Hospitality no.734 - May 2017

NO.734 MAY 2017

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NO.734 MAY 2017

pastry HOW TO BE A

chef

IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Plus: FOODSERVICE AUSTRALIA

n

WORLD'S 50 BEST n LORD OF THE FRIES

Editorial

“

How many times have you heard ‘I came here on a working holiday visa’ as the start of a great story of success. Not any more.” – Justin Browne, Epudi Australia When the federal government announced its plans to scrap the 457 visa program, the hospitality industry’s reaction was swift and scathing. The consensus? That there’s plenty of work to go 'round. That Australian restaurants, cafés, pubs and clubs would love to hire enthusiastic, skilled and ambitious Australians, but that there just aren’t enough stepping forward.

The skills shortage in foodservice is bad enough, and this latest blow is adding insult to injury. Sure, the 457 program is being replaced with a new one comprising two streams: one short term and one medium term, but there are a number of new barriers, and a few key deterrents for would-be workers, including a limit of one visa renewal on-shore and stricter testing of English speaking skills.

So where to from here? How can hospitality businesses ensure these changes don’t have a devastating effect on their livelihood?

It’s not an easy conversation and there are no simple answers – but we must play the cards we’ve been dealt.

It feels like we’ve got no choice other than to reassess the way that hospitality is portrayed to young Australians, in an attempt to attract them to the industry.

And not in a glitzy MasterChef-esque kind of way. By and large, young chefs and front of house professionals are making it clear that they don’t want to work the ridiculous hours that their bosses may have. They expect consistent and valuable training. They know the penalty rates they should be earning on a Sunday, and they know who to contact if they’re not.

So if we’re going to stomach these changes and survive to tell the tale – and if there’s any hope of filling the 84,000-odd jobs the industry will generate by November 2020 – we need to reconnect with young Australians and open their eyes to the fact that they can have a rewarding and successful career in hospitality.

Danielle Bowling dbowling@intermedia.com.au

4 Hospitality May 2017

May Contents 6 In focus

8 Openings 10 Flavour of the month

8

12 Trends

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13 Best practice 14 Fast casual

10

16 Drinks 17 Column 18 Cover story 22 Foodservice Australia 24 World’s 50 Best 28 Dishwashing 32 Shelf space 33 Diary 34 5 minutes with…

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12 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.

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in focus

Time to forget the 457 Chefs and foodservice operators are arguing that the government’s latest announcement will only add to the sector's skills shortage, but industry bodies are more optimistic.

P

rime Minister Malcolm Turnbull recently announced that his government would abolish 457 visas, replacing them with a new temporary visa program.

“We’ll no longer allow 457 visas to be passports to jobs that could and should go to Australians,” Turnbull said via a Facebook video.

The 457 will be replaced with a new scheme made up of two streams: one short term (issued for two years) and one medium term (issued for up to four years). Both will be subject to labour market testing including a requirement for two years of work experience, a market salary rate assessment and a new non-discriminatory workforce test.

Foodservice operators around the country are arguing the changes will only exacerbate the serious skills shortage that the industry is currently struggling with. Industry bodies, however, seem to be far more optimistic.

“We will be happy to work with the federal government to ensure that their objective of growing local employment is met, while also encouraging growth in the hospitality sector through carefully targeted temporary skilled worker placements, particularly to support regional Australia,” said AHA CEO, Stephen Ferguson.

AHA (WA) CEO Bradley Woods welcomed Turnbull’s announcement,

claiming that the new Temporary Skills Shortage visa will continue to support businesses experiencing genuine skills shortages.

“The new visa system appears to strike the balance between supporting young Australians who are looking for work and supporting businesses who can’t find enough skilled locals to fill positions. The new visas also remove the pathway to permanent residency for low skilled workers,” he said.

“Cooks and chefs will remain on the occupations list used for skilled migration assessment, however with caveats, ensuring that they are working in skilled positions – for example not in fast food outlets.”

Restaurant & Catering Australia also welcomed the decision, but stressed the importance of maintaining sufficient streams of skilled migration in alleviating the skills shortage.

“The impact of Australia’s massive skills shortage is being acutely felt by the hospitality sector because of its heavy reliance on labour,” CEO John Hart said.

