliflower.

INGREDIENTS 1 cup very hot water

2. I n a non-reactive container, put your thinly sliced vegetables and spices of your choice.

3. P our brine over the vegetables and leave to sit for at least 20 minutes.

4. O nce cool, store your quick pickles

½ cup white vinegar, rice wine vinegar

covered in the fridge. They will last

or apple cider vinegar

up to two weeks.

4 tbs sugar 2 tsp salt

Recipe from Salads and Pickles

1 cup sliced vegetables of your choice

by Alex Elliott-Howery and

1 tsp spices of your choice or a few

Sabine Spindler.

slices of ginger, bay leaf or chili

26 | HOSPITALITY INSIDER

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