Hospitality July 2017

NO.736 JULY 2017

Perth in crisis?

OPERATING A BAR AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

Compound interest THREE WAYS TO LIFT YOUR FLAVOURED BUTTER GAME

dessert THE

craze HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT

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Editorial

W

ell, after eight or so years working on this wonderful title, this is the last Hospitality magazine I’ll sign off on. It’s a very bittersweet moment – I’ve got a new challenge to sink my teeth into, and while I am staying in the industry (was there ever really a question?), I’ll miss the connection with passionate chefs and restaurateurs that is at the heart of this job.

As a young(er) journo, I had no intention of writing about food or foodservice, but I’m so glad it worked out that way. Everyone says it, and it’s true – the excitment and energy in this industry is contagious, and once you’re in, you’re in.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the countless chefs, restaurateurs, front of house professionals, barstaff, baristas, suppliers and producers for sharing their expertise, knowledge and passion with me over the years. Hospitality wouldn’t be where it is today without you.

I’d also like to thank all the other hands that help to put this magazine together each month, and who have worked to make Hospitality more than just a magazine, but a foodservice media brand now boasting the industry’s leading website, video and social media channels, and most recently, the one day conference, the Restaurant Leaders Summit. To all the editors who came before me, thank you. To the journalists, sales reps and designers that have worked alongside me, thank you. To the Intermedia team, and specifically Paul Wootton, Hospitality’s publisher, thank you for giving this publication the investment and energy it required to take – and maintain – the lead.

I’m so grateful for everything you’ve all taught me over the years, and I’m so glad that what started as my first job out of uni (taken with two hands as the GFC took hold) became my dream gig. It’s been awesome.

See you round!

Danielle Bowling dbowling@intermedia.com.au

July Contents

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4 6 8 10 12 16 18 20 24 28 32 36

In focus Openings Flavour of the month Trends Best practice Fast casual Drinks Column Cover story Education and training Kitchen Equipment Restaurant Leaders Summit Shelf Space Diary 5 minutes with…

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40 41 42

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PUBLISHER Paul Wootton pwootton@intermedia.com.au

PRODUCTION MANAGER Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au

EDITOR Danielle Bowling T: 02 8586 6226 dbowling@intermedia.com.au

HEAD OF CIRCULATION Chris Blacklock cblacklock@intermedia.com.au To subscribe please call 1800 651 422.

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 DESIGN Kea Thorburn kthorburn@intermedia.com.au

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July 2017 Hospitality

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in focus

Baby Boomers the heaviest drinkers New research has brought to light a different perspective about how, what and where consumers drink.

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eople aged in their 60s drink more often than any other age group, new research from Intermedia shows. Over one quarter of them say they drink most days, compared with less than 10 percent of people in their 20s.

The information is contained in the report ‘Alcohol Consumption in Australia 2017’, published by Intermedia. The report is based on a survey of 1,027 Australian consumers, asking about every aspect of their drinking habits. It contains a detailed demographic analysis of alcohol consumers in Australia – how much they drink, what they drink, where they drink, and where they buy alcohol.

We Australians think of ourselves as big drinkers, but we are actually not exceptional. On a global scale we are in the top 20, on a par with the major countries of Western Europe (in terms of litres of pure alcohol per capita per year). Eastern Europeans are the biggest

One third of heavy drinkers are women.

Red and white wine are the most popular types of alcohol, with

red wine most popular

with older people.

Only about

10 percent of Australians never drink.

They are evenly spread across all demographics, except that they are disproportionately found among lower income groups.

drinkers and countries with majority Muslim populations the lightest.

Alcohol plays an important part in Australian society, and there was been much commentary in recent years about the social and public health issues related to alcohol consumption. The level of consumption has declined in recent years, but concerns about binge drinking and alcohol-fuelled violence have increased.

While there is substantial data on the size of the alcohol market in Australia, and many reports on consumption, there is very little research that has asked consumers how often they drink, what they are drinking, and where they are drinking it.

By asking these questions, and by matching the data against the demographics of the respondents, we have been able to develop a profile of Australians’ drinking habits not available from other perspectives. n

Only

one quarter

of the population are

regular beer drinkers.

Women drink much less often than men when out, except that they drink just as often as when visiting friends.

Most drinkers drink at home,

with over a quarter saying they drink at home a few times a week, and nearly one in five saying they drink at home most days.

The report is available now, for $900 + GST. Contact Graeme Philipson at Intermedia: graeme@intermedia.com.au

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Openings Some of the latest venues to swing open their doors in Australia’s foodservice scene.

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Grounds of the City

Sydney, NSW Nearly three years in the making, The Grounds of the City​is a "coffeehouse-inspired inner-city hub" and is the sister of its flagship Alexandria location. Open seven days a week, the site has coffee sommeliers ready to guide guests through tailored experiences, whilst the Tea Lady roams the venue with her custom-made trolley offering teas, cakes and pastries.

2

Baoi

Brisbane, QLD Banoi’s third venue offers pho topped with slow-poached chicken breast; rice paper rolls with pork belly, pumpkin puree and candied chilli; and vermicelli noodles with lemongrass beef and imperial spring rolls. Drinks such as Vietnamese coffee and Kumquat lemonade complement bao, banh mi, and Cao Lau noodles. A specialty wine and beer menu has also been created with both local and regional options available.

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1

Happy as Larry

Sydney, NSW After launching Sydney’s first wood fired pizza truck in 2015, Happy as Larry has opened its first flagship shop.

The truck offers traditional Italian Neapolitan style woodfired pizzas as well as less traditional varieties including speck and pineapple pizza. The takeaway menu features bacon and egg paninis and Italian vegan bowls, and dine-in breakfast includes house-baked granola with fresh fruit and panacotta, acai bowls and burnt butter eggs benny.

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4FINGERS

Melbourne, VIC The casual dining brand started in Singapore and has opened its first Australian store in Melbourne, with another opening slated for Brisbane later this month. 4FINGERS offers free range chicken, freshly baked burger buns and kimslaw (kimchi coleslaw) that’s fermented on-site. The Asian-inspired menu also offers preservative free sauces with no MSG.

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Italian Street Kitchen

Newstead, QLD Italian Street Kitchen has opened at Gasworks Plaza, representing the restaurant’s entry into the Queensland market. Offering contemporary and classic Roman street food, Italian Street Kitchen has an open kitchen, where pasta is handmade daily and the pizza dough is aged for 48 hours.

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Husk & Vine

Sydney, NSW Located in Sydney’s Parramatta, Husk & Vine's menu has been created by chef Stephen Seckold (Flying Fish, Salaryman), who pays homage to the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultural influences in the area. At the kitchen’s heart is a custom Beech oven where head chef Ashley Brennan produces flatbreads and pides, as well as whole birds and large cuts of meat including whole lamb shoulders with harissa, okra and chickpea stew.

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Meat & Wine Co

Sydney, NSW Sydney’s The Meat & Wine Co has revealed a new fit-out complete with harbourside views in The Streets of Barangaroo. Boasting a new urban architectural design and a new menu, the restaurant offers a selection of classic and contemporary dishes with a touch of South African flavours. The Autumn/Winter menu is broken up into five key pillars: Meat Medley Celebration; Seafood; African Flavours; Bar Menu; and the Premium Steak Range.

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Paddo Inn Bar & Grill

Sydney, NSW The Solotel group, overseen by Matt Moran and Bruce Solomon, has launched a new concept at the Paddington Inn pub. The menu showcases Australian beef and seafood and is looked after by Moran and head chef Laura Barratto, who joins the kitchen from Chiswick at The Gallery.

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Flavour of the month An incredibly nutritious and versatile ingredient, chickpeas can help to beef up vegetarian or vegan dishes, and are seriously good in cakes and sweets too.

Chickpeas

C

hickpeas are Australia’s most popular legume (or pulse) and are widely consumed in a variety of dishes. There are two main varieties of chickpeas: the Desi and Kabuli.

Desi are a smaller variety and are common ingredients in Indian dishes like dhal. Kabuli are known for their nutty flavour and white to cream appearance.

SOURCING As the world’s largest chickpea exporter, Australia is renowned for its chickpea production – primarily the Desi chickpea, which is exported to India. Chickpeas are primarily grown in northern and southern areas of Australia and are now grown in Western Australia as well.

WHAT’S THE APPEAL? Chickpeas are a versatile ingredient that can be used in a range of applications, from sweet dishes to snacks as well as more traditional stews, tagines and hummus.

Chickpeas are also a good source of protein so they’re a great substitute for meat in vegetarian or vegan dishes. They’re also a great base for adding big flavours to a dish, providing a soft and creamy mouthfeel whilst soaking up other flavours.

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FLAVOUR MATCHES Chilli, feta, Middle Eastern spices like cinnamon, cumin and ground coriander, tahini, chorizo, sweet caramelised onions, herbs, lemon juice, avocado, sweet potato and leafy greens.

foods like breakfast cereals and snack bars to increase the protein content.

• Use the water from tinned chickpeas (referred to as aqua faba) in place of eggs – vegan pavlovas work well.

