Hospitality March 2018

NO.741 MARCH 2018

Delivering the goods

THE PROS AND CONS OF WORKING WITH DELIVERY SERVICES

Parlour Group

BRODY PETERSEN’S JOURNEY TO THE TOP OF HIS GAME

Burning out

MELISSA LEONG ON EXCESS IN THE INDUSTRY

Fresh start HOW A UNIQUE TAKE ON BREAKFAST CAN BOOST YOUR PROFITS

Ed’s note

March Contents 4 In focus

6 Openings 7 Flavour of the month 8 Business profile

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10 Best practice 11 Column 14 Trends

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16 Drinks

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reakfast has become a weekend ritual for many Australians, offering venues the chance to capitalise on lazy mornings. Gone are the days of toast and takeaway coffee, consumers are spending more money and more time at cafés and restaurants.

Saint Peter’s Josh Niland is one chef who has tapped into the brunch market as a means to produce creative menu items and attract new customers. Niland’s Paddington restaurant is dishing up sea urchin crumpets and marron scrambled eggs, giving Sydneysiders good reason to rethink that açai bowl. We take a look at doing breakfast differently on page 18.

Speaking of taking the road less-travelled, we chat with Brody Petersen from Parlour Group about his journey to establishing one of Australia’s leading hospitality groups.

Petersen traded Whistler’s slopes and moved to Bondi to open The Flying Squirrel with no real experience of running a venue.

This issue, we also look at the rise of small-batch whisky and the growing number of millennials trading beer for a dram on page 16. Melissa Leong has penned a column on the dark side of the industry where burnout and destructive behaviour is sadly all too common. It’s a timely reminder to check in on loved ones and co-workers alike — a conversation can make all the difference.

Until next time, Annabelle Cloros Editor

18 Breakfast 22 Chips 25 Delivery 28 Design 32 Shelf space

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33 Diary 34 5 mins with …

18 16

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March 2018 Hospitality 3

in focus

Aussie olive oil on the rise After a turbulent number of years for the Australian olive industry, recent data shows production rates are on the rise.

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ast year, Australia produced approximately 130,000 tonnes of fresh olives, 95 per cent of which was used to make 1.8 million litres of olive oil worth $240 million.

Reduced olive production in Europe and increasing global demand has helped the industry, coupled with a better understanding of the quality of Australian olive oil.

“As the public and foodservice operators come to understand the high quality of Australian olive oil, more people are starting to look for it,” says Greg Seymour, CEO of the Australian Olive Association.

“Many people think the best oils come from the Mediterranean, but that’s not the case — the really high-quality oils are coming from Australia.”

In order to support the continued growth of the Australian olive industry, Seymour says there are some myths that need to be debunked — the biggest misconception being that you can’t fry with olive oil.

“People say it’s no good over high temperature, but that’s not true,” he says. “That’s a really constraining myth.”

High-quality Australian extra-virgin olive oil can be used for stir frying, shallow frying and even deep frying.

“We’re starting to become more educated about our palates and our health, and when you put those two things together, people are going to work out that Australian olive oil is the best choice,” says Seymour. n

Australians consume

1.7kg of olive oil per person every year There are about

900 olive growers in Australia Australia produced

130,000 tonnes of fresh olives in 2017

1.8 million litres of Australian olive oil was produced in 2017

4 Hospitality March 2018

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

1

Luke’s Kitchen

Sydney, NSW Luke Mangan has replaced MOJO in Waterloo with his new concept, Luke’s Kitchen. The fresh venture will revolve around moreish snacks, share plates and sides with a modern Australian influence. Menu items include Tasmanian ocean trout sashimi with nam jim and coconut yoghurt plus barbecued Western Australian marron with peach, celery and truffle honey. Chef Mathew Leighton will head up the kitchen and drinks have been curated by group mixologist Karl Higgins. MOJO will relocate to the CBD later in the year and there are future expansion plans in the works for Luke’s Kitchen. Stay tuned.

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Palermo

Melbourne, Vic The team behind San Telmo, Pastuso and CHE have opened their fourth venue — Argentinian barbecue restaurant, Palermo. The restaurant is spearheaded by head chef Ollie Gould and takes its cues from the Argentinian technique of cooking whole animals on an open fire pit. Menu highlights include Gippsland-sourced lamb and Western Plains suckling pig. The wine list features a number of Argentinian producers including Ruca Malen (Mendoza region) and Humberto Canale (Rio Negro region), plus European and Australian varieties.

3

Ishizuka

Melbourne, Vic Bourke Street has a new premium kaiseki restaurant in town from acclaimed chef Tomotaka Ishizuka. The 16-seat restaurant is located on the basement level and offers a nightly set menu of 11 dishes that will regularly change.

Example dishes include sea urchin and spanner crab followed by zensai (small pretty things) comprising five delicacies such as cured ocean trout sushi and boiled black tiger prawn with caviar. The wine list has been designed by sommelier David Lawler and will change according to season. Tableware is from Kyoto ceramicists Shigeo and Yotaro Takemura of Dainichi Gama studio and interior design by Russell & George.

4

Bar Patrón by Rockpool

Sydney, NSW Neil Perry has ventured into Mexican cuisine with the launch of Bar Patrón by Rockpool. Chef Pamela Valdes Pardo from Veracruz, Mexico, will lead the kitchen which will serve up authentic fare including made-toorder tortilla chips with salsas (adobo, chiltomate and chile seco) as well as small and large plates such as prawn and scallop aguachile, ceviche rojo and spicy pineapple salad. The venue will offer barrel-select tequila and a range of rare Patróns including Lalique Serie 2 and Platinum Patrón.

6 Hospitality March 2018

3 4

Flavour of the month For centuries, the pomegranate has tantalised and tempted.

It’s a mix of sweet and sour, texture and colour, health and fertility, myths and legends. Chef Lauren Murdoch explores the exotic fruit and why it is invading Australian menus.

Pomegranates ORIGINS The pomegranate (Punica granatum) was native to Iran and northern India before it was cultivated and naturalised over the Mediterranean region. It grows on a deciduous large shrub or small tree, thriving in semi-arid to subtropical climates and bears its red fruit in autumn and winter. During the summer months in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia enjoys pomegranates from California where it is autumn/winter. In the cooler months, Australian pomegranates come into season.

FLAVOUR PROFILE Pomegranates range in flavour according to ripeness and variety. The seeds are encased in sacs that contain flavourful juice which exude the taste pomegranates are known for. The sweet/tart flavour is similar to a combination of a ripe cherry and watermelon with a hint of cranberry-like astringency.

STORAGE AND HANDLING As the fruit ripens on the tree, it loses its

round apple shape and is picked when it develops a gentle angular, hexagonal appearance. These edges are the walls of the segments inside the fruit that hold the crimson pearls of the pomegranate. The brilliantly coloured, juicy seeds are called arils and there are 840 of them per fruit. Selecting fruit that is the heaviest will prove to be the juiciest. They can be kept for a month in a cool room and the seeds and juice can be frozen. To extract the arils, cut the top off the fruit, partially cut along the section seams and open like an orange to easily pick out the arils. Alternatively, you can partially cut around the middle of the pomegranate and twist it open. Hold the inverted half in your hand with spread fingers over a bowl, firmly tap the outside with a heavy wooden spoon and the arils will drop through your fingers.