“As the highest employment growth sector in the Australian economy, having an effective and well-designed skilled migration system is critical in meeting the demand for skilled labour among employers. The café and restaurant sector alone is projected to generate 84,300 jobs

by November 2020," he said.

The 457 visa landscape

As of June 30, 2016 there were 94,890 primary 457 visa holders in Australia.

457 visas are most commonly granted for: Cooks – 5.2%

Top 3 countries citizenship countries:

New visas will be

subject

to labour market testing including:

Other changes include: A longer waiting period for medium-term visa holders before they can apply for permanent residency

India – 24.8%

A requirement for better knowledge of English Developer/ Programmer – 4.7%

UK – 17.2%

Café or Restaurant Manager – 3.9%

People’s Republic of China – 6.3%

6 Hospitality May 2017

A requirement for two years of work experience A market salary rate assessment A new non-discriminatory workforce test.

Only one visa renewal allowed onshore

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

1

Keller Door

Sydney, NSW 4 Pines is converting its Manly Underground concept into an extension of the BrewPub upstairs. The drinks selection at the reinvigorated venue will comprise only of 4 Pines’ small batch Keller Door releases. The food menu includes small and larger plates, feast plates for two to four people and a whole roasted suckling pig for eight.

2

Agostinis

Canberra, ACT Located in Kingston’s East Hotel, the menu at Agostinis is inspired by the traditional cuisine of northern Italy. Pasta is made to order and pizzas are made using a special Neapolitan artisan technique where the dough naturally rises for 72 hours before going into the rotating Marana Forni oven. Imported from Verona, it is the only one of its kind in Canberra and can cook 15 pizzas at a time.

3

1 2

Cucina on Hay

Perth, WA By day, Cucina on Hay in the Mercure Perth offers café-style Italian lunch items for takeaway or dine-in, and in the afternoons the menu extends to include charcuterie and other share items. By night, the focus is on Italian share plates, with the addition of specialty Italian cocktails. Signature dishes include an 18 hour slow cooked lamb osso buco; duck cappelletti and zambagilone semifreddo – Cucina on Hay’s take on the traditional creamy Italian dessert.

4

Etta

Melbourne, VIC This contemporary neighbourhood bistro on Lygon Street, Brunswick East, boasts a menu designed for sharing, with a strong focus on vegetables and Australian produce.

Dishes include mozzarella pasta with peas and broccoli; hens egg, mushroom, and smoked celeriac; and larger plates like King George whiting, lentils and lemon pil pil; and charcoal lamb rump, goats cheese and cumin ash.

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8 Hospitality May 2017

3

5

Flower Child

Sydney, NSW Following the launch of the Flower Child concept in Sydney’s Chatswood, co-founders Chris Lu and Adam Choker have launched another site at Warringah Mall. Popular dishes from Chatswood have been carried over, including The Flower Child Fruit Salad and the Flower Child French Toast. New additions include the pumpkin gypsy toast and Japanese pancakes.

6

5

Jersey Rd. Bistro

Sydney, NSW Buzo in Sydney’s Woollahra has relaunched as Jersey Rd. Bistro, with the venue’s concept shifting from a traditional Italian trattoria to a modern Australian bistro. The downstairs bar has a new menu available until midnight, with snacks including fried kipfler potatoes, white anchovy, black olive and saffron aioli; and chicken liver parfait, raspberry, fennel with grilled sourdough.

7

Junk

6

Melbourne, VIC Worldwide Hospitality Group has opened its popular Hawker-style eat house, Junk, in Melbourne’s Punch Lane precinct. Helmed by Tony Kelly and business partner Scott Hoskins, Junk offers modern-Asian street food like crispy soft shell crab steamed bao with chipotle and burnt lime kewpie; crispy pork belly in a kaffir lime and caramel laksa; and crispy fried gunpowder chicken ribs with tamarind chutney.

8

Nola

Sydney, NSW With more than 500 American whiskies on offer, this New Orleansinspired restaurant has been added to the food offering at The Streets of Barangaroo. Nola occupies a 500sqm site and boasts a large spirits-driven bar and restaurant space. The restaurant has seating for 80, the private dining room for 14 and the bar has a capacity of 180. Two large smokers, which can fit about 30 briskets each or up to 120 chickens, are preparing meats such as Jack’s Creek dry aged beef brisket, organic chicken, Junee lamb spit and Melanda Park pork shoulder.