TASTY APPLICATIONS

STORAGE

• Add to Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes as a delicious source of vegetarian protein – use in tagines, slow cooked dishes with meat or in fresh salads.

• Roast cooked chickpeas with olive oil, seasoning and additional flavourings like chilli, cumin and ground coriander for a delicious alternative to traditional snacks. Also works well with maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg.

• Roasted chickpeas can be added to soups and salads to provide crunch and texture.

• Use in place of traditional fats like butter to get around dietary restrictions such as dairy free and vegan diets – chickpeas work exceptionally well in sweet recipes including cakes.

• Great to make traditional hummus, switch this up by adding chilli pastes, pesto, feta, roasted capsicums and more.

• Try using chickpea flour in place of traditional flours, to make wraps, socca (a thin pancake) or a light batter for onion bhajis or pakoras.

• Chickpeas are increasingly being added to

Dried chickpeas can be stored in an airtight container for up to a year. Once cooked, chickpeas should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. Leftover cooked chickpeas can be frozen for up to three months.

PREP TIPS It’s easier than you think to cook dried legumes – for one cup of dried chickpeas, use three cups water. If you have time, soak the chickpeas for six to eight hours. Drain. Place in fresh water, bring to boil and simmer for approximately 20–30 minutes. If you don’t have time to soak, simply bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 45–60 minutes until tender. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse thoroughly to reduce the sodium by up to half. But don’t throw away that water! n Credit: Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council

No.1 Bent Street's togarashi butter with roasted onions and beef.

Trends Maître d’Hôtel and Café de Paris are probably the most iconic, but with the vast array of ingredients at chefs’ disposal, compound butters have gotten a lot more exciting in recent years.

Compound butters A ccording to Mike McEnearney, chef and owner of Sydney’s No.1 Bent Street, the sky’s the limit when it comes to the ingredients you can use to create a compound butter.

When Hospitality spoke with him, McEnearney had four compounds on the menu: a herb butter served on top of grilled yabbi; Café de Paris that’s whisked into chicken and fish stock and served with King George whiting; an anchovy butter served on top of brocollini; and a togarashi butter that’s melted on top of roasted onions and served alongside beef.

Most chefs, McEnearney included, use compound butters in one of three ways: placed on top of something, to melt over; on the side of a dish, to be spread on; or whisked – the culinary term is to ‘monté’ – into a jus, stock or water, to make a sauce.

Not only are they versatile and relatively simple to prepare, but compound butters – depending on what they’re made of – can be prepared in advance and frozen.

“The butter is a good medium to hold the freshness of ingredients, because it sets hard.

The ingredients stay fresh within the butter, so you can keep it for a little while or you can make some and freeze it, and then bring it out when you want to use it,” McEnearney said.

“It’s good mise en place to have. I can make a sauce in seconds by pulling a log of it out of the freezer. If we get interesting ingredients coming through, we’re never totally perplexed about what to do – we always have a couple of

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things that we can reach for … So by us having this repertoire of different compound butters at the ready, we can pull a dish together pretty quickly and get it up on the blackboard.”

Compound butters can keep in the freezer for about a month, said McEnearney, but chefs who choose to work with cultured butter – like he does – need to pay extra attention to the freshness of the butter they’re using and how it tastes when it’s plated up.

“Cultured butter – because of the lactic acid in it – turns quickly into these very strong flavours, and a lot of people would say it’s off.

It’s not, it’s the cultured flavour that enhances its probiotics and its flavour. But some people don’t like that, so you need to be careful. If you’re worried, use uncultured butter,” he said.

And that’s exactly what Robert Daniels, executive chef at Sydney’s Kensington Street Social, does.

Daniels said the style and quality of the butter chefs use when creating compounds is hugely important.

“You’ve got to have the right butter. We had a situation a few weeks ago where we weren’t able to get our usual Western Star butter … We got a different butter in. It was a product that we hadn’t used before, and we made the sauce the exact same way and we used exactly the same method and all the same ingredients and quantities, but it split. In the middle of service we were trying to fix a split butter sauce.

“It could have been the quality of the milk, it could have been the quality of the churn.

It might have been a butter that was more

churned or the milk wasn’t as fatty. It could have been a few things.”

On the menu at Kensington Street Social is a nori butter, made using toasted sushi seaweed that’s blitzed down and folded through butter with a yuzu juice and a dashi reduction. It’s then used to make an emulsion, which cavalo nero is tossed through.

There’s also bone marrow bordelaise. “We take bone marrow after it’s been soaked and taken out of the bone, we chop it into chunks and then blend it through softened butter. We put in shallots, tarragon and so forth, and we make a strong red wine sauce and monte in the butter to finish, to really enrich it.”

One of the most important things for chefs to consider, Daniels says, is the number of wet ingredients being used.

“If I was going to add parsley, for example, in a compound butter, I’d probably blanch it first, just to take some of the moisture out of it. And also by taking that little bit of liquid out, the parsley wont leach into the butter, so you’ll have that contrast between the green parsley and the gold of the butter.”

Liquid ingredients can also affect how the butter defrosts, McEnearney added.

“The more you add to the butter, the more it changes its structure. So if you have too many fluids in the butter, you’ll find that when you defrost it, the icicles of the water-based ingredients – not the fat-based ingredients – turn to water and you’ll have a curdled looking butter.”

At the recently opened The George on

Collins in Melbourne, head chef Tom Brockbank uses rendered wagyu fat in his compound butter, and said the most important consideration when it’s being prepared is the temperature of the two key elements.

“Don’t put the fat in too hot because it will split. When you put your butter and your fat together, if they’re not both equal temperatures when you churn it, all the fat can separate, and then you’ve got a split butter,” he told Hospitality.

The George’s wagyu fat butter is an example of the kitchen’s efforts to reduce food waste and get as much from their produce as possible.

“So when we get the whole primal in, we take all the fat off, trim it down and render those trimmings down. We then bring it together with the cultured butter, shallots, garlic and thyme, infuse it, set it and roll it.

“When I’m finishing my steak in the pan, I’ll use some of the wagyu fat butter in the pan, glaze it, and foam it. When the butter starts getting to a beurre noisette temperature, we foam it and foam it and foam it over the top, so it glazes the steak and gives it a nice colour. It’s also the perfect time for the steak to absorb as much as possible. And then obviously when we’re resting that, we’ll put a piece [of the wagyu fat butter] on top so it comes to room temperature and starts melting over the top.”

Repeating McEnearney’s sentiments, Brockbank said compound butters are extremely versatile and can be used in a number of different iterations on a menu. The wagyu fat butter, for instance, will probably be complementing other proteins in the not too distant future.

“Maybe with fish as well? A lot of meat sauces go really well with big, bold, meaty fish. So I’d like to be able to use more compound butters in my sauces, to give them that richness, that purity of fat and butteriness. They just give sauce an edge of flavour as well. So they’re definitely on my list of things to do” n

King George whiting with Café de Paris from No.1 Bent Street.

Anchovy butter served on top of brocollini from No.1 Bent Street.

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best practice

Using the 80/20 rule to cut costs and improve management

T

One simple equation can solve any number of problems plaguing your business, writes Ken Burgin. Read on to find out how you can put the 80/20 rule to work.

he 80/20 Rule is simple – it says that a relatively small number of causes (about 20 percent) are responsible for a great number of effects (roughly 80 percent). So if you find out what the 20 percent are, and work on them, you can have a significant impact on sales, cost reduction and the effectiveness of managers.

It often means 80 percent of your sales comes from 20 percent of your customers, so looking after them should be your primary focus. It’s not always exactly 80 percent or 20 percent, (it could be 90/10) but the proportions are what we’re talking about here.

ON THE MENU: • Twenty percent of your menu items will give you 80 percent of your sales, and about 80 percent of the items will give you 20 percent of your sales. Look closely at the best and worst sellers, and simplify.

• At the same time, 20 percent of your menu items will give you about 80 percent of your profits – what are they and could they do with some more promotion?

• Eighty percent of party menu sales are from 20 percent of what’s available – can some of those prices be increased?

FOOD & BEVERAGE COSTS: • On a spreadsheet, list the weekly total cost of each food item purchased. Now use the ‘sort’ function to list them from highest to lowest value. Chances are you’ve got expensive seafood, beef and protein up the top – are these 80 percent items being stored and counted as carefully as they should be? Are you getting the best price possible?

• Probably 80 percent of kitchen prep time is for 20 percent of the menu, and vice versa – what’s your example?

• If 20 percent of your wine and beverage list gives you 80 percent of your sales, check the need to keep so many different labels, especially as it usually involves carrying expensive stock.

STAFF AND MANAGERS: • Twenty percent of your wait staff probably make about 80 percent of the sales – are you looking after them?

• Twenty percent of your employees will cause 80 percent of your staff problems – who needs to move on?

• A small number of your managers may receive a large proportion of the wages – are they producing corresponding value?

• Some managers spend 80 percent of their time on ‘busy work’ and fussing, while others can get the same work done in much less time.

• Do you have the calm, productive and efficient managers you need?