DIVERSITY IN PURPOSE From canapés and entrées to mains and desserts, pomegranates are also great in drinks and cocktails. Pomegranates add

zing, colour and a unique depth of flavour in cooking. I have used pomegranates in canapés including basturma, rolled with feta and pomegranate or tuna ceviche pomegranate tartlets. In salads, pomegranate, cucumber, coriander raita is a winner or ensalada granada with Iberico jamon, pomegranate, shaved manchego, almonds and balsamic vinegar. Pomegranate also marries well with roasted or grilled meats. Marinating meat in pomegranate molasses, either bought or made fresh (pomegranate juice, lemon juice and sugar), brings out a great depth of flavour in meat.

For dessert, treats including jellies, fruit salads or a simple mango and pomegranate kulfi fool is hard to beat. n Chef Lauren Murdoch’s 25-year career covers fine dining, casual and bistro dining and catering. She has recently joined Merivale and has headed the kitchens at Felix, Lotus Bistro and Ash Street Cellar. Murdoch has also worked at Concourse at the Opera House, Pier, MG Garage and Rockpool.

March 2018 Hospitality 7

business profile

Parlour Group

Stanton & Co in Rosebery Photo credit: Kai Leishman

Hospitality magazine sat down with Brody Petersen from Parlour Group for a frank chat about the industry. By Madeline Woolway.

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rody Petersen has business in his blood, but it wasn’t until his mid-twenties he realised he should channel the natural persuasion into hospitality.

“I want to be a good business owner,” says Petersen. “Running a successful business is what drives me. I fell into hospitality and I love it.”

Born in Canada, Petersen moved to Australia for high school before moving back to North America. “I washed dishes every day in year 12,” says Petersen. “When I moved to Whistler, I had to work at night in order to snowboard during the day. So I went into a restaurant. I started at the bottom and worked my way up.”

Hospitality suited Petersen’s outgoing disposition, giving him the chance to flex his larger-than-life personality. Over seven years, Petersen developed acuity for the business of running restaurants, progressing to the post of venue manager.

“I think I would have been about 25 when I started thinking, ‘I could do this on my own’,” 8 Hospitality March 2018

says Petersen. “I came back to Australia and told my Dad. He knew nothing about restaurants, but he knows how to run a business. And I’d been a venue manager, but knew nothing about margins or back of house.”

In just nine months, Petersen was ready to open his first venue — The Flying Squirrel, a small Canadian-inspired bar in Bondi. “I hired a chef and literally opened the venue. From day one, it was busy for eight years.”

Four years after opening The Flying Squirrel, Petersen went on to launch the Stuffed Beaver in 2010 after a space became available on the same road.

It was 2013 when the next opportunity came — Riley St Garage opened in Woolloomooloo. Just over four years later, Petersen is now at the helm of a leading hospitality group. American BBQ joint Surly’s, old-school pub The Village Inn and Meatpacking District-inspired warehouse Stanton & Co round out the group’s portfolio.

MAKING A STAND While Petersen was driven by the desire to add a large-scale restaurant such as Stanton & Co to his portfolio of small bars, the upscaling came with a new challenge that is now all too familiar for the industry.

“Staffing is now our biggest struggle,” says Petersen. “I think that’s industry-wide, we’re just finding it so hard to get experienced staff.”

The problem might be widespread, but it affects individual venues separately. Each Parlour Group venue is different from the next, which trickles down to staffing woes.

“Stanton & Co attracts similar people to Riley St Garage; professional front-of-house staff for whom it’s a professional job,” says Petersen. “For the staff at The Village Inn and Surly’s, it’s more of a casual job.

“It’s easy to find a backpacker and put them in Surly’s, whereas it’s harder to find the experienced staff for Stanton & Co and Riley St Garage. We can train them, but you still want the experience.”

Hand in hand with the burden of recruitment comes the need to retain the staff you have. “We’ve got good staff retention,” he says. “We treat them well so our rate isn’t high. We provide a fun place to work and it’s a good culture.”

DOWN TO BUSINESS As everybody in the industry knows, running a restaurant is gruelling work and opening new venues is even harder, but for Petersen, it’s an irresistible challenge. “It’s about creating something and opening it,” says Petersen.

“It’s an addiction.”

An addiction Petersen has managed to turn into a productive venture. While the desire to open new venues is constant, launching additional projects isn’t something the group takes lightly.

business profile

“I’m always looking at new venues,” says Petersen. “If something sticks out, I’ll get my team involved. I’ll get my operations manager on site; look at how all the other restaurants are doing and decide if I have the capability to open another restaurant. If it’s a yes, then we do a business case and research the area and the demographic.”

Much of Petersen’s business acumen comes from his family, though his openness to acquiring new skills helps. “Learning to run four venues with 120 staff is crazy,” says Petersen.

“There’s so much shit going on, but it’s not work for me. I go to Harvard Business School now.”

Petersen is enrolled at Harvard three weeks a year as a student in the Owner/President Management program. The class has 190 business people in it from around the world, operating everything from SMEs to multibillion-dollar companies.

“After the first session, the biggest take away was how to performance people,” he says. “Holding people accountable and then, when they aren’t meeting standards, asking them why they aren’t and how you can help.”

For accountability to have a positive effect on the personal progression of staff and retention rates, it needs to be truly inclusive, not the result of a top–down management style.

“Every financial year, I do a business plan and get the team involved. They write their strategy for achieving our goals. The executive chef, operations and marketing managers report to me and funnel everything to their team.

“The KPIs are based on margin, labour and wastage. They’re the things that make or break a business, so you put that back on them. But you need to explain the reason why you want your labour at 33 per cent is because if we can hit that target and maintain our margins, we can fund future growth.

“When I get the P&Ls, I’m open with my venue management. If they’re running the business, they need to know. I can focus in on one point and show them that by changing it by 2 per cent, we can make $20,000. Then they get it.”

Marcelino Papio, Regan Porteous, Bay Kilpatrick and Brody Petersen

“Moving forward, our focus is to be known as a hospitality company, not just individual venues.”

– Brody Petersen Photo credit: Kai Leishman

WHERE TO FROM HERE Another venue might not be in the immediate future for the group, so what’s next?

“We have three pillars: atmosphere, product and service,” says Petersen. “The triangle in our logo represents that. You need to have the right mix of all three to have successful restaurants. If you’re in the restaurant business and you don’t focus on those three things, you’re probably not doing it right.

“We’re starting to get the Parlour Group brand out there. Everyone knows the individual brands, but they don’t know it’s by the same people. Moving forward, our focus is to be known as a hospitality company, not just individual venues.” n March 2018 Hospitality 9

best practice

Trends to invest in

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Trends come and go, so which ones should you take note of? By Ken Burgin.

oes trend tracking feel like hard work instead of inspiration?

Food trend surveys are constantly being released, and you may be wondering about Nutella (wasn’t that 2016?), burgers (timeless, not trendy), vegan (essential) and a whole lot more. Step off the trend treadmill and identify the vital areas you need to consider to stay ahead and improve your business.

COLLECTING INFORMATION Detailed information about current and future customers is critical, and trend-setting operators are using tech-savvy methods to gather data. Smart operators build on the solid foundation of email and tailor personalised campaigns to their customers. You can target groups of customers on Facebook or run an Instagram competition aimed at young mums or food-loving singles. Smart operators also see the value in live events and ticket sales where they serve up food and experiences to passionate people.

DELIVERING NEW PROFITS There are many questions concerning profits from delivery services.

Handing over up to 35 per cent to Uber Eats or Deliveroo doesn’t leave much to cover costs and profits. But demand is soaring, and the extra sales are there. Experiment with the best way to take orders, organise delivery and keep the customer details. Explore white-label delivery apps such as Foodstorm or OrderUp! and offer special deals with couriers for catering. You could also develop your own app and install a fast-service window for take-away services.