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8 May 2017 Hospitality 9

Flavour of the month ‘The food of Kings’, true caviar is only produced by the Sturgeon species of fish, a fish that existed way back in the lower Jurassic period.

Caviar

C

aviar dates back to the fourth century, with the word originating from the Persian word ‘Khaviyar’ which translates to ‘the cake of strength’ – and for good reason. Caviar has one of the highest nutritional profiles of any protein ounce for ounce – so much so, it was mandatory for warriors to feast on caviar before going into battle.

Sadly the love for caviar, over fishing and industrialisation has pushed a number of the 27 types of Sturgeon onto the endangered species list. In 2008, CITES (The Convention in Trade of Endangered Species) placed a blanket world wide ban on the harvesting of wild sturgeon, and so the world caviar market is now serviced by aquaculture.

SOURCING Caviar should only be purchased from a reputable dealer. Always be sure to check the back label: caviar should only contain Sturgeon roe and salt – preservatives should be avoided.

Always ask the providore where the caviar 10 Hospitality May 2017

comes from, and if it is fresh or pasteurised.

Caviar suppliers include: • Simon Johnson • Nicholas Seafood • Steve Costi • Reef Seafood

FLAVOUR MATCHES

the hand between the thumb and forefinger, the pearls are licked off and left to settle on the tongue. The best caviar will melt across the palate when it comes into contact with the warmth of the mouth, and it will present an initial burst of salt that dissipates quickly to leave a buttery, nutty flavour.

Quality caviar should be savoured if not by itself, then with simple accompaniments so as not to disguise its unique flavour. Vodka is the traditional pairing to start caviar tasting, and works well with Blanc de Blanc Champagne to follow.

STORAGE

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Caviar that has chemical preservatives (all preservatives that can be used in caviar are illegal in Australia however these products do make it past customs). Also avoid caviar that has been pasteurised as this process changes the texture and affects the flavour.

The perfect caviar is taken at the optimum time of ovulation. The caviar should present with a glossy pearl and a perfect sphere that separates easily. The caviar should have a fresh smell that hints of a salty sea.

Always serve caviar on crushed ice to keep the oils in the pearls relatively solid.

After warming the caviar on the flat part of

Caviar should be kept in the coldest part of fridge with an ice pack. It should be consumed within 48 hours of opening, but is best enjoyed straight away.

STEER CLEAR OF

Credit: Lisa Downs, caviar ambassador, Simon Johnson, simonjohnson.com

advertorial

Know your cheese With so many different cheeses on the market, it’s important for foodservice operators to know how they can get their hands on the best, most authentic products.

C

onga Foods has been importing Italian cheese since the 1950s and is committed to providing chefs and foodservice operators with the highest quality, most authentic products available.

A number of the cheeses imported by Conga Foods are certified by a scheme known as the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), which aims to protect the reputation of the regional foods, eliminate unfair competition and prevent misleading advertising by inferior products.

These include Conga Foods’ Grana Padano PDO and Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, differentiated from all other cheeses by strict production standards.

GRANA PADANO PDO Grana Padano can only be produced from Italian milk from the designated Grana Padano production area.

The milk is partially skimmed by natural surface skimming and processed in cone-shaped copperlined cauldrons which are only large enough to produce two wheels of cheese at a time.

The branding of each wheel with the iconic Grana Padano four leaf clover is then moulded

into the wheel using a cylindrical mould known as a fascera. At this point the wheel is ready to be salted in brine for a period of between 14–30 days and is then matured in facilities which maintain temperature, humidity and ventilation and the wheels are turned approximately every 15 days.

In the nine months of maturation, all Grana Padano wheels are examined by Consortium for the Protection of Grana Padano officials with the traditional inspection tools: a hammer, needle and probe. If the cheese does not pass every test, the wheels will be fire branded with an ‘X’ over the four leafed symbol. If the wheel passes all tests, it will be fire branded by the Consortium with the iconic Grana Padano diamond-shaped brand.