• Effective managers spend a lot more time working out ‘why’ and ‘how’ and ‘what’s next’ instead of constantly reacting to daily turmoil – the 20 percent of their time they put aside for this has a big, big payoff!

DAILY ACTIVITY: • Twenty percent of POS keys are used for 80 percent of sales – are they in the most accessible place?

• Twenty percent of the agenda items in a meeting can take up 80 percent of the time – can you improve on this? It’s no wonder people can get frustrated!

• Twenty percent of tables are where 80 percent of customers want to sit – can you improve the less popular ones?

• Twenty percent of your opening hours generates 80 percent of your sales – how is that reflected in the roster?

• Ask your team to find out some 80/20 examples in their own work – they will have lots of ideas. From that you can work out how more could be done with less.

Great news: staff really ‘get’ the 80/20 concept, and like finding ways to apply it. Give them examples, and ask them to find their own. This is putting 80/20 at work – a small idea can have a big, big impact! n July 2017 Hospitality

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fast casual

The future is here After 15 successful years of operation under the Imperium Group, TGI Fridays Asia Pacific is set to refresh, refine and refocus in 2017.

Duncan Thomson

O

bviously it’s a great brand with about to embark on a new period of growth, fantastic systems, processes and with more venues and more models. history, but, as you know, with “As soon as you stop opening stores the hospitality everything moves in brand starts to drop away. Once you start When was the business established? cycles,” TGI Fridays Asia Pacifc group general opening them again you get more vibrancy and 1995 and bought by the Imperium Group manager Duncan Thomson told Hospitality. attention,” said Thomson. in 2002.

Thomson was appointed to the position late “We’ve been using 600–700sqm sites; Number of locations? 10 (8 in Victoria, 1 in in 2016 and formed a new leadership team with when they’re busy they’re crazy busy, but NSW, 1 in Adelaide) group executive chef Sunny Gilbert and marketwhen they’re quiet they can seem quite vacNumber of staff? 500 ing manager Tom Allan. Together they launched uous. The Australian market likes vibey, busy the Future Fridays strategy in April this year. spaces. There’s also not a lot of 600–700sqm Best-selling menu items? Wings, ribs “The industry has shifted. Dining patterns, sites available. So the way forward for us is & burgers food style, and service style have changed, so probably 300–400sqm sites with more alfresco Biggest challenge facing the business in we needed to reinvent ourselves without changareas too. The challenge will be to maintain the 2017? Launching the “Future Fridays” strategy, ing the brand,” said Thomson. brand’s heritage so people don’t see the smallboth internally and externally. Refreshing, “I see it as being much more produce driven er sites as different from the bigger ones.” refocusing & revitalising the brand. now. There’s a lot of great stories that we The smaller venues also open up opporweren't telling; like where our meat comes tunities for staff members and the new Growth plans for the ahead? We are from, how we make the signature Jack Daniel’s strategy includes provisions for training and planning an aggressive growth phase glaze, or how all of the sauces are made inretaining people. through NSW and WA. house every day.

“We’ve just launched Friday’s Academy, The Future Fridays strategy is multifaceted, which is our Registered Training Organisation from menu changes to cultural transformation. certified training program. We take all our Fortunately, TGI Fridays Asia Pacific has the support of the global directors. staff through cert three and four in hospitality management. We’re very “They understand that Australia is probably one of the most aggresfocused on being able to offer careers; staff retention is really big for sive food markets in the world,” said Thomson. everyone at the moment,” said Thomson.

“The great opportunity at the moment is that American bar & grill “We’ll be able to start newer managers in the smaller stores a lot and barbecue are really hot right now, and TGI Fridays has been doing it earlier. That way those people who are interested in a career in hospitalarguably better than anyone here for the last 22 years. But the way we’ve ity can start on a management training path early and work their way up been presenting and packaging it has probably become a bit of a detractor to GM in one of the big multi-million dollar stores.” for some people. The cultural transformation is really about having those internal conversations; like it’s okay to challenge the brand, it’s okay MASTERING THE FRANCHISE MODEL to reinvent ourselves. Innovation and localisation are great things for As a master franchise, TGI Fridays Asia Pacifc has one owner – Cox’s hospitality business.”

Imperium Group – and individual stores can’t be sub-franchised.

While TGI Fridays will always honour its American grill and barbecue “The main difference is in the control and process,” said Thomson. heritage, the new menu, is focused on keeping up with the Australian “The senior leadership team runs all the restaurants. In the other market. It’s a challenge the Future Fridays strategy embraces. models you could argue that if the franchisees aren’t managed well, the “We dissected everything. A lot of the changes are in kitchen quality could drop; you’ve got to have the financial capabilities to own technique, so things the customers won’t necessarily see, but they will the brand, grow the brand and maintain control over it. notice the consistency of the service, presentation, quality and flavour,” “We’re probably a little more cautious than a regular franchisor too, said Thomson. because they make their money off the rent so it doesn’t stress them Bearing in mind these pillars of culture and quality food, TGI Fridays is as much if the individual businesses fail.” n 16 Hospitality July 2017

At a glance

advertorial

Life is too short to serve bad pasta With so many different pastas on the market, it’s important for foodservice operators to use the best product not just in terms of flavour, but texture and cooking performance too.

M

ore than 170 years ago in 1846, Antonio Rummo rode his faithful stead over the San Cosimo Bridge in search of the best wheat to bring back to his mill in the town of Benevento, Campania. That passion was passed down from generation to generation, and to this day the Rummo family honours the traditions founded by Antonio, using only the finest ingredients when manufacturing pasta.

In 1991 Rummo pasta opened a new manufacturing facility in Ponte Valentino district, within 10 kilometers of where it all started, the San Cosimo Bridge. The traditions now reach far beyond, with Conga Foods proudly supplying Australia with a range of Rummo pasta since 2008.

With both retail and larger catering sizes available in wide variety of different shapes, Rummo can be used in dishes that range from traditional pastas, to bakes and salads, as well as soups that are perfect for winter menus.

In 2015, the ever-evolving company launched gluten free pastas, which were awarded best innovation in the category by Italy’s Premio food in 2016.

The award-winning gluten free range is just one example of Rummo’s game-changing offering. The benefits of using high-quality pasta are countless, as any foodservice operator knows.

While taste is always at the forefront of a chef’s mind, cooking performance and texture are equally as important.

The key to high-quality pasta that possesses

all of these attributes is time and, of course, the finest ingredients. Along with carefully selected ingredients, like the wheat sought

by Antonio, Rummo has continually perfected the process of Lenta Lavorazione. Translated to 'slow processing', Rummo uses this process for every batch of pasta to make consistently high-quality pasta.

Rummo is the only pasta certified for cooking preformation by the Federazione Italiana Cuochi (Federation of Italian Chefs). This guarantees the same cooking performance for every batch, ensuring the pasta is always al dente, firm and resistant to the bite. Even after overcooking, Rummo holds its shape when compared to other pastas on the market.

Every batch of Rummo pasta is tested for its cooking performance; this is done by using a

pressure sensor that replicates the human bite to test the pasta’s resistance. Only the pasta that stands up to the strict standards will be branded Rummo and have the Lenta Lavorazione stamp applied.

That’s not where the attention to detail stops though. Through the traditional method of bronze dye extrusion using patented dyes made especially for the Lenta Lavorazione process, Rummo pasta is given a rougher surface that any sauce will stick to. This ensures even coverage, making for a balanced mouthful of pasta to sauce. It also means the two are easier to combine, so less sauce can be used – creating savings in the kitchen without compromising on quality.

More savings come from Rummo pasta’s protein content, which is higher than its competitors’. More protein means pasta that is harder to overcook and holds its shape for longer. It also helps diners feel fuller faster; meaning serving sizes can be smaller while still leaving the customer completely satisfied.

Again, it comes down to time and quality ingredients – the protein in Rummo pasta is made by selecting the best raw materials and working the dough for just the right amount of time.

Using the best quality pasta delivers more than just flavour; it provides an easier, more consistent cooking experience for busy kitchens alongside cost savings. To try award-winning Rummo pasta contact Conga Foods on 03 9487 9500. n July 2017 Hospitality 17

drinks

Tiki as FK

Perth: Opening a bar at the edge of the world Fifteen of Gary Beadle’s 30 years in hospitality have been spent in Perth, running his business Blinding. He designed, built and ran one of Perth’s first small bars, 399 Bar, and as a partner he currently operates Five Bar and Lot 20. He recently opened a new venue in Northbridge, Tiki as FK, and is as well placed as anyone in the industry to explain the idiosyncrasies of opening and running a bar in the world’s most geographically isolated city.

H

aving lived in Sydney and Melbourne before moving to Perth fifteen years ago, it is my opinion that Perth is unlike any other Australian capital city.

There are many factors that influence this.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 26 percent of Australian residents were born overseas; in Perth, this statistic rises to 33 percent. Perth is a mining town and the whole economy of Perth, and indeed the state of Western Australia, is based around the rise and fall of this one industry. The state government of Western Australia has also had no real visible forward plan for our city to be anything other than a mining town.