CONTROL THE NUMBERS Leading businesses have instant access to sales, wages and purchasing data — and they use it. The technology is relatively low-cost and 2017 saw a number of businesses utilising the technology for online bookkeeping, roster systems, a better POS and booking apps. If 2017 10 Hospitality March 2018

was the year for investing, 2018 is the year for integrating the data into one program. Start by feeding it all into your Xero or MYOB system — sales, purchasing and wages create a powerful dashboard. Don’t fear your numbers and aim to bring them under control.

SIMPLIFY FOR EFFICIENCY Consider the processes that can be done efficiently with fewer phone calls, fewer moving parts and less need for skilled staff. It’s not about dumbing down or going back to pen and paper, it’s about simplifying where you can. Rostering can be done with online systems such as Tanda and Deputy, which offer more control and an instant review of wage costs. Simplify food costs with software that gives you control of recipes, menus and ordering — check out Cooking the Books, Ordermentum and Hospitality Genie. Make it easy for customers to book online and send them reminders and messages. A simple and effective website has the phone number, opening hours and address.

It’s also a good idea to ask staff what they think could be simplified — they’ll have plenty of ideas.

GREAT FLAVOURS AND INGREDIENTS Whether it’s kale or cardamom, corn-fed chicken or vegan burgers, Aussie customers love bright, strong flavours such as extra-spicy chili options, smoky meats and char-grilled corn. With recent surveys showing 1 in 10 Aussies are mostly vegetarian, dishes that showcase vegetables with optional meat add-ons is a smart move.

Alternatively, if meat is your strongpoint, boast about the origins and flavour profile. People also have questions — where are the mussels from, what’s sugar-free, and how did you make the amazing lemon cake? All staff should be able to answer customer queries and your website should be a source of information. If a question keeps recurring, it might hint at a new offer such as dairy-free milks.

Lactose-free latte, anyone? n

column

The dark side of hospitality If you look beneath the façade, all is not what it seems.

Hospitality is an industry of excess, which can result in a downward spiral for all parties involved. By Melissa Leong.

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f you don’t believe the cliché about food people being this generation’s rockstars (food and drink; opiate of the masses), the number of uncomfortable-looking chefs and restaurateurs in fancy duds staring back from the pages of glossy magazines would have you thinking otherwise. Those in the industry know that part of what gives the industry its rock ‘n’ roll edge is the ‘live fast and hard’ attitude that hums along beneath the surface.

Of course, the hospitality industry isn’t apart from finance or even dentistry for that matter; no industry is exempt from the darker parts of human behaviour and cultural proclivity. But the hospitality industry’s unique cocktail of conditions is particularly potent.

Long hours, high pressure, passionate creatives, tight social structures forged in the heat of service — along with close proximity to the pleasures of excess — can result in darker elements becoming normalised features of the workplace.

Anecdotal stories of narcissistic behaviour, bullying, drug and alcohol abuse and other mental and physical problems aren’t shocking to those who’ve worked a service, yet the rhetoric surrounding the impact this has on the sustainability of a business is only now becoming more prevalent.

One way to explain the ubiquitous nature of these elements in the industry is how lifestyle affects behaviour. “We know a healthy lifestyle is the key,” says Michael Inglis, psychologist and director of Melbourne wellness clinic The Mind Room. “Diet, sleep, exercise, alcohol and drug intake all affect the body and the mind, so it’s no surprise that an imbalance can lead to a breakdown of inhibition and the development of negative work culture.” An imbalance can result in workplace affairs, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, stealing, financial mismanagement and other lesssavoury happenings.

“Our industry can be based on the promotion of hedonistic behaviour which is all-consuming,” says chef David Moyle. “The basic act of hospitality starts with the offer of a drink. And all too often the perception of ‘proper hospitality’ is to have excess both in food and booze, more than you can handle ...

The big issue is that it can mask a lot of other issues. I guess it is our own responsibility to strive for balance.”

The impact of a breakdown of ethics and a respectful business attitude isn’t just restricted to relationships with co-workers and family members, but also suppliers. “It’s hard being a small business that supplies prominent restaurants in Australia when your business is out of pocket and the restaurant’s account is overdue, yet you see the owners flaunting an excessive lifestyle,” says an unnamed wine supplier. “Expensive bottles of wine, boozy nights out and huge staff parties (often documented on social media) ... all when they are 120 days in arrears isn’t a good look, but sadly it’s not uncommon.”

Respected seafood purveyor Costa Nemitsas of Southern Fresh Seafood has had a similar experience. “Between 1993 and 2006, I calculated that I had to write off about

$1 million in unpaid accounts,” he says. “Now, I’m much more cautious about who I do business with.”

An environment of excess and behaviour imbalance isn’t healthy, but it is changing.

Journalist Larissa Dubecki recently called the cultural shift towards a healthier direction ‘seismic’. But many would still call you a hero for downing half a bottle of whisky for knockoffs before heading to Chinatown for XO pippies, getting home at 5am and turning up to work a few hours later.

“It falls on the leaders of the organisation to create and maintain workplace environment and culture,” says Inglis. “They set the standard and it’s up to them to steer it in a positive direction.”

With greater industry discussion surrounding a broader adoption of more balanced work hours and a focus on staff wellbeing, let’s hope this is a seismic shift that sticks. n March 2018 Hospitality 11

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Trends There’s an untapped realm of Korean ingredients Australia’s leading chefs can’t get enough of.

By Annabelle Cloros.

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Korean STORAGE

hen Table 181 owner Paul Lee is asked to recommend an authentic Korean restaurant in Australia — he can’t. “I’m saddened by the situation as an immigrant who has come here and understands proper flavours,” says Lee. You could say Lee is a purist, but that’s the foundation for the purveyor of artisanal Korean products. Chefs including Peter Gilmore and Dan Hunter count themselves as customers of Table 181, incorporating ingredients such as soy sauce, oil, fish sauce, vinegar and sea vegetables into their repertoire. Ultimately, Korean ingredients can offer chefs a new means to elevate their menu.

When purchasing artisanal products, it’s important to understand their individual storage requirements. Soy and fish sauces should be keep at room temperature during storage and refrigerated once they’re opened as there are no preservatives to prevent the products from spoiling.

Gochujang is a different story — because it’s a fermented, live product, it’s incredibly sensitive to heat and can flip its lid if it isn’t kept cool. “We also recommend refrigerating our sea vegetables during storage as they will oxidise quickly and change colour and taste,” says Lee. “But if you keep them well, they will last for years. Kombu is also much better aged than fresh as it will achieve more complex flavours.”

TRADING PLACES Soy and fish sauces are some of the most common ingredients found in kitchens, however the market is flooded with inferior products packed full of additives and preservatives.

Although these cheap and cheerful options are beneficial for budget, they fall short when it comes to lingering flavour, which is what customers keep coming back for.

Soy and fish sauces can be used as seasoning agents instead of salt or stock, no matter the cuisine. “We supply Italian, modern Australian, French and Chinese restaurants — we don’t supply a lot of Korean restaurants,” says Lee. “We have an Italian restaurant that uses quite a bit of our fish sauce to season.”

Kombu is another ingredient chefs can work with to boost the complexity of a dish. “Kombu is probably one of the biggest sellers we have,” says Lee. “It’s the fundamental base for Asian cooking, but you can make a clear stock which adds another layer of flavour without making a dish salty or adding another dimension.”