Then, and only then, can the cheese be called Grana Padano PDO. Despite the strict standards set down by the Grana Padano Consortium which state that the cheese must be aged for a minimum of nine months, the best Grana Padano is matured much longer. Grana Padano really begins to develop its sharp flavour and iconic granular texture around the 16th month of maturity. That is why Conga Foods only selects Zanetti Grana Padano that has been matured for a minimum of 16 months.

PARMIGIANO REGGIANO PDO Parmigiano Reggiano is produced exclusively in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and parts of the provinces of Mantua and Bologna.

Parmigiano Reggiano differs from Grana Padano in small but very important ways.

Most importantly, Parmigiano Reggiano is made from two milkings: partially skimmed unpasteurised cow’s milk from the previous evening and whole milk from the morning of production. Grana Padano, however, is produced from two milkings of both partially skimmed unpasteurised milk, giving Parmigiano Reggiano a higher fat content which ultimately leads to its fuller and more developed flavour.

Parmigiano Reggiano PDO wheels remain in the aging room a minimum of 12 months. At that point, experts from Consorzio Parmigiano Reggiano examine each wheel to make sure they comply with their rigorous standards.

Most wheels are left to age for another 12 months, as 24 months is the ideal minimum aging time. Unfortunately what we see in Australia tends mostly to be matured somewhere between 12 and 18 months, meaning Australian consumers aren’t always getting the best Parmigiano Reggiano.

Conga Foods only imports Zanetti branded Parmigiano Reggiano PDO which has been aged for a minimum of 24 months. n For more information, head to congafoods.com.au May 2017 Hospitality 11

Merivale’s Toby Marshall and Sam Egerton

Trends

In recent years the conversation around sustainability in the drinks industry has helped take the term from a trendy label to a consequential movement.

Sustainable bars

“

It’s not about opening a bar and being 100 percent sustainable; it’s more about undertaking a conversation.”

According to Toby Marshall, venue manager at Merivale’s Charlie Parker’s, the ongoing conversation tends to lead naturally to more sustainable decisions.

“Five years ago this conversation might have seemed hipsterish, but it can influence people. It’s about promoting the concept, not stating how sustainable your bar is out of 10.”

Sustainability is no longer a buzzword that gets bantered around; instead, it’s becoming a part of the bar industry’s fabric. The shift is akin to that seen in the foodservice industry and this is evident at Charlie Parker’s.

“Sam Egerton and I have spent a lot of time with chefs and we’ve incorporated that into the bar,” said Marshall. “Chefs are always focused on utilising produce to its utmost, working with the seasons and evolving their menus continuously.

“We’ve really taken it as an opportunity to think about how we put our drinks and the whole menu together, like utilising an ingredient throughout the menu so that we use produce to its full extent.”

On the current menu, for example, the bar has several drinks that use everything from the fennel blossom to its seeds and branches. Beyond the drinks themselves, Charlie Parker’s has implemented a number of initiatives to reduce their use of resources.

“We don’t use coasters anymore; our menu

12 Hospitality May 2017

only has one drink that needs a straw; our straws are corn based so they break down in the compost; we look to donate that compost to local community gardens; we are looking to develop our own garden so that we can close the loop a bit; we have three styles of bins – one for green waste, one for glass and one for general waste,” said Marshall.

“We have our own sodas, which we make from recycled ingredients. For example, we make a citrus soda from the skins of citrus left over from the juicing process, so we don’t have to stock lemonade and therefore have less glass wastage.”

Public House Management Group’s group bars manager Kurtis Bosley has also noticed that while sustainability has been a trend in the industry for a number of years, the last 12 months have seen a massive uptake.

“Obviously it’s one of those buzzwords that’s been thrown around a lot, but, until recently, I don’t think there’s been too many people who have stood up in the bar world, putting their hand up saying they’ll champion the movement,” Bosley told Hospitality.

To ease the pressure their bars put on resources, PHMG has also focused on reducing waste by getting the most out of individual ingredients.

“We can juice the lemon and use the citrus in our cocktails; we can use the pulp to make fruit leather coasters; we can take the rind and make olio saccharin or we can give the excess rinds to 42 Below [vodka], which they

can use to make soap that we then use in our bathrooms,” said Bosley.

“It’s about being more efficient, especially during downtime. What we’ve found is that our bartenders have become more thoughtful and we’re actually saving a lot of money.”