Perth also has endless potential in terms of space, beaches and sunshine. It is the sunniest capital city in the world, with an average of eight hours of sunshine per day, almost 365 days per year.

There are 140 local councils covering the state of Western Australia, which equates to an average of one council for every 17,000 residents. To say Perth has an excess of government would be an understatement to say the very least.

There are 2.5 million residents of Western Australia, with 1.8 million living in what is described as Perth. However, the actual City of Perth, which covers twenty square kilometres, has just 21,000 residents. Compare this to the City of Sydney which covers twenty-five square kilometres and has 205,000 residents.

18 Hospitality July 2017

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BARS? If there is a game of football on at Subiaco, or a couple of summer festival events, the city is like a ghost town – there just aren’t enough residents to go around. I have many times walked down William Street on my way to Lot 20 based in the Perth Cultural Centre – the busiest foot traffic thoroughfare in Perth. On a weekend when there are other events on, you can walk past no more than 20 people on this route, which on any other day would be teeming with people.

By comparison, a little while ago I was in Melbourne with a friend for a few days. As you do, being in hospitality, on a Tuesday afternoon we decided to wander around and visit a few bars. We headed to the rooftop bar Goldilocks – it was about 12 degrees, overcast and drizzling. When we got to Goldilocks the lift was out of order so we walked up the stairs – about five floors I believe – enough for me to need a cigarette to straighten me out after the ascent. When we finally got to Goldilocks, the place was full.

If this had been Perth, all the factors we encountered en route would have resulted in a fail. Tuesday afternoons in Perth don’t have an abundance of people looking for places to go. Factor in 12 degrees, overcast skies and drizzling rain, and the Perth public would be heading straight for a night in with Netflix and takeaway. And five floors of stairs – you’ve got to be kidding!

This is not a slight on the Perth population, it is simply an observation of how our environment affects the Perth mindset, which in turn affects our industry. Perth residents are used to amazing weather and they are used to everything being in working order and easily accessible.

A CRISIS? WELL… So, are Perth’s bars in crisis? No, they’re not, it’s just the way Perth is. Perth is different to the rest of Australia’s capital cities and therefore when operating a venue here you must take local factors into account.

When I model a business in Perth, I consider the local dynamics and hurdles as I would in any other city I have operated in. I walk away from potential venues where I consider the rent to be too high, or the lease term too short, or the potential fit out costs too much. I work out staff members to customer ratios to determine whether ongoing costs will be too high.

I walk away if all these numbers don’t add up, because I am a career hospitality human.

I see shops for sale now that I walked away from because the rent was three times higher than I was prepared to pay. I take into account there are only 21,000 residents in the City of Perth, of which – on a good day – I can probably only entice two percent of them to come to my venue at best. So, I have to consider ways of attracting customers from surrounding suburbs by making my offering more appealing to them.

drinks

THE GRASS IS GREENER

PEAKS AND TROUGHS

A while back I met a builder who built himself a bar in the city and spent a lot of money on it, and I asked him earnestly if he needed anything or any kind of help. I was offering my time for free just because he seemed like a nice guy and I wanted to see him do well.

He declined my offer with a casual “how hard can it be?”

A couple of years later he called to see if I wanted to buy his bar for 20 percent of what he spent on it. He was good enough to admit that he was wrong to think it would just be a case of putting some booze behind a bar. I never took up his offer as the rent on the shop was way too rich for my liking.

I’ve worked in hospitality for 33 years in many countries and many cities. No matter where I have been or what the economy was like, I have heard numerous times – as has everyone who has spent any length of time in this industry – the same comments from people outside the industry: “I’d like to have my own bar one day”, “you’re so lucky, it is so easy what you do”. I take no offence to these comments, it is simply the ‘grass is always greener’ commentary. And while a small number of these commenters may actually get into hospitality venues, they’ll rarely do well.

This, however, can be seen as a positive in the longer term. When these non-hospitality types chase a dream, most ultimately fail, and they leave behind venues that often give young hospitality workers a chance to get into the industry when they wouldn’t normally be able to afford to. This has the long-term effect of enriching our industry.

I have a friend in London who is a bartender and he and a couple of friends recently bought a failed venue and turned it into a beautiful and profitable business. So, this is not an occurrence unique to Perth, cities all over Australia and the world have been through cycles like this a few times.

Is the Perth economy on a slide because the mining industry has stopped its build phase and gone into a production phase? Most would say yes, it is. Is this a surprise to anyone? No, it isn’t; things have been this way in Perth as far back as most current operators can remember.

So, the natural cycle of things as the economy slides, is for these venues to come up for sale and young hospitality people who wouldn’t normally get such an opportunity get the chance to start a venue. This, I believe, has the end result of creating better venues.

RED TAPE On the topic of excessive government, we recently picked up a licensed bar on James Street for a very reasonable price, refurbished it and opened as Tiki as FK in March. The whole process from buying the bar to the venue reopening was just over three months.

If we’d had the money to start the project from scratch, the local council development application would have taken three to six months, then the state government liquor license application would have taken up to 12 months. The cost of these two applications plus the pre-lay (plumbing and electrical) alone would have been the same as the entire Tiki as FK refurb project.

Lot 20

Perth’s 1.8 million residents are spread out in the longest urban sprawl of any city in the world outside of LA, which has a population of 3.4 million. There are a lot of similarities between LA and Perth: the residents of both love their cars and are shy of going places they can’t drive to. Both are west coast cities with endless coastlines, and the people that are attracted to living in these places are drawn to the coastal life, not the ‘downtownin-an-apartment’ style of living.

I have lost count of the times I have met an expat in Perth who has come to chase their dream of living by the beach – and why shouldn’t they? In contrast to the red tape hurdles created by local governments to set up hospitality venues, they seem to have a real inability to come up with plans to create urban density, possibly because their employees want nothing less. The lack of urban density is also a factor of geography; Perth is flat and long, with no geographical boundaries (like in Sydney) to stop the endless sprawl.

So, the combination of Perth’s let-downs of government, along with the other factors discussed, mean we will never achieve a high-density population in the immediate future. This needs to be given shrewd consideration when operating venues here.

Perth is unlike any of the other Australian capital cities, and so are the people who live here. If we want to succeed in hospitality venues in Perth, all of this must be taken into account. n This article originally appeared in Bars&Clubs.

Lot 20 July 2017 Hospitality 19

column

To discount is to devalue The increasingly competitive hospitality market means businesses need to get real about their prospects, writes Erez Gordon. Here he argues passionately against the urge to save a sinking business by discounting your offering.

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roup buying websites are parasites.

They are hyenas ripping at the flesh of barely living businesses weakened by poor commercial practices, unrealistic expectations and, frankly, deluded operators. Not all of them of course.

Good operators go down as well. But we’ll get to that in a minute.

Involving your business with the discount websites as a commercial strategy is nothing but a public disembowelling of your business.

It is akin to seeing you with your insides slopped out onto the floor of your dining room, a pained desperate look on your face.

It is a wordless declaration the end is near and soon the vultures will be feeding on your rotting corpse.

Too dramatic? Ever been inside a business going under?

So why do people do it? Is it out of some false hope that the pattern of their business to date will somehow magically change following this single desperate action? How likely is that? The problems started well before this moment and this action will not save them.

How has de-valuing your product and service even become an acceptable ‘marketing’ strategy? In which fantasy world is it imaginable that a diner who paid $25 for a steak yesterday will pay $50 for the same steak tomorrow?

Let’s have a look at some facts.

20

Hospitality July 2017

The restaurant market is saturated. What does that mean? As an example, in 2014 there were 7.5 million people living in New South Wales of which 75 percent were adults. There are approximately 16,000 licensed venues in New South Wales. This means the market share for each venue is 350 adults. This is not enough to run a profitable business. Not even close.

Judging by the number of failed food business each year it is clear your chances of establishing a long term profitable restaurant business are slim. In fact, so slim anyone with half a business brain would avoid the industry citing a lack of genuine commercial opportunity. Yet new restaurants open with alarming regularity so we can only assume they are owned by people with less than a half a business brain. Perhaps no business brain at all.

And when you consider how many venues attract more than their share (and good on them for doing a great job) it’s no wonder operators become desperate in their search for bums on seats.

But imagine if we all said no. No we will not discount our product and service. No we will not give you a percentage of what little remains in return for your so-called marketing activity. Imagine if, instead, we said to the diners in our city, you must choose on merit, or style, or geography or affordability but not on discount. Not ever.

Here is what would happen. Many venues would go out of business. In a hurry. Simply because they can offer nothing better than a discount. But the chances are they were on their way out anyway.

The rest would compete on valid aspects of their business and they would garner a genuine audience. They would establish and enjoy the benefits of a genuine customer base.

Industry operators with limited to no experience, who open venues for various reason

Erez Gordon

but rarely good ones, do more damage than simply losing their own money. Every dollar they take on their inexorable path to bankruptcy is a dollar denied to proven profitable operators.

It is also a dollar denied to suppliers, staff, and the government. Poor operators are the cause of increased costs, distrusting customers, and skittish government departments. They make it harder for everyone else to do a good job, including successful operators.