Lee’s kombu can be cold-extracted more than six times, and once it has reached its limit, chefs can still utilise the product. “It still has a lot of flavour and it’s a vegetable, so you can dry it, roast it to make oil or caramelise it,” 14 Hospitality March 2018

says Lee. “An Italian chef cooked it down with green tomatoes and used it on his cheese platter — it was amazing.”

PRICE POINT Artisanal products come with a higher price point. For venues used to paying $1.50 for a bottle of soy sauce, the jump to $35 can be hard to justify. “Some restaurants and chefs who have done the tasting find they can’t substitute with what they’re using,” says Lee. “Purely because they season their food quite heavily. But we find more expensive restaurants or higher-class restaurants don’t season as much. It’s more of a full, lingering flavour and we find it works much better.”

However, price can be softened by the volume required from these products, which have a more pure, concentrated flavour.

“Let’s say you have a recipe for 100mL of soy, they would probably reduce it to 10–20mLs, which is how you would justify your cost.

If anything, it will give you a more lingering flavour. Commercially made products are quite shallow and chemically enhanced flavours only last inside your mouth. Once you swallow, it doesn’t linger — it dissipates.”

SHELF LIFE Lee often jokes with chefs he should charge them more once his products go past the use-by date. Just like wine, these products get better with age. “They’re all naturally made — the longer you keep it, the better it will get,” he says. “However, we do put a two-year maximum as the use-by date on the products because the law here wouldn’t allow you to say there’s no use-by date. But if it’s kept well, there really isn’t a use-by date with things like soy sauces, fermented pastes, vinegars and fish sauces.”

MOVING FORWARD As customers and even chefs have become accustomed to MSG-laced food, reeducating a palate has to trickle down from a chef. “Once you’ve got a cleaner palate, it’s difficult to go back to eating that stuff because you can immediately taste the chemicals,” says Lee. “If the chef doesn’t have the palate, you can’t expect customers to have the palate — it has to start at the top. As a chef, it doesn’t matter how expensive your knife is, the most important thing is palate.” n

drinks

Whisky business Just as the craft beer movement took over Australian shores, craft whisky is having a moment — and it’s capturing a whole new market. By Brittney Levinson.

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one are the days of whisky being a mature-aged man’s drink.

According to Kathleen Davies, founder of Australian craft spirit distributer Nip of Courage, 24- to 34-year-olds are the largest age group interacting with Australian whisky, but they’re interested in more than just what it tastes like.

“Millennials like to know who made the whisky, what ingredients it was made with, the mash bill, what sort of barrel the distiller has used and the story behind the distillery,” she says.

There are currently more than 130 craft distilleries across the country, many of which are trying their hand at whisky and creating small-batch releases with plenty of character.

“There’s a lot of innovation coming out of Australia, and Australian [distillers] are experimenting a lot with different grains,” says Davies. “Whipper Snapper Distillery in Western Australia made a quinoa whisky recently and Peter Bignell from Belgrove Distillery in Tasmania is going to release a rye whisky that’s been peated with sheep’s poo, called Holy Shit.”

With demand surging, the price points of Australian craft whisky remain relatively high, but Davies says that could be about to change.

“More and more distilleries are coming on board and putting their products in the market, which is going to drive better price points and competition,” she says.

Witnessing the movement first-hand, Sydney whisky bar The Wild Rover jumped at the opportunity to satiate enthusiasts, forming the Whisky Co-op where members can try

16 Hospitality March 2018

hundreds of whiskies that are on offer at the bar and attend monthly tastings.

“Every single day we get someone who doesn’t know a lot about whisky and wants to learn more,” says group manager Kim McDiarmid.

“The stigma behind whisky has changed a lot now, but it used to be about old men sitting at a bar sharing a dram. Our whisky club is about 30 per cent female and it’s more of a younger crowd who want to learn about it.”

The Wild Rover stocks around 250 whiskies, among them a range of small-batch varieties.

While there aren’t specific guidelines to determine what is or isn’t considered small batch, the general consensus is that it’s a more premium product, and something customers are willing to spend more on.

“We want to appease everyone from beginners to the whisky buff,” says McDiarmid. “Stocking a small-batch whisky they may not have heard of adds a bit more interest to the menu and gives credibility as well,” says McDiarmid.

Davies says customers are also drawn to small-batch whisky for its imperfections.

“A lot of commercial whisky producers chill filter, so there’s no fogginess to the whisky and they will also add colours and flavours to make their batches consistent,” she says.

“Craft distilleries leave their whisky as is, as raw and pure as possible, which gives it a lot more flavour complexity. Even if it’s a notable brand releasing a small-batch line, people like the imperfection and want to try them.”

Davies also stresses the importance of rewarding customers who choose a premium

“Millennials like to know who made the whisky, what ingredients it was made with, the mash bill, what sort of barrel the distiller has used and the story behind the distillery.” – Kathleen Davies or small-batch whisky. “If they’re spending $20 or $30 for a nip of really nice whisky, serving it up in nice glassware is a good idea,” she says.

Offering a tailored menu to complement the whiskies on the menu won’t go astray either. “Cheese is an easy option to match with whisky and could just be simply offering a cheese and fruit board along with adding different cuts of meats,” says Davies.

The key to capturing the new-age whisky drinker is to make it personal — so get to know your customers and reap the rewards that come with small-batch whisky. n

advertorial

Innovative ready to eat Ingham’s chicken products developed with food safety foremost in mind Chefs and foodservice professionals across the country know that nothing beats the great taste of Australian chicken, and that its flavour is matched by its versatility.

Chicken is a popular consumer preference across a wide variety of plated meals and takeaway treats alike, and thanks to the extensive range available from Australia’s premier poultry products supplier, it’s easier than ever to find a ready-made, quality chicken product that will fit the bill.

Ingham’s success is founded on its long-term commitment to providing foodservice professionals with the biggest range of the best products, supported by stringent third-party-accredited quality management systems and a dedicated team who understand what the market wants.

Among the latest additions to the Ingham’s foodservice range are two innovative ‘ready to eat’ chicken products that are cooked through, making them easy to use — just heat and they’re ready to serve.

Both products have been developed with food safety in mind, making them particularly suitable for foodservice operations which lack full facilities to prepare and cook chicken.

They are produced in a ‘high care’ facility which means you can serve them with confidence, secure in the knowledge that they are indeed ready to eat — just as the name says.

Ingham’s Ready to Eat Chicken Schnitzels are a convenient, consistent quality serving solution. Made from chicken breast that has been coated in a crunchy golden ciabatta-style crumb, they’re consistently sized and individually frozen for effective portion control and ease of serving.

Ideal for salads and wraps or served as part of a chicken schnitzel baguette, Ingham’s Ready to Eat Chicken Schnitzels are the perfect choice for sandwich makers, cafés, caterers and bistros.

They’re made from 100 per cent Aussie chicken, contain no artificial colours or flavours, and come in cartons of 2 x 2.5kg bag (approx 14 schnitzels per bag).

Ingham’s Ready to Eat Roast Chicken Quarters are delicately marinated and roasted to perfection, and are as versatile as they are cost-effective.

They’re ideal to serve as a plated meal with chips and salad, and equally suitable as a key component within a takeaway snack pack.

Made from 100 per cent Aussie chicken, with no artificial colours, flavours or added preservatives, Ingham’s Ready to Eat Roast Chicken Quarters are the perfect choice for c-stores, takeaways, pubs, clubs and bistros, and come in cartons of 2 x 2.5kg bags, each containing approximately nine pieces (based on potential portion weights).