A tight relationship between the bar and kitchen teams has also driven progress.

“What’s not being used in the kitchen we try to use in the bar and vice versa. For example, the riberries I was using in a shrub were going to be thrown out, instead Ben [Varela, group executive chef at PHMG] made a dessert with them. Eggs are a really big one. Every bar goes through so many egg whites and the yolks get thrown out – they should go straight into the kitchen,” said Bosley.

Marshall knows it can be daunting to look at the task of making a bar sustainable, but ultimately, he argues, it’s about a combination of all the little things.

“People are starting to realise how it can benefit their business. Every venue is its own.

Some examples we’ve executed wouldn’t suit others. But the conversation around some bars doing no straws programs gets people thinking about what they can do,” he said.

“It’s about that ongoing journey of looking at your decisions in an environmentally sustainable way, [as well as] community sustainability and professional sustainability for staff,” said Marshall. n

best practice

tax savings tips No one likes to pay taxes, and sometimes hospitality operators play a bit fast and loose with the way we avoid them. The secret is to make as much money as you can, then get a good accountant who knows the best ways to keep most of that money in your hands. By Ken Burgin.

I

recently caught up with Brisbane accountant Chris Wheatley of Scope Accounting to get his recommendations on how to maximise tax deductions before the end of the financial year. He shared these 10 with me.

1. KNOW YOUR BUSINESS Wheatley's first recommendation is to really understand your business structure – sole trader, partnership, trust or company – because they each have different tax options. For example, will the owner be paid wages, or dividends, or in another way? Don’t miss out on tax savings that are inherently connected to your structure.

2. BRING PAYMENTS FORWARD This year, 30 June is a Friday, and it’s always useful to bring bill payments forward if you can so they fall into the current financial year.

If your normal staff pay day is late in the week, you might even think about paying them a few days early to bring those wage costs into 2017.

Superannuation payments must be paid before 30 June to be deductible, and paid means the money has left your account, so allow plenty of time for this to be processed. Safest to make super payments a week in advance.

Friday 30 June. How you assess that value is per item, at the lower end of either the original cost price for that stock item, the current market price to sell it (so if out of date the value is the giveaway price), or the price to replace that item of stock (say, if the wholesale price is now lower). You are not allowed to claim a tax deduction for purchasing stock that you have not yet sold, however you can value that stock at the lowest value possible each year.

4. GO SHOPPING

8. THINK ABOUT ESTIMATES

From June 2017, the $20,000 instant asset write-off for equipment ceases, so make sure you use it. The whole cost of a new asset is deductible within this year instead of depreciating the cost over several years.

There’s also a small business concession for stocktaking. You can estimate the value of your trading stock for end of year tax reporting, saving the hours of a formal stocktake. You need to be able to justify your estimate if asked by the ATO. You can use an estimate as long as there is a difference of $5,000 or less between what you had at the start of the financial year and what you think you have at the end of the financial year.

3. THE SAME GOES FOR SUPER

5. KNOW YOUR SOURCES Keep track of all of your sources of funding for the business, whether it be from your family, credit card, or made from your home mortgage – don’t forget to claim the interest and bank fees on what can be traced to the business.

6. UNDERSTAND YOUR ACCOUNTING METHOD Accountants work out tax and GST on a cash basis or an accruals basis.

Most hospitality operators work on a cash basis, but remember to give your accountant all of your unpaid bills, especially if they are not already included in your bookkeeping records, to see what they can include in this year’s tax deductions. Keep it simple with the cash method for GST, but for tax, think about accruals so you can claim for costs that you didn’t actually pay by June 2017.

9. DON’T FORGET THE CAR Make sure you’re getting the best deductions for your vehicle. Keep your logbook up to date – this translates into the costs you can legally claim. But don’t overclaim in a crazy way, as the ATO will compare your vehicle costs with those of your peers.

10. MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR ACCOUNTANT

7. UNDERSTAND THE STOCKTAKE RULES

Finally, Wheatley reminds us that accountants like to eat out and love good coffee – encourage them to drop in regularly and have a chat. Friends look after friends. They handle lots of businesses and have plenty of suggestions – did you know you can claim your home internet, your home office and even sunscreen if you’re serving customers in a courtyard?