The group buying sites are the domain of the desperate, the weary and the uninformed. They appeal to discounthounds who care little for the survival of the restaurant and they force otherwise competent business people to compete in an arena where nobody ever succeeds. n Erez Gordon is owner of Bishop Sessa in Sydney’s Surry Hills and founder of Erez Gordon Consultants.

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A ONE-DAY CONFERENCE AND MINI-EXPO FOR LEADING RESTAURANT OPERATORS, CHEFS AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT

THE PROGRAM 8.30-9.30

Registration (with tea and coffee)

9.30-9.35

Welcome Annabelle Cloros (Editor, Hospitality magazine)

9.35-9.40

Introduction Ken Burgin (Profitable Hospitality), Alex Herbert (Bird Cow Fish)

9.40-10.10

Keynote Presentation Geoff Ikin (Tourism Australia)

10.10-10.40

Moving Out of the Big Smoke – The Case for Regional Openings Hayley Hardcastle (Bombini), Lisa Margan (Margan Wines & Restaurant), Mark Stone (Stone’s Patisserie), Claire van Vuuren (Popla Bellingen and Bloodwood)

10.40-10.50

Q&A with Palisa Anderson (Chat Thai)

10.50-11.20

Solving the Staffing Saga – 457, Underpayments, Retention Alex Hawke MP (Assistant Minister for Immigration), Natalie James (Fair Work Ombudsman), Alessandro Pavoni (Ormeggio at The Spit), Nino Zoccali (The Restaurant Pendolino and La Rosa)

11.20-11.50

Morning tea

11.50-12.00

What We’ve Learned From Our Business Mo Wyse (Smith and Daughters)

12.00-12.20

Innovative Ways to Drive Revenue – Diversification, Promotions and More Ramzey Choker (The Grounds), Lisa Hasen (OpenTable), Terry Higgins (Rockpool Dining Group), Mark McEnery (Oracle Hospitality)

12.20-12.30

Q&A with Josh Niland (Saint Peter)

12.30-1.00

Running a Tight Ship – Proven Strategies for Keeping Costs in Check Paul Rifkin (Campbelltown Catholic Club), Mark Sweeting (Rational Australia), Trudi Yip (Numeric Eight), Nino Zoccali (The Restaurant Pendolino and La Rosa)

1.00-2.00

Lunch

2.00-2.30

Get Customers Talking About You – And Keep Them Talking: A Marketing Masterclass Andrew El-Bayeh (Example PR), Dan Mylonas (The Grounds), Catherine Slogrove (Papaya PR)

2.30-3.00

Liquid Loot: How to Increase Your Bar Revenue in Peak Trading Hours Jason Jelicich (Barmetrix)

3.00-3.30

Brand Expansion: How, When and Why to Franchise Palisa Anderson (Chat Thai), Matt Fickling (Huxtaburger), Suzanne Jarzabkowska (DC Strategy), Clovis Young (Mad Mex)

3.30-4.00

Afternoon tea

4.00-4.20

Are You China-Ready? Why Chinese Diners Could be Your Biggest Business Opportunity Tara Sullivan (Lotus Dining), Jay Yip (Trippas White Group)

4.20-4.30

When Size Matters: Running the Largest Kitchen in the Southern Hemisphere Tony Panetta (ICC Sydney)

4.30-4.40

Q&A with Chris Thé (Blackstar Pastry)

4.40-5.00

What You Need to Know About 2018 Justine Baker (Solotel), Suzee Brain (Brain & Poulter), Jeremy Courmadias (Rockpool Dining Group), Josh Niland (Saint Peter)

5.00-5.10

Closing Remarks Ken Burgin (Profitable Hospitality)

5.10-6.10

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cover story

At Koi Dessert Bar, Poernomo likes to start off with something very light that acts like a palate cleanser.

24 Hospitality  July 2017

cover story

Dessert in the

Spotlight It’s the latest culinary trend capturing the hearts of diners around the country, so what exactly goes into creating a successful dessert degustation, and what do you need to consider before starting your own? By Stefanie Collins.

Om Nom's Endless Summer dessert.

T

here is no shortage of talented pastry chefs in Australia, and they are being given an opportunity to really showcase their culinary chops as intricate desserts take a leap out of high tea settings and into high-end restaurants.

At KOI Dessert Bar, Reynold Poernomo has turned his passion for unique and memorable desserts into a thriving business proposition, re-inventing classics as well as creating new favourites on the venue’s four course dessert degustation menu.

“I like the intricacy of making dessert.

You can go sweet and savoury. I love making desserts using vegetables,” he said. “I’m working with artichoke at the moment, they’re pretty good now. I’m trying to use nori and liquorice as well. I don’t like desserts that are really rich and heavy.”

One of the most popular dishes at Om Nom is the Passionista.

He added that a “well-balanced” dessert is a combination of the right textures and temperatures, as well as the flavour, which is obviously the most important factor.

For Jo Ward, executive pastry chef at Om Nom Kitchen – located inside the iconic Adelphi Hotel – the concept of a dessert degustation is a bit of a no-brainer.

“I think a dessert degustation is a great way to allow the guest to taste more than one dessert,” she said. “For me I don’t like huge portions. My goal is to create a delicious dish that the guest can finish and crave more, and this way they will want to return.”

At Om Nom Kitchen the degustation portions are half the size of the full size versions, and Ward says that she has plenty of guests who just order the dessert menu, or even order it to have first, before having a savoury dish.

THE MASTERCHEF EFFECT Both Poernomo and Ward believe that the popularity of television cooking shows is a key driver in the upswing in diners interested in dessert degustations.

“They’re really intricate and photogenic.

People want to come in somewhere warm where they can take pictures, and enjoy the atmosphere,” said Poernomo. “There aren’t many places where you can go to a nice, fine dining restaurant and only order the dessert.

I would love to go to Quay and just order dessert, but I can’t pay $50 all the time.”

Ward says that the demand from cooking show lovers is a great thing for chefs.

“I feel like it is creating a lot more interest in the industry – this is driving chefs to become better and better,” she said. “Desserts allow you to be so creative, as there really are July 2017 Hospitality 25

cover story

Ward suggests rounding out dessert degustations with chocolatey desserts with wow factor, like the Sticks and Stones from Om Nom.

“At Om Nom Kitchen we allow the guest to design their own degustation or allow us to design it for them.” no boundaries. I love the creative side of pastry.

I love the precision, and I love how it makes people happy as that’s my ultimate goal and is what drives me every day to improve.”

CREATING A MENU As with any menu, creating a dessert degustation is all about playing to your kitchen’s strengths and flavour preferences.

Ward calls her style “‘modern Australian with a heavy French influence” – down to her classical training – however there is also a lot of savoury influence in her dish design.

“I’ve had a lot of savoury experience throughout my career, so I think this background inspires me to introduce a lot of savoury flavours and techniques into my desserts, which I think adds to my unique cooking style,” she said. “One of our most popular dishes that’s typical to my style is the Passionista. It’s basically different textures of basil and passionfruit. The contrast between 26 Hospitality July 2017

savoury, sweet and sour works really well.”

Over at Koi, Southeast Asian flavours are a strength, with seasonal related produce also a favourite of Poernomo. He also ties his dessert creations into his brother Arnold Poernomo's savoury degustation design for continuity.

“I’ve got apple on my menu and my brother has pears and apples on his menu, so we try to tie everything together,” he said. “Especially with the flavours, we really want to keep everything Southeast Asian.”

DIY DEGUSTATIONS VS SET MENUS So should you let your diners go wild – or should you set the menu to ensure they have a great experience with your desserts?

“At Om Nom Kitchen we allow the guest to design their own degustation or allow us to design it for them,” said Ward.

She does note that the in-house designed menu starts off with something refreshing

to cleanse the palate – she suggests the Liquid Nitrogen Lime and Gin Palate Cleanser poached in liquid nitrogen at the table – then onto something light and fruity, and then move onto something creamy and slightly heavier – the Sticks and Stones perhaps with chocolate bark, charcoal passionfruit pebbles, Nutella, black sesame, chocolate soil, hazelnut custard, crunchy chocolate twigs.

“Always finish with something chocolatey with wow factor,” Ward said.

Poernomo’s four dish degustation is a set menu, with the dishes moving through a similar trajectory to ensure that a guest’s experience is a cohesive one.

“I start off with something very light, working with the seasons, so a dish around citrus, so yuzu, bergamot, orange and mandarin for example. Something very light and clean, in a way it’s like a palate cleanser,” he said. “Then afterwards I move to something a bit sweeter – but, even if it’s chocolate, my desserts aren’t that sweet – and then slowly work my way back out into something light.”

DIETARIES It can be a difficult proposition to cater for dietary needs within something as complicated as a dessert degustation, however, both Ward and Poernomo try to cater to everyone.

“We try, but say if someone can’t have

cover story

dairy, it’s a bit difficult on my end.

But we do cater as best as we can,” he said. “If people can’t have ingredients like gelatine I can work my way around it but it does become a challenge.”