You can find more information on the extensive Ingham’s Foodservice range, including recipe ideas, at www.inghams.com.au/foodservice. n March 2018 Hospitality 17

breakfast

Feta, watermelon and olive salad

Saint Peter images: Nikki To

Starting the day right Introducing breakfast to your venue can generate buzz and result in a new sector of customers according to breakfast advocates Josh Niland and Peter Conistis.

By Annabelle Cloros.

S

mashed avo on toast, açai bowls and flaky pastries typically come to mind when you think of the current breakfast landscape. Anyone can fry an egg and there’s an overflow of venues serving the same old menu, so it’s essential to diversify your offering and be original.

Josh Niland from Saint Peter and Peter Conistis from Alpha are two chefs doing breakfast differently.

VENTURING INTO BREAKFAST TERRITORY There’s much to gain from playing the breakfast game. But most importantly, it’s an opportunity to create a unique offering that differs from lunch and dinner.

For Conistis, the choice to offer breakfast was a natural progression. “We have always served coffee and breakfast-inspired filo pies and pastries from the Alpha food store at the 18 Hospitality March 2018

front of the restaurant, but we realised our customers wanted more choice,” he says.

Alpha serves a breakfast menu on weekdays to mostly cater for a corporate crowd.

On the flip side, weekend brunch was always part of the plan for Saint Peter when it opened just over a year ago. “There’s too much potential in brunch to miss out on the opportunity,” says Niland. Along with this venture came a little trial and error, with the venue originally starting the weekend offering at 10am, but soon pushed it to 11am after the team “worked out Paddington didn’t wake up until 11”.

MENU DESIGN In order to obtain new customers while catering to an existing consumer base, designing a menu that is creative but remains true to your food offering is key. At Saint Peter, seafood is the only protein used — just as it is on the dinner menu — but has been tweaked to fulfil breakfast ideals.

The restaurant has fast gained a reputation as one of Sydney’s leading brunch destinations thanks to cult dishes such as the sea urchin crumpet, marron scrambled eggs, the eel hash brown and the bacon and egg English muffin. “The bacon and egg muffin is inspired

by Macca’s, so it looks familiar, but the bacon is fish,” says Niland. “We have made the fish

taste exactly like bacon and you would be hard pressed to figure out it is swordfish belly and not pork. Everything is derived from a memory and is synonymous with Australia.

I just think it’s clever to incorporate fish into breakfast dishes we have always looked at with meat. You can turn it into fish and it should have been fish all along.”

Alpha’s breakfast menu focuses on light and fresh dishes that are only available in the morning — with the exception of spanakopita, which makes an appearance on all of the restaurant’s menus. “The breakfast dishes are quite different to what we serve for lunch and dinner,” says Conistis. “You’ll find fresh figs with Greek yoghurt, rose geranium honey and walnuts and Alpha’s version of smashed avocado on toast with broad bean hommous, feta and tomatoes. We also do tofumi, which features our house-made tofu prepared in the same way as grilled halloumi.

“All the dishes share a certain Greek richness and many feature specific Greek ingredients, whether that’s Manouri cheese, rose geranium honey, Kalamata olives or the barrel-aged sheep’s milk feta we import from Greece.”

BOTTOMS UP Coffee, juice, smoothies and mocktails are the beverages of choice in the morning, opening

breakfast

Halloumi saganaki with tomato Eden John Dory liver and parsley on toast

Donnybrook marron scrambled eggs

Smashed avocado with broad bean hommous, feta and tomato

“We have made the fish taste exactly like bacon and you would be hard pressed to figure out it is swordfish belly and not pork.”

– Josh Niland up another avenue for a restaurant to explore.

Coffee is big at Alpha, in the form of espresso and “heart-starting” Greek coffee for those who are up for it. “It’s the usual suspects for drinks,” says Conistis, “Will & Co espresso and T2 teas, but we also offer Greek coffee, Nescafé frappé, mimosas, bellinis and bloody Marys. We will soon launch our iced mountain tea, which has a green tea base [handforaged wild tea from Mount Hymettus in Greece] with elderflower cordial, lemon juice, watermelon and mint syrup.”

Saint Peter offers the same wine list available at dinner, but put more emphasis on cocktails and cordial-based drinks which are created by Ronnie Gorman. “There’s more expression through drinks during the weekend, and if some are overwhelmingly accepted, they’ll make their way on to the dinner menu,” says Niland. “We deal in a premium line of seafood, so that attracts a certain customer, and some don’t drink a lot of alcohol, so we need to have a beefed-up alternate offering. We have gone to more effort with cordial-based offerings so we can pick up any slack.”

Saint Peter also provides filtered coffee from Artificer. “We only use Artificer coffee,” says Niland. “I think their black coffee is the best in Sydney and I wanted to have filter coffee because it saves room on the counter — I don’t March 2018 Hospitality 19

breakfast

“The breakfast dishes are quite different to what we serve for lunch and dinner. You’ll find figs with Greek yoghurt, rose geranium honey and walnuts ... we also do tofumi, which features our house-made tofu prepared in the same way as grilled halloumi.” – Peter Conistis

House-made muesli

want a machine on the bench. I think it’s a nicer, cleaner more unique offering than a latte.”

ATTRACTING NEW CUSTOMERS Thanks to Alpha’s prime location in the Sydney CBD, a breakfast offering opens the venue up to a whole new client base. “Alpha is in an ideal location for breakfast and we wanted to attract corporates for breakfast meetings and locals from the new apartment developments,” says Conistis.

Saint Peter has a steady stream of customers who strictly come for brunch and wouldn’t attend the restaurant for dinner, says Niland. “Brunch-wise, we get people who come weekly, which is really lovely,” he says.

“Then there are some people who leave three to four weeks between visits and are excited to see new things. We have a lot of regulars now.”

Niland also continues to change Saint Peter’s brunch menu due to seasonality and keeping things moving. “You need a repertoire of dishes that are slightly interchangeable,” he says.

“The dishes will come on when the product is available. I change the menu a lot, but when the urchin is here and in the whole shell, it should be on the crumpet. That’s the challenging part — you don’t want to let people down and you don’t want people to have booked a couple of months ago for the sea urchin crumpet and then we don’t have any. So you need a bit of balance and to educate and reassure the customer that everything else will be fantastic.”

Saint Peter also creates a unique dining atmosphere in the morning that differs from dinner service. “At night, the feeling of the room is darker, there’s uplighting on the walls and it’s more glamorous,” says Niland. “During the day, there’s natural light and the door is open.

We don’t use white linen, we use brown paper napkins, and we try to differentiate the two experiences. The music is different and the vibe is lighter.”

A breakfast menu is an ideal opportunity to gain a new customer base, diversify your offering and explore untapped creativity. n 20 Hospitality March 2018

Pambula sea urchin crumpet

Blue mackerel on toast Bacon and egg pita roll

Ballina spanner crab croissant Spelt pita with poached egg, cauliflower salad and grains

chips

P

Reinventing

a classic

The classic potato chip is a profitable menu item and a staple for most restaurants and cafés. However, today’s customers are driven by choice, so it’s important to add variety to your menu. By Brittney Levinson.

22 Hospitality March 2018

otato chips have long been a menu staple, but as customer tastes and expectations evolve, venues are diversifying their sides and frying up everything from zucchini and polenta to cheese.

Check social media and you’ll see halloumi chips are on menus around the globe, but London street food stall Oli Baba’s has been serving up the cheesy morsels since 2014, taking inspiration from the Middle East.

“Halloumi fries were an idea born out of the need to improve vegetarian street food in London and to make it more exciting and accessible,” says founder Oli Baba.