For tax purposes, you need to assess the value of what you have sitting on shelves and in fridges as close to possible at close of business on

Ken Burgin is founder of Profitable Hospitality. profitablehospitality.com May 2017 Hospitality 13

fast casual

No small fry Despite setting up shop in one of the world’s biggest meat consuming countries, Lord of the Fries has only grown its following since opening in the early 2000s.

Co-owner Mark Koronczyk talks about adapting in an ever-competitive market.

Mark Koronczyk

W

hen Lord of the Fries (LOTF) can get mozzarella, gouda, blue cheese – any Company name? Lord of the Fries swung open the doors of its cheese you want really,” said Koronczyk. mobile food van in 2004, own“In saying that, we’ve been lucky to find When was the business established? ers Mark Koronczyk and Mandy good suppliers and we’ve been working with 2004 Walker Koronczyk were operating in a very nearly everyone since day one. We’ve switched Number of locations? 13 in Australia different business climate. More than a decade some of the products, because, for example, and two in New Zealand later the vegetarian fast food venue has a dozen we wanted to use a locally made cheese. of outlets across Australia and New Zealand, “There are a lot of considerations to take Number of staff? Roughly 320 and is in the process of transitioning to a vegan into account when being ethical. The first, Best-selling menu item? Big Original menu across all of its stores. for us, is not harming animals. The second Burger and Classic Fries with Parisian The brand has grown despite increasing is localisation.” sauce/French Canadian (it’s a tie!). competition, both in the fast casual space This means using a local vegan cheese Biggest challenge facing the business and vegetarian dining, because the Koronmanufacturer in New Zealand and another in in 2017? Manufacturing our own vegan czyks have embraced customer requests Australia, while the famous sauces are made products because we want to rely less while sharing their own ethos with the dining by local manufacturers, according to a set on imports. public. The open dialogue between consumer recipe. The same goes for buns, which are and operator has been an important part of made by local bakers, again based on a set Growth plans for the year ahead? A few LOTF’s evolution. recipe. Balancing the desire to keep things more stores in Australia; talking to a few “My wife Mandy and I started Lord of the local within a national fast casual concept isn’t new international franchisees; and bottling Fries to promote vegetarianism. We wanted it without its challenges. our sauces and other items for retail. to be a mainstream option, but we didn’t want “People do want consistency. We try to it to be in your face,” Koronczyk told Hospitality. model ourselves on other franchises that “When we started with the van, we really have been successful selling burgers and just had fries and about four or five different sauces. We added hotdogs fries – we’d be silly if we didn’t – so we have an operational manager because they were easy to make in the very small space we had. who goes around ensuring everything is of the same standard,” When we opened our first store people really wanted burgers, so we said Koronczyk. introduced the mini burger. Then they started telling us they wanted to With localisation in mind, LOTF takes a more pragmatic approach to come in for dinner, but for a normal burger, not the mini one.” consistency; it’s not about every burger being exactly the same, rather While the brand has changed in response to customer requests, it’s about producing products of a consistently high standard.

Koronczyk said they’ve been careful to make sure any additions comple“If a burger uses vegan cheddar, then all stores will use cheddar to ment the original offering. make that burger. If you buy two different cheddars, they’re going to “We’re always getting asked to try things, like a falafel burger for have slight variation – that’s normal. So there might be a small differexample. [Although] it would be vegetarian, we don’t feel it fits the ence in taste depending on location, but that’s okay to us if the quality brand,” he said. is still high,” said Koronczyk.

Falafel was long one of the only options for vegetarians, but the last For LOTF, at least, increasing competition has meant boom over bust, decade has seen an unprecedented leap forward for plant-based dining, with the business now going from strength to strength. with the development of vegan cheese and meat substitutes giving “There used to be one option for vegetarians in a restaurant, whereoperators the opportunity to diversify their offering. as now they’ll have a few options. Nearly every burger place will have a “It’s a lot better for us now. There used to be one company selling veggie burger. I think it’s good. It’s what we wanted. We wanted it to be vegan cheese and the prices were astronomical. Whereas now you mainstream and that’s what’s happened over the last 10 years.” n 14 Hospitality May 2017

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drinks

The case for cans As the beer market finds growth through innovation and evolution, one of the many things helping is the rising popularity of cans, writes Andy Young.