He notes the difficulty of catering to vegan diners is often finding a workspace that is free of any traces of gelatine or butter, before essentially creating a dish from scratch on the spot.

“On booking we ask the diners to give us a heads up of their dietary requirements and lot of the time they don’t,” he said. “I grab things that I have available, even things that I’ve been half experimenting with for a dish and then play around with it.

Often, those desserts end up being some of my favourites.”

Ward says that she tries to design her menu to allow for dietary quirks.

“We do have a lot of dietary requirements this day and age, so I always design my menu with this in mind,” she said. “Out of seven desserts I have on the menu, five are

gluten free and one is gluten free, dairy free, and low in sugar. I also use gelatine alternatives like agar to cater for vegans.”

KITCHEN CAPABILITIES Ward has some simple advice for those who might be interested in following the examples set by Om Nom Kitchen and KOI Dessert Bar – it takes dedication and a lot of staff.

“Obviously, a pastry kitchen requires a lot of specialised equipment, a lot of space and very good organisation.

Pastry is very meticulous,” she said.

“We always need to work clean and structured.

My desserts are very labourintensive. Each dish is generally made up of several elements – possibly up to 10 or 15 different elements could go on one plate. Therefore, I have seven pastry chefs on the roster.

Generally, we would have three to four pastry chefs on the line for a busy weekend service. I also have a day team of two to three who do mise en place.” n

A Koi Dessert Bar creation.

FOODSERVICE Dairy for Today’s Professionals

July 2017 Hospitality

27

education and training

The training track We’re well aware of the severity of the industry’s skills shortage, but instead of always trying to fill holes with new people, think about how you can reorganise your team to get the most from the people already on the books.

By Malcolm Richardson.

28

Hospitality July 2017

I

n life as in work life, at some stage we are always training – educating ourselves to be better or refining our already awesome selves to be just that little bit more streamlined. One thing is for sure, we are always learning something new.

Just a few weeks ago I was at a festival in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, which for lack of better description was like reliving the 50s and 60s. Bearded hipsters, pin-up girls and old iron as far as the eye could see. Thankfully, I was there with the lads from film production company, Kids Find Food, and I got a first-hand look at the spectacular Ribs & Burgers. Now, I’ve eaten a lot of ribs, and even more burgers in my time, and this was just another plate of food. Except that a young up-and-coming cook had a few secrets up his sleeve. Watching the way this young guy moved the ribs around the fire, and the technique he used to baste and move, baste and move, was eye opening. It got me thinking that even old stumpy me can learn a thing or two about food these days.

It’s evident in our TV programming that food is a massive part of our culture again. Shows like MasterChef and MKR showcase what our humble Aussie homes are churning out in the terms of quality and passion. In that though is also a lesson for us old hats. On more than one occasion during this season alone I have watched George, Gary and Matt stare at each other, dumbfounded with what is going on in their mouths. These home cooks are teaching us to love food all over again.

Even with the incredible passion and developing skills these home cooks are bringing

into our industry, they are still starting out at the bottom and need training and guidance to develop into valuable team members in our food industry.

It can be a path fraught with pain – training staff, employing apprentices or trainees or even employing qualified staff and teaching them your methods. It can all be a very dangerous slope to slide. There are a lot of reports in the market about the costs of employing a new team member. The one thing that costs businesses the most is training. You need to factor how much time it will take to build them up to the level you need to break-even, and then how much longer to get up to full speed.

As business owners and managers we think a lot about staff and the impact their skills or lack of are having on the bottom line. The way they clean up, the way they set the kitchen or prep, the services or production, it pays to stand and watch your staff from a distance and learn the habits that they have picked up and what slows them down.

UPSKILL OR HIRE? A CASE STUDY When thinking of new staff or filling a gap in your existing roster, sometimes training or retraining existing staff can be an easier, cheaper and less stressful way to do it. Lets set an example.

Kathy is an old hat in the kitchen. She has worked for the same function centre for eight years and carries her job well. She is punctual, efficient and reliable. There’s a gap in the production side of the kitchen that a part-time

education and training

or casual team member could fill. It seems the sauce and stock production each week is less than ideal and the head chef has been carrying the torch, leaving him worn by the end of service. What we need here is a third or fourth year apprentice to fill the spot or maybe a casual first year chef. Or do we?

Kathy has done all the tasks in the kitchen at one time or another, even filling in for the chef, so we know she has the hands-on skills, but are her skills better than a new team member? Watching Kathy, we notice that she arrives for work, turns her phone OFF (if you have a staff member who does this as they enter the door, buy them a Ferrari and never let them go), she has a quick coffee and gets to work.

The problems are obvious but simple to sort out. Kathy is a home cook. In her 50s, she has never received formal qualifications and many of the terms and methods learnt in an apprenticeship pass her by. She gets by with help from others who explain the jargon to her.

So, looking at Kathy and her work we see that she has all the skills but lacks only a small amount of theoretical knowledge.

In comes Chet. Chet is a third year apprentice who was let go after the production kitchen he worked in closed down. He comes with a huge amount of theory under his belt from school, and a handful of skills from his last job. Chet is sometimes five minutes late and likes to sneak a look at his phone each time he goes into dry store. His skills have all been in a production kitchen where he prepared packaged meals for a hospital. His work is clean and quick and he will make a good chef.

30 Hospitality July 2017

“More often than not, the smaller gaps in a workplace can be filled by a little retraining of existing staff, at a much lower cost than hiring.”

The problem with Chet is that he has never worked anywhere else. Has no high pressure experience. He watches the last five minutes of a shift wind down with bag and phone in hand and out the door he goes.

So we have two people in our view. Kathy who lacks a little theory and Chet who is short on experience and apparently time. Which would you choose? Kathy, but she doesn’t know what the method is for hollandaise.

Chet, but he is green in a new workplace.

Either way, training is required.

More often than not, the smaller gaps in a workplace can be filled by a little retraining of existing staff at a much lower cost than hiring new staff. If you have an aging workforce, you will be surprised how much a little retraining will do to efficiency. In this case, if we gave Kathy a shot at filling the gap in the kitchen. You can be assured that her existing skills and a little training will see her become a more efficient team member than employing a Chet. Even though you may still need a new member to fill other roles, you would be better served training staff you already have for new roles as they know you and your

business. Retraining staff can also be a good idea if you find your team slipping. By giving them options to move about the team, staff will thrive.

So we send Kathy off to TAFE for one day a week for six months and she will complete a certificate course and will inevitably fill the gap with flying colours. Now you have an experienced and trained member of the team who can take new staff under her wing and help train the next line of staff for you. In addition, as an employer, we received incentives from the government for retraining Kathy as she is over 50. So our costs of training were lower, we gained a certificate qualified staff member and we filled a gap without any loss of efficiency.

As it turns out we needed Chet too, but we were able to put him in the role Kathy left, which was less pressure and as Kathy is his supervisor we can sleep well knowing he is being trained properly. n Malcolm Richardson is an independent food safety consultant and BDM. Malcolm@thecommonchef.com.au

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kitchen equipment

Equipment talk:

what chefs can’t cook without There’s a kitchen gadget for everything these days, but there are a few pieces of equipment that chefs hold dear. Hospitality magazine found out what six chefs couldn’t cook without.

CHRIS YAN – HEAD CHEF LOTUS DINING, SYDNEY What’s your favourite piece of kitchen equipment at the moment?

My favourite piece of kitchen equipment at the moment is the combi oven.

Why is it your favourite?

Combi ovens combine steam cooking with conventional fan-forced heat. This gives us a lot of opportunity to create new and exciting Chinese dishes. It is also a versatile piece of equipment and handy for slow-cooking.

NICK WHITEHOUSE – EXECUTIVE CHEF RAWSONS RESTAURANT AT THE EPPING CLUB, SYDNEY What’s your favourite piece of kitchen equipment at the moment?

The Sammic Smart vide 8 Sous Vide machine (immersion circulator) as it assists with servicing the numbers of diners without compromising standards.

Basically it helps with cooking at a precisely controlled temperature while preserving the quality of the product, enhancing flavour and texture.

Why is it your favourite?

I have been using the machine for nearly two years now and it has never missed a beat! It’s also a great looking piece of equipment.

How are you using it?

We sous vide Kilcoy Estate smoked rump cap and cook a low temperature smoked Tasmanian salmon dish to enhance the natural flavours with its own juices.

What benefits does it deliver to your business?

It helps us with efficiency in the kitchen when cooking for large numbers because we can cook sous vide with a 50ltr bath. It also cooks the meat in its natural juices so will enhance flavours naturally, which contributes to preserving the quality of the food we are serving. As far as restaurants go in the club industry, this machine helps with changing perceptions of food offerings in club venue as it’s an industry with a legacy of cheap, fast and mass produced food.

What’s next on your equipment shopping list?

Another two sammic smart vide 8 sous vide machines! The Epping Club caters for large weddings and functions so we would like to use the machines in our events kitchen.

32 Hospitality July 2017

How are you using it?

I like to cook meats in the combi oven as the dry heat does most of the cooking.