The halloumi is simply cut into strips, deep fried and topped with sumac, za’atar yoghurt, pomegranate molasses and seeds, mint and chili flakes. Baba says the key to achieving optimum crunch is frying the chips at a high temperature and using quality cooking oil.

“The dish has become very visible in the London food scene with the help of bloggers and online videos, with one video racking up almost 25 million views,” says Baba.

You won’t find potato chips on the menu at Sydney’s Mode Kitchen & Bar, and it’s a decision head chef Francesco Mannelli is confident in.

“It’s the style of the restaurant we are doing — something between a bistro and fine dining,” he says. “And I guess fine dining shouldn’t have chips on the menu.”

Polenta chips have taken the potato’s place, and have become so popular Mannelli has had recipe requests from customers.

“It’s basically three or four ingredients,” he says. “I make the polenta using around 220 grams of flour for a litre of water. To finish the polenta, I add a little bit of parmesan and then I set everything in the fridge. It’s important to set without covering because otherwise the steam creates too much moisture inside the polenta.”

Once set, the polenta can be stored in the fridge for up to two days.

“Usually, we prepare it at night and we cut the polenta into chips in the morning,” says Mannelli. “Then we deep fry them for roughly three to four minutes in vegetable oil at 170–180 degrees Celsius.”

Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, the thick-cut chips hold their shape when dipped into the chili mayonnaise on the side. Mannelli says the secret is rolling them in polenta flour before they’re deep fried.

“Some people use bread crumbs, but the secret to making them crispy is using the polenta flour — my Nonna used to do it like that,” he says.

The type of polenta flour is also critical to achieving a crunchy outer layer. At Mode, Mannelli uses very coarse polenta from northern Italy. Although it may take longer to cook — about 45 minutes — he says rougher

chips

polenta is better quality than the finely ground, instant alternative.

Zucchini fries are another popular side dish, and Sydney wine bar and restaurant Firefly was well ahead of the trend, adding them to the menu in 2004.

“Zucchini fries outsell everything else on the menu — it’s amazing,” says owner Daniel Sofo.

“We use a hand-operated chipper which you pull down almost like a guillotine. From there, we trim them all up, put them into a sea salt water bath for two to four hours and that just extracts some of the bitterness. We pat them dry and leave them in the cool room to dry out for a day.”

Sofo says the salt bath acts as a preservative, allowing the zucchini to be stored before frying.

“However, we are moving such high volumes that we are chopping them fresh daily, so there’s no chance to store them,” he says.

Next, the fries are battered in cornstarch and fried in cottonseed oil at 180 degrees Celsius for three to four minutes before being tossed in za’atar and salt. Sofo chooses to use cottonseed oil for its high smoke point, lower cholesterol level and light flavour and texture.

“It’s all done by hand because the zucchini is substantially more fragile than a potato or a sweet potato. There’s a little bit of patience involved.”

But it’s this level of detail and labour that allows Firefly to price them at $15.50 a bowl, slightly higher than the truffle parmesan fries on the menu at $9.

“Once upon a time, zucchinis were cheaper than what they are now, so it was one of those dishes that we loved having on the menu because it was a good profit item,” says Sofo. “Prices have definitely gone up in recent times, so they’re not as a profitable as potato chips from a food cost perspective and a labour perspective.

Customers might say [the price] is ridiculous, but they often don’t understand how much work goes into making it.”

Regardless, the price doesn’t stop customers from ordering them. The zucchini fries are such a crowd favourite that Firefly goes through five tonnes of zucchini a year, proving it pays to get creative with chips.

Having just one chip option on your menu will no longer satisfy today’s choice-driven customer. Start simple with fail-safe sweet potato chips or get creative with other options to give your diners more side options to add to their meal. n

24 Hospitality March 2018

“Zucchini fries outsell everything else on the menu — it’s amazing.”

– Daniel Sofo

delivery

Deciphering delivery With the online food delivery industry set to be worth $2.4 billion in just seven years, restaurants are jumping at the chance to take a slice of the pie — but education is key when it comes to selecting a delivery service. By Brittney Levinson.

W

hen Menulog delivered its first meal in 2006, the ordering process still involved fax machines. Fast-forward to 2018, and online food delivery has evolved into a $600 million industry and is forecasted to grow to $2.4 billion by 2025 according to research firm Morgan Stanley. For first-timers, introducing delivery can be daunting, so take the time to understand what each platform offers to ensure delivery gives and doesn’t take from your business.

an added stress you don’t need on a busy day.”

Craufurd says part of the reason for her decision was due to a change in Uber Eats’ policy, which sees restaurants taking responsibility for the cost of refunds issued to customers for missing order items.

“I’d have to go through all my orders every week when they would send me a statement and compare that to the orders we’ve done at the café,” says Craufurd. “So [there was] a lot of time and effort involved.”

THE GOOD AND THE BAD

Delivery isn’t for everyone, so it’s important to do some research before jumping on board.

Jodie Auster is Uber Eats’ general manager for Australia and New Zealand, and says restaurants need to consider all variables that may affect their business.

“Delivery is a different experience for customers, so restaurants have to think about how to adapt their menu and packaging,” she says. Auster says it’s also important for venues to “understand the flow of orders in the kitchen and the pick-up experience for delivery partners to make sure high-quality food is delivered fast to customers. Our most successful restaurant partners embrace the online delivery channel with creative thinking and an understanding that they have to adapt to succeed.”

Adapting for delivery may include making adjustments to your menu to ensure it arrives in one piece and at the right temperature.

“It’s important to consider the types of food that are suited to delivery — this may be your entire menu or it may be a selection of your menu depending on how well certain dishes will travel during delivery,” says Alistair Venn, managing director at Menulog.

Deliveroo country manager Australia Levi Aron says ensuring food is well packaged and delivered in a timely manner will keep

MAdE Establishment (Jimmy Grants, Hellenic Republic, Gazi and The Press Club) is reaping the rewards from the delivery boom, partnering with Deliveroo and Uber Eats to serve its customers.

“We have had great foundational relationships with both partners since the early days, plus each have slightly different user experiences, which appeals to different customer profiles,” says MAdE Establishment CEO Troy McDonagh.

McDonagh says the biggest concern for the group going into delivery was that it would disrupt dine-in customers. “We have had to invest in our restaurant and store design to ensure we have fully integrated delivery and take-away [systems in place] without diminishing the dining experience,” he says.

“At our new Hellenic Republic Brighton location, you will not see any of the delivery partners in operation yet it is fully operational.”

However, cashing in on the delivery market hasn’t been smooth sailing for every venue.

After joining Uber Eats in May last year, Sydney’s Petty Cash Café recently ‘broke up’ with the delivery platform after the owners realised it just wasn’t for them.

“All my staff were so relieved when I did,” says co-owner Caitlin Craufurd. “Delivery was

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

March 2018 Hospitality 25

delivery

customers coming back.

“Deliveroo has specially designed heatproof bags to ensure food reaches customers hot and uses smart algorithms to optimise deliveries to customers,” he says.

Assess whether there is demand from your customers for delivery and be mindful of your location.

“Depending on where a restaurant is located, it’s important to look at the customer base on offer in that area to ensure you can increase orders by reaching more people in your selected delivery suburbs,” says Venn.

Choosing the right platform for your business is key to delivery success as each service is different. Uber Eats charges a fixed commission of 35 per cent on all orders, while Foodora and Deliveroo operate on a percentage commission fee that is negotiated with the restaurant partner before they join. Menulog charges a fixed 14 percent commission as it only provides the ordering platform, leaving the restaurant to organise their own drivers. Menulog also offers an ‘order now’ button that allows customers to book through the restaurant’s website, which is set at a lower commission of 7 per cent.

THE FUTURE IS DARK Dark kitchens and virtual restaurants are set to shake up the industry, allowing restaurants to fill gaps in the market by offering menus that are only available via delivery. Uber Eats’ virtual restaurants enable restaurants and cafés to branch out from their regular in-store menus and offer delivery-only menus to increase their revenue and reach new customers.

“At the moment, there are more than 150 virtual restaurants operating on Uber Eats in Australia utilising underused kitchen space to create more choice for their customers, experiment with the latest food trends and connect with new customers,” says Auster.

26 Hospitality March 2018

Similarly, Deliveroo recently launched dark kitchens, known as Deliveroo Editions, in Australia. The kitchens house multiple delivery-only kitchens, which enable popular restaurants to set up shop in different locations without the need for a bricks-andmortar store.

“We do this by providing restaurants with delivery-only tech-enabled kitchens, local marketing support and riders so they can set up in new areas without upfront capital costs,” says Aron. “Deliveroo uses data to identify customer demand in underserved areas and predict which restaurants are likely to succeed in each area, thereby reducing risk for restaurants.”

While the market is currently dominated by 18–35-year-olds, there is potential for wider demographics to embrace delivery, too.

“Older demographics may begin to engage with delivery more, especially as perceptions about delivery being ‘unhealthy’ are broken down, [which could result in] older Australians ordering in,” says Foodora spokesperson Lizzie Kaye.

For Menulog, the future of delivery involves emerging technology, such as artificial intelligence.

“Being part of the global Just Eat network allows us access to world-class technology that can be launched locally, from cuttingedge app and site functionality to the likes of delivery robots,” says Venn. “It also allows us to tap into global partnerships, such as Amazon’s Alexa or Sony PlayStation, and connect with customers wherever they are via their chosen medium.”

If delivery is the next step for your business, do your research and find out which platform suits your venue and the food you’re offering. Armed with this information, you’ll be better placed to capitalise on the growing market and ultimately reach more customers and maximise your profits. n

“Our most successful restaurant partners embrace the online delivery channel with an understanding that they have to adapt to succeed.”

– Jodie Auster

BACK ROW

• Ben O’Donoghue – Billykart & Billykart West End, Brisbane • Dan Moss – Terroir Auburn, Clare Valley, SA • Jerry Mai – Annam & Pho Nom, Melbourne • Claire Van Vuuren – Bloodwood, Sydney & Popla, Bellingen, NSW

FRONT ROW

• Cameron Matthews – Spicers Retreats – National • Joe Pavlovich – Bondi Trattoria, Sydney • Dave Pynt – Burnt Ends, Singapore • Thi Le – Anchovy, Melbourne • Dan Fisher – Ku De Ta, Perth • Aaron Ward – Young Chef of the Year 2017, Appetite for Excellence

For these fun-loving chefs, the kitchen is their playground and Australian Pork is their favourite toy.

Whether they’re rustling up something classic, simple or a cutting edge creation, no other meat is as versatile, allowing them to explore and indulge their imaginations.

Be a PorkStar. And get some Pork on your menu.

venue design

Higher Ground Image credit: Sean Fennessy

Design

101

There’s more to hospitality than just good food and drink — millennial venues are doubling as architectural attractions. By Annabelle Cloros.

F

rom the number of Insta-worthy venues popping up around Australia, it’s clear design is becoming a critical factor in a restaurant, café or bar offering. Sure, you can have stellar food, but if diners are expected to enjoy their meal in an uninspired venue, they’ll most likely find a place that can do both.

Hospitality spoke to creative director Mark Simpson from DesignOffice, director of Y. Studio Yaron Kanor and director of interior design at SJB Jonathan Richards about the role of design in hospitality; the considerations every venue should know and why you should never skimp on lighting.

IMPORTANCE OF DESIGN Switched-on operators have been engaging architects and interior designers to create venues that are memorable and successful.

“Australia has a really strong hospitality theme,” says Simpson.

28 Hospitality March 2018

12 Micron Image credit: Felix Forest

venue design

“There is good awareness through media, restaurant reviews and people’s interest in design. People are seeing eating out as an experience that’s about more than just food — it’s about the space.”

Kanor agrees, and believes good design is far-reaching. “Awareness of great design has definitely increased through industry competition,” he says.

“Hospitality entrepreneurs know a welldesigned venue will positively affect staff performance, customer experience and overall functionality.”

FIRST STEPS Zoning, purpose, developing a functional floor plan and considering acoustics are all critical factors when commencing a project.

“The most important element for venue owners is functionality,” says Kanor. “Venues must function at the highest level possible for them to succeed long-term.”

Zoning is a must in venues of all shapes and sizes in order to establish spaces with purpose. “If you create a venue that

is continuous and there’s no variation, it can become very bland,” says Richards.

“There are opportunities to create smaller spaces with a different feel or personality so a bigger group can go in and feel comfortable being louder and a couple can also feel comfortable.”

For Simpson, zoning can be established through the use of furnishings. “It’s good to have a mix of seating types — high and low, comfy seats and lounges,” he says. “During the design process, we talk about where you would sit and we always try to avoid a sea of the same chairs and tables. You need to provide a variety of spaces where everything is not at the same level.”

Spending time in the space and understanding acoustics can also play a role in attracting or losing customers. “The acoustics of a space define it for a lot of customers,” says Richards. “There are times where you want a loud buzz and bounce to the sound, but if you’re not careful and you select materials without considering noise and sound, it can become an unpleasant

“People are seeing eating out as an experience that’s about more than just food — it’s about the space.”

– Mark Simpson

Marta Image credit: Tatjana Plitt March 2018 Hospitality 29

venue design

Stomping Ground.

Image credit: Leopold Fiala

experience. There are lots of nice ways of using upholsteries, timbers and materials that add to the look of a space in terms of personality, while softening sound.”

LIGHTING Lighting is a make or break factor that’s often overlooked and undervalued. The ability to control mood and adjust lighting throughout the day can easily take a venue from day to night. “I find the most underestimated consideration is lighting — a space rests on its quality of light and can be killed if it’s too bright or dark,” says Richards. “We often try to avoid downlights and too much ceiling lighting. At 12 Micron, there’s a lot of natural lighting, and we draped rows of backlit linen panels from the ceiling. You don’t see the source — just the illuminated linen panels — and all the other lighting is from the joinery, so you’re illuminating the display without mindlessly throwing light on the floor.”

Similarly, Simpson avoids downlights and focuses on creating ‘glow’. “We try and use warm colourations and dimmable lighting,” he says. “It’s the glow that comes off the surfaces such as the timber, concrete or tables. We use tiny pin lights that give a pool of light on a table, almost like a candle as opposed to lighting the table. It affects people’s mental perception. If they feel 30 Hospitality March 2018

comfortable, they spend more money and they come back.”

SMALL CHANGES The good thing about clever design is that it doesn’t have to break the bank. DesignOffice recently worked on Marta in Sydney, helping the venue transition from its previous life as Popolo. “We helped them do an overlay,” says Simpson. “They kept the kitchen, toilet and the bar. A lot of it is texture, lighting, acoustics and feel — 70 per cent of the furniture is the same. We put in a new high bench at the front and we changed the flow without moving any plumbing.”

For Kanor, it’s a combination of superficial and functional solutions.

“Lighting, lighting, lighting,” he says. “Paint finishes, furniture and accessories including botanicals and signs are a cost-effective way to create a refreshing change.”

Richards encourages venues to carefully consider the types of materials utilised. “There are lots of great venues made with simple steel and brick,” he says. “There are some great designers and architects who are cost conscious and come up with creative ideas about spending money on places that give the best impact.