Also, the moisture from the steam helps to prevent meats from drying out and shrinking. My favourite dishes to cook are marinated beef short ribs; steamed red braised pork belly; and steamed brined whole chicken.

What benefits does it deliver to your business?

The combi oven combines the benefits of steam cooking with all the necessities of a multi-function convection oven. Its quality and consistency in creating highquality dishes are great for our business and work to satisfy our customers.

JIM FLANAGAN – RECIPE AND KITCHEN MANAGER, THE SAUSAGE FACTORY & CHRISSY’S CUTS, SYDNEY What’s your favourite piece of kitchen equipment at the moment?

Nail scissors.

Why is it your favourite?

We use a lot of fresh (as in planted) herbs, flowers and micro herbs at The Sausage Factory so I constantly use the nail scissors for cutting micro herbs and flowers.

How are you using it?

It lives on the end of my hand and the small blades allow me to cut off the micro herbs and flowers at the exact spot on the stalk I need for the dish.

What benefits does it deliver to your business?

Precision in execution.

What’s next on your equipment shopping list?

There are some new kanetsune knives from the excellent Chef’s Armoury in Sydney I’ve been stalking for a while.

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kitchen equipment

LAURENT CAMBON – EXECUTIVE CHEF MACHIAVELLI, SYDNEY What’s your favourite piece of kitchen equipment at the moment?

Vitamix Blend.

STEVEN FADDA – CHEF/OWNER WHITE RABBIT, SYDNEY What’s your favourite piece of kitchen equipment at the moment?

It would have to be our pasta extruder, Bottene pm96.

Why is it your favourite?

It can extrude 8kgs of fresh pasta in 15 minutes! It cuts down labor costs and makes pasta with the perfect consistence every time.

How are you using it?

We use it by adding the desired amount of flour and eggs to extrude a variety of different pasta.

What benefits does it deliver to your business?

As above it cuts labour and produces consistent pasta even when mass produced.

What’s next on your equipment shopping list?

I don’t have anything major on the cards at the moment; however I do have my eye on a wood fire oven!

SIMON EVAN – OWNER CAVEAU, WOLLONGONG What’s your favourite piece of kitchen equipment at the moment?

Our dehydrator, it’s probably the most used piece of equipment – there’s hardly a time when it’s not going.

Why is it your favourite?

It allows us to create textures for our dishes, and creating a dish with a variety of textures and mouth-feels is what really elevates a dish from being good to great.

How are you using it?

Dehydrating reduces moisture and increases flavour, we use it to make chips, crisps and powders etc.

What benefits does it deliver to your business?

It actually reduces waste. A lucky accident with the fibrous leftovers from juicing beetroots, was that by dehydrating them, we could make a beautiful powder with amazing colour, which added another level to the dish.

What’s next on your equipment shopping list?

We’ve been promising our sous chef that we will get a Pacojet from the start of the year, so we should probably cough up and buy that, also they’re incomparable for making ice creams.

34 Hospitality July 2017

Why is it your favourite?

It is an essential multipurpose tool for any kitchen. There is no easier or faster way in pureeing, blending, chopping, grinding. It prevents air bubbles from forming while blending and maintains circulation.

How are you using it?

We use it for a variety of our dishes, including to make sauces, sorbet, puree and fruit coulis. We even use it in the bar to make our cocktails!

What benefits does it deliver to your business?

The Vitamix Blender gives us speed and reliability in the kitchen. It is of the highest quality and intensifies the flavour of any dish.

What’s next on your equipment shopping list?

A Pacojet! Pacotizing is essentially an invented process that minces, purees and makes a creamy moose out of freshly frozen staple foods in one single operation. It saves time wasted defrosting food and is very quick. In just an hour, it can make up to 15 litres of sorbet or ice cream in 15 different flavours!

SOMER SIVRIOGLU – OWNER EFENDY AND ANASON, SYDNEY What’s your favourite piece of kitchen equipment at the moment?

My favourite piece of equipment in my kitchen is the zirh. It’s a giant Turkish knife like a mezzaluna.

Why is it your favourite?

To make the best Adana-style mince kebaps, the meat needs to be chopped by hand to avoid bruising the meat. The zirh is the best way to do this. Musa Dagdeviren, the patriarch of traditional Anatolian food and my mentor, gave me the one I own so it also has sentimental value.

How are you using it?

We have a few at Efendy to chop meat and a smaller one to chop vegetables and salads.

What benefits does it deliver to your business?

It gives us authenticity and shows our appreciation of the kebap chefs in Turkey. It also improves the taste of our chopped kebap, one of the signature dishes at Efendy.

What’s next on your equipment shopping list?

A lahmacun dough roller to make a crisp base for another of Efendy’s signature pastries.

It’s currently on its way on a ship somewhere in the Mediterranean.

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Restaurant Leaders Summit

Back to the Summit With its inaugural event a smashing success, Hospitality magazine’s Restaurant Leaders Summit is back in 2017 with an even more impressive line-up of industry experts taking the stage.

W

ith speakers including Thomas Pash, CEO of hospitality empire, the Rockpool Dining Group; John Fink, creative director of The Fink Group, which operates esteemed venues including Otto Ristorante, Quay and Bennelong; and Kate Tones, human resources manager at Merivale, the first ever Restaurant Leaders Summit was a hit.

It saw the country’s best chefs, restaurateurs and front of house professionals in one room, sharing their expertise on how fellow industry members can learn from their successes and bolster their own businesses.

Operators flocked to Sydney to see what lessons they could gain from the sector’s best and brightest, and 2017 will be no different.

Taking place at The Grand Ballroom at Randwick Racecourse, this year’s Restaurant Leaders Summit will be held on 31 July and will once again be broken up into a series of panel discussions, presentations and Q&A sessions. There’ll also be a mini-expo attached to the conference, where attendees can learn about some of the latest products, technologies and services that can cut costs, drive efficiency and boost sales.

The conference is focused on business best practice, with topics including, but not limited to: • Moving Out of the Big Smoke – the Case for Regional Openings; • Get Customers Talking About You – And Keep Them Talking About You; • Running a Tight Ship – Proven Strategies for Keeping Costs In-Check; • Are you China-Ready? and; • How, When and Why to Franchise.

36

Hospitality July 2017

STAFFING, 457S AND UNDERPAYMENTS There’s no doubt that staffing is up there with the most challenging elements of running a foodservice business in Australia today, and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to say it’s going to get harder before it gets easier.

The recently announced changes to the 457 visa scheme are – to put it mildly – creating concern for operators. As such, Hospitality magazine will welcome assistant minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Alex Hawke, to the stage at its Restaurant Leaders Summit, where he will discuss the changes and what they mean for business owners and their staff.

During the Solving the Staffing Saga panel, Hawke will be accompanied by restaurateurs Nino Zoccali from The Restaurant Pendolino and La Rosa at The Strand, and Alessandro Pavoni, operator of four Sydney diners including Ormeggio at the Spit and Sotto Sopra.

Both will share insights into the impact of these changes while also sharing details of proven strategies for recruiting and retaining key talent.

The final panelist will be Natalie James, Fair Work Ombudsman. James will discuss how unscrupulous operators are tarnishing the reputation of the sector by failing to adhere to workplace laws and pay their staff their fair entitlements. She will share advice on how business owners can ensure they’re compliant with relevant legislation and adhering to the correct awards. It’s bound to be an insightful and engaging discussion.

A LOOK INSIDE CHAT THAI, SAINT PETER, BLACK STAR PASTRY The Restaurant Leaders Summit’s MCs, Profitable Hospitality’s Ken Burgin and Alex Herbert, consultant and chef/owner at Bird Cow Fish (which closed in 2012), will facilitate three Q&A sessions with industry leaders throughout the day.

Short and sharp in format, these discussions will get to the point quickly, extracting information from leading operators on how they’ve created success and are working to overcome the key challenges experienced throughout the sector.

Taking the stage will be Palisa Anderson, founder of Chat Thai, which has a cult-like following amongst Sydney’s diners and chefs alike; Josh Niland, owner of Saint Peter and frequently referred to as ‘the one to watch’ by industry veterans; and Chris Thé, founder of the incredible success story that is Black Star Pastry.

The details Restaurant Leaders Summit 31 July, 2017 The Grand Ballroom, Randwick Racecourse, Sydney 8.30am–6pm (including registration and networking drinks) www.restaurantleaders.com.au

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Restaurant Leaders Summit

Speakers include...

Natalie James, Fair Work Ombudsman

Alex Hawke, assistant minister for Immigration and Border Protection Tony Panetta, executive chef, ICC Sydney

Clovis Young, founder, Mad Mex

Terry Higgins, director of food and beverage, fast casual, Rockpool Dining Group Josh Niland, owner, Saint Peter

Matt Fickling, CEO, Huxtaburger

Tara Sullivan, director of operations, Lotus Dining

Justine Baker, chief operating officer, Solotel

Palisa Anderson, founder, Chat Thai

Geoff Ikin general manager, global media, PR and social, Tourism Australia.

Plenty more!

38

Hospitality July 2017

They’ll discuss how they’ve planned and managed their business’ growth, discussing hits and misses and how (if at all) they’ve adapted their model to cater for fickle diners and industry trends.