In hospitality, it’s about the arrival and the front of house and deciding where to spend the money. It might be on the seating or the lighting — it’s about being clever.” n

Mezz Image credit: Michael Gazzola

Chifley Square Image credit: Felix Forest

CONVENIENCE Our trucks supply you with fresh oil in minutes, while our used oil trucks remove all of your spent oil, giving you time to focus on the more important elements in the kitchen.

shelf space

Hop to it

The Hop Father is back in the form of an extra pale ale. James Squires’ annual Hop Father release honours Australia’s first brewer by partnering with Squires’ family members. Seventh-generation descendants Ben, Matt and Chris Cooper teamed up with Malt Shovel Brewery in Camperdown to create The Hop Father XPA, a cloudy pale ale with citrus and pine notes and an extra hoppy punch. jamessquire.com.au

An apple a day

Tasmanian Cider Co. has launched Bonamy’s Cider, named after French winemaker Auguste Bonamy who made cider in Tasmania from the early 1900s onwards.

Designed to be enjoyed in the same way as wine rather than a beer, Bonamy’s is made with 100-per-cent whole pressed Tasmanian apples with no concentrate or sugar.

Using winemaking techniques, the apples are crushed and pressed, fermented with white wine yeast and then filtered and bottled. bonamys.com.au

Hidden gem

McLaren Vale organic winery Gemtree Wines has unearthed a new single-vineyard Shiraz dubbed SubTerra, which has been aged underground in a wax-coated French oak barrel.

The technique is inspired by ancient Georgian winemakers who fermented wine in clay pots in the ground. The earth provides a natural temperature-controlled cellar for SubTerra to mature for six months before it’s bottle-aged for a further 10 months. There are only 240 bottles of SubTerra available. gemtreewines.com 32 Hospitality March 2018

Smoked to perfection

Vannella Cheese has added smoked buffalo mozzarella to its extensive range of artisan cheeses. The stretched curd cheese is delicate and salty on the outside and sweet on the inside and is ideal torn over a caprese salad. vannellacheese.com.au

For the diary Upcoming events in the hospitality industry.

Find out more at hospitalitymagazine.com.au Orange F.O.O.D Week 6-15 April Back for the twenty-seventh year, Orange F.O.O.D (Food of Orange District) Week is Australia’s longest-running regional food festival and was the first to achieve ISO 20211 accreditation for sustainability. Highlights of the 2018 edition include an Autumn Grazing Dinner in Blayney, night markets and a culinary journey by rail on the F.O.O.D Train. orangefoodweek.com.au

Flinders Island Food and Crayfish Festival 14 April Chef David Moyle has joined forces with Matt Stone, James Viles, Jo Barrett and Mark LaBrooy

for the launch of the Flinders Island Food and Crayfish Festival. The event will include a long lunch cooked by the aforementioned talent with wine matching by sommelier Alice Chugg. The team will spend five days foraging and sourcing local produce for the event. visitflindersisland.com.au

Foodservice Australia 27-29 May Foodservice will return to Sydney at the International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour. More than 300 industry suppliers will attend the event, which will display the latest food trends, showcase hundreds of new products and host free seminars and workshops. Foodservice Australia offers the

opportunity to connect with food industry professionals and improve your bottom line. foodserviceaustralia.com.au

Drinks Industry Show 18-19 June The Drinks Industry Show has been redeveloped for 2018 and will be held at Dockside in the heart of Sydney’s Darling Harbour. The show is Australia’s leading trade-only annual gathering, promoting new and high-quality alcohol brands to attendees. The event will include workshops, seminars and taste testing opportunities. There will also be networking events, offering a chance for attendees to connect with peers. drinksindustryshow.com.au

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March 2018 Hospitality 33

5 minutes with ...

Gregory Llewellyn

Hartsyard chef and owner The US chef and his wife Naomi Hart have rebooted the Newtown restaurant much to the horror of fried chicken lovers. But there’s much more to Hartsyard than a fried bird — the venue has come full circle and now revolves around seafood and vegetables.

W

e had been talking about revamping Hartsyard for a while, but for various reasons, it wasn’t the right time. I wanted to cook new things and our previous head chef Nikki Waples had given a long notice period. Our incoming head chef Jarrod Walsh was on his way and the space needed some TLC, so it made sense to act on it all at once. It was slightly stressful over the Christmas break with three kids at the beach and no tradies working, but with the help of Reso and Co, we got there.

The new menu is lighter, brighter and ever-changing along with being vegetable and seafood-driven. It will change all the time — we’ve already changed one dish. I am constantly chatting with suppliers to ensure I know the origins and care given to the produce. All the seafood is Australian, and we use lots of small suppliers who focus on doing a few things well.

We still want to be warm, welcoming and comfortable while offering different and approachable food. We want diners to snack before a show at the Enmore or stay longer and work through the whole menu. It’s still designed to share as we believe that’s the best way to eat. Our service style and approachability haven’t changed — I’m just cooking lighter and brighter food.

We did get one amazing piece of hate mail about the fried chicken that we’re going to frame. Many of our regulars who have been dining with us for six years ate the fried chicken for the first time last December because they thought they’d better try it before it goes. It wasn’t ideal that re-runs of dated TV shows featuring the old menu were played on our opening week, and we had a couple of tables expecting the old menu, but the rest embraced and loved the new concept. n

34 Hospitality March 2018

Customers want it simple.

Lamb Weston House Cuts® Simple Recipe Fries deliver great house-made taste with just three ingredients.

• Nearly 100% of consumers are actively trying to be healthier,1 choosing foods with fewer, easy-to-pronounce ingredients • Two-thirds say food is healthier when made without additives2 – “no additives or preservatives” was the most-launched food claim in Australia in 2016 3 • 70% of consumers want to know where their food comes from4 Your guests want three things from their food: they want to know what’s in it, they want fewer artificial ingredients, and they want it to be delicious.

Three simple ingredients

House-made appearance

Potatoes, oil and sea salt. That’s all

Our fries have a natural shape and colour

With mypotatofarmer.com, operators

we need to make great fries. And we

to deliver an authentic hand-cut look.

can hear from the farmers behind their

don’t just use any oil. Our House Cuts®

We select potatoes with the best natural

fries, and share the story with guests

Simple Recipe Fries are par-fried in

characteristics for an appetizing appearance

through customizable merchandising.

expeller-pressed canola oil with a

without additives or preservatives. Plus,

neutral flavour that lets true potato

our fries offer more consistent length and

taste come through. That’s a fry your

a higher yield – up to 36% more servings*

customers can feel good about.

vs. fresh-cut back-of-house fries.

Share your fry story

At Lamb Weston, we see possibilities in potatoes. Founded in 1950 as a small family business, we’re now one of the world’s leading suppliers of frozen potato products, and we’ve earned our reputation as an industry pioneer. We’re committed to safety and quality, being good stewards of the land, and enriching our communities.

Request a sample of Lamb Weston House Cuts® Simple Recipe Fries today – visit LambWeston.com/SimpleRecipeAU. The Futures Company, Australia Country Summary, 2015 Healthfocus International Survey, Australia, Japan, S. Korea, 2014 3 Mintel GNPD/Mintel Food and Drink, 2016, Australia Claims Analysis 4 Technomic GPP Consumer Restaurant Behavior, Australia, 2016 *Based on Lamb Weston internal data as of June 2017; actual yield may vary based on various factors including variances in processing, fluctuations in market prices, and exact ingredients used in product preparation 1 2

©2018 Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.