A GUIDE TO MAXIMISING BEVERAGE SALES Jason Jelicich, partner at Barmetrix, will deliver a 30 minute presentation, guiding operators through the best and most effective ways to increase spend on beverages and profits behind the bar. With access to detailed analytics and data on beverage trends and strategies to drive sales, Jelicich will shed light on some easy to implement and extremely effective ways to increase your customers’ spend per head.

This presentation will leave attendees feeling confident they can: • Increase sales velocity during peak hours • Avoid delays and remove roadblocks from their operation • Learn the fundamental difference between speed and efficiency and how to optimise each • Create a formal transparent system to en-

sure they have the right people working the right shifts.

Maybe you run an established venue and you’re trying to figure out how to keep it front of mind in a very crowded market. You could have just swung open the doors to a new café and you’re not sure which recruitment channels are best.

Or maybe you have a food truck that’s basically running itself and you want another?

Regardless of where you’re positioned in the hospitality sector, the Restaurant Leaders Summit will provide plenty of nuggets of gold to fuel your growth and help improve profitability and efficiency.

For savvy operators not wanting to be left behind, it’s a must-attend event!

For more information and ticket sales, head to restaurantleaders.com.au.

The Restaurant Leaders Summit wouldn’t be possible without the support of its sponsors. We’d like to thank Comcater, RATIONAL, Oracle Hospitality, OpenTable, H&L, Conga Foods, Liven, Intrust Super, Scotchman Hills Wines, and FLAT. We hope to see you there! n

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shelf space

The latest from James

More love from Veuve

The new limited edition James Squire Cabin Fever, the second limited edition to be released at scale from the brewing team at the Malt Shovel Brewery in 2017, offers a modern take on traditional IPAs. Recently, Session IPAs have stepped in as a lower alcohol offering, maintaining the characteristic hop aroma of an American IPA, with a reasonable fullness and balance that doesn’t leave drinkers weighed down. The ‘session’ in IPA refers to the lower alcohol content, typically 3.7 to five percent. This more approachable style of IPA is ideal for those looking to try an IPA for the first time. The feature hops used in Cabin Fever are Citra, Centennial, and the new Fortnight hop blend, which when combined, create a citrus-tropical aroma. jamessquire.com.au

Veuve Clicquot has launched an entirely new auteur wine: Extra Brut Extra Old, a premium cuvée blended exclusively from its reserve wines. This blend is born from Cellar Master Dominique Demarville’s desire to isolate the essence of Yellow Label by assembling six years of Veuve Clicquot’s finest reserve wines spanning over three decades from 1988 to 2010. Extra Brut Extra Old is clear to the eye with a fine golden effervescence and has an ultra-low dosage, despite owing its richness and generosity to the quality of the reserve wines used in its composition. veuveclicquot.com

It’s only Fair

Socially responsible spirits brand, FAIR, has unveiled a new liqueur made using açaí. FAIR Açaí liqueur is made using handpicked açaí berries from rain forests in the Amazon. The sugar used is organically grown, sourced directly from a Fairtrade co-op in Malawi. Essence of the berries is extracted through a maceration process, following which, a slow and progressive reduction occurs by adding the raw Fairtrade sugar juice and a Fairtrade neutral spirit. Locally sourced water is added from the Cognac region, where the liqueur is also bottled. For each FAIR product, part of the profit is donated to sustainability programs in the developing world. fair-drinks.com 40

Hospitality July 2017

Cup of origin

Global packaging company, Detpak, has launched a collection of hot cups featuring vivid imagery inspired by the architecture, textiles and traditions of coffee producing nations with a goal to support social change. Branded Detpak Coffee Origins™ Cup Gallery, Detpak’s vision for this range is to make a positive and sustainable impact far from home. The range of PE lined cups feature three designs, influenced by Guatemala, Cuba and Mexico, with imagery reflecting the countries’ rich history, design traditions, and cultures. Detpak is working with charities in coffee growing regions to drive positive social change with five percent of Coffee Origins™ cup sales donated to partner organisations. detpak.com

For the diary Upcoming events in the hospitality industry. Find out more at hospitalitymagazine.com.au Brisbane Good Food Month 1–31 July, 2017 This annual month long program will feature events such as Brisbane’s Young Chefs Lunch and a twist on old festival favourite, Hats Off Dinner, now known as Hat Swap. New events to this year’s program include Laneway! Streetfood!

Music! presented by Beer the Beautiful Truth, and the Good Food Month Launch After Party. The Night Noodle Markets will return for 12 nights from July 19–30, with the Cultural Forecourt at South Bank transformed into an Asianinspired hawker market. goodfoodmonth.com

Restaurant Leaders Summit 31 July, 2017 After a successful inaugural year in 2016, Hospitality magazine’s Restaurant Leaders Summit will return at a new venue: the Grand Ballroom at Royal Randwick Racecourse. The Restaurant Leaders Summit will once again offer restaurateurs, chefs and other foodservice professionals a day full of advice, inspiration and operational best practice with topics including Innovative Ways to Drive Sales Monday-Wednesday; Proven Strategies for Keeping Costs In-check; and How, When and Why to Franchise. Tickets for restaurant trade (operators, managers, chefs, etc) are now on sale priced at $349 + GST. restaurantleaders.com.au

Mould Cheese Festival 2 September, 2017 A celebration of Australian cheese, presented by Bottle Shop Concepts in

partnership with Nick Haddow of Bruny Island Cheese, Mould Cheese Festival brings together the best producers from around the country, including Bruny Island, Yarra Valley Dairy, Woodside Cheese Wrights, Pyengana, Holy Goat La Luna and more. Producers will showcase their wares at North Melbourne’s Meat Market in a farmers’ market-turnedfestival style setting, which will also offer cooking classes. Maker & Monger will serve its grilled cheese sandwiches and 'flaming Reubens', and Harper & Blohm will show off its raclette. There’ll also be Tivoli Road Bakery breads and Pidapipo’s cheese-flavoured gelato. Wines from Patrick Sullivan and Pennyweight, Starward whisky, beer and cider will also be available. bottleshopconcepts.com/portfolio/mould-acheese-festival

Fine Food Australia 11–14 September, 2017 Being held at the new ICC Sydney, Fine Food Australia is the country’s largest tradeshow for the foodservice industry and this year will showcase the latest food, drink, ingredient and equipment innovations. It will include event favourites such as the Australian Culinary Challenge, the Café Stage, the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Competition, the Talking Food Stage and The Official Great Aussie Pie and Sausage Roll Competition. A new addition for 2017, and running alongside Fine Food Australia, will be the Commercial Drinks show, Australia’s new event dedicated to the buying and selling of liquor for the onpremise industry. finefoodaustralia.com.au July 2017 Hospitality

41

5 minutes with...

Joe Pavlovich, co-owner, Bondi Trattoria

I

After years helping Luke Mangan expand his foodservice empire, Joe Pavlovich and business partner Alasdair France have relaunched an iconic Sydney diner.

feel like now is the right time for me to open my own restaurant. I’m about to turn 40, I’ve always wanted to do it and I had some friends that wanted to open restaurant as well, so the match was perfect. Plus my three kids are at an age now that are a little easier to handle and they can help out a bit around the house.

The Bondi Tratt site is perfect. The view – just amazing! What a postcode. From the restaurant you can look right down the beach.

And it’s a great size, not too big and not too small. We needed to spend a bit of money in the kitchen and the dining room before we opened, but we had a good platform to work from as it was already a working restaurant.

We had to be careful not to change things too much because there are a lot of locals who come to Bondi Tratt all the time.

We didn’t want to go on a completely different route with the menu and drinks, so we kept 42

Hospitality July 2017

it as an Italian trattoria and just freshened up the menu without putting outrageous prices on the food. And we kept some of the old signatures so that we didn’t chase the loyal locals away. We really wanted to keep it as a local restaurant where people can depend on us both in regards to the front of house and back of house as well.

Having said that, we definitely have taken on a very fresh vibe with the food; there are lots of salads, we introduced sharing dishes on the menu (we have a whole salt baked snapper, which will hopefully become a permanent fixture on the menu), all the pasta is made in-house and with organic semolina, so it has this beautiful nut brown colour. And we introduced a few more desserts so if you just want to pop in for a late afternoon wine with dessert or an Italian cheese, we have it.

The response so far has been very good.

It’s only been a few weeks since we opened, so it’s all been quite new to people. But it’s been positive – from the re-fresh of the decor to the new menu.

According to the locals, our biggest challenge will be winter! We will have to see how we go, because so far the weather has actually been amazing – it’ll be interesting to see what happens when it rains or is very windy – I hear the locals don’t like to venture out.

We’ve taken so much from our time with Luke (at The Mangan Group). Both I and my business partner, Alasdair France, worked for Luke for a long time, and we have opened a number of venues, from tapas bars, fine dining restaurants, full hotels, a resort in the Maldives, restaurants on ships and food on planes. So with all that experience under our belts, while it is always a challenge, opening this restaurant was not something new to us. n

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