T

he beer market is enjoying a growth period, driven by the popularity of craft beer and also mid-strength beer, and it’s no coincidence that these two segments have also embraced cans.

The beer drinking occasion is evolving, in much the same way that the beer market is evolving. Outdoor informal occasions are increasing and cans are fitting more and more with these occasions. The growth of cans has been influential in opening up the number of beer occasions, the increased mobility that cans have over bottles is an important factor.

Similarly these occasions have fit perfectly with the craft segment becoming more relevant and mid-strength beer engaging an increase in healthier lifestyle choices.

In addition to this, as many consumers delve more into understanding beer as part of their craft journey, an improvement in the quality of cans has many consumers understanding that canning is good for beer, as Ciaran Gill of the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel explains.

“Cans are the growing trend within craft beer as the public starts to recognise the benefits of beer in a can.

“They provide strong opportunity for branding as well as being the ideal vessel to maintain beer integrity due to being impervious to light and more airtight than bottles. They chill quickly and can be easily transported in a variety of situations. They are cheaper, recycle easily and are lighter.”

It’s a view shared by the team at Bentspoke Brewing Co in Canberra, which has the Crankshaft IPA and the Barley Griffin Pale 16 Hospitality May 2017

Ale in 375ml cans. “Cans are lighter, safer, easier to dispose of, eliminate the possibility of light strike to the hops or oxidisation, look great, and with our 360 degree lid cans the full aroma of the beer is available without the need to pour it into a glass,” said John Griffiths of Bentspoke.

OVERCOMING PERCEPTIONS While many consumers are clearly embracing canned beers, the perception that beer in cans tastes different does linger. This perception is actually a myth. Decades ago, cans had primitive liners that may have had a detrimental impact on the beer, but this is no longer the case.

Today’s aluminium cans have a polymer lining, which means that the beer does not come into contact with aluminium, which has meant a massive improvement in quality.

“Consumer perceptions are somewhat still associated with the cheap, mass produced beers that were, at one time, packed in cans that transferred metallic flavours across to the beer itself," said Gill.

“Now cans are lined to prevent this and brands are embracing the trend wholeheartedly.”

Griffiths agrees that with cans already massively popular in other parts of the world and with all major breweries putting their beer in cans, the days of the ‘beer can taste’ myth should be numbered.

“The perception probably lingers in some parts of the community from the bad old days of beverage cans made without linings.

But when the biggest drinks companies in the world are comfortable putting their brands onto cans we’re pretty sure enough of

the public realise those days are behind us,” said Griffiths.

CONVINCING CONSUMERS “The biggest issue with perception is education,” said Gill. “Helping the customer understand the benefits of canning will go a long way to changing these perceptions – in fact taste tests show little-to-no difference between canned and bottled beers, with a slight skew in preference towards those in cans. We at the Lord liken our cans to ‘mini-kegs’ in how they express our beer to the customer.”

Another factor in convincing consumers to give the can a go lies in Griffiths’ point that so many brewers are putting their beer into cans meaning they are confident in the technology.

The more innovation and choice with the market, the better that is for the consumer and there is definitely more innovation and choice in the canned beer category.

But as Jaz Wearin, the co-owner of Modus Operandi, which has 500ml cans of Modus Pale Ale, Sonic Prayer IPA, Former Tenant Red IPA and the Session IPA, the advantages of the cans are what make them so successful.

“The simple facts are that cans are better for the environment (recyclability), better for the beer (less oxygen and light), better for business (cheaper transportation costs) and they allow the consumer to take them wherever they please. We are quite sure that the Aussie craft beer industry will see more and more cans come into rotation as the benefits are too hard to ignore.” n This article was originally published in National Liquor News.

column

No school like the old school?

There’s no room for nostalgia in this industry, writes Victor Liong. The good old days were not so good and the quicker today’s chefs realise that, the better.

I

’m glad to have worked in kitchens at the tail end of nouvelle cuisine and also to be in the kitchen cooking at the start of the modern era.

Nostalgia is overrated. How things used to be was terrible. It was a world of hoping things would set, be smooth, or be cooked to the right temperature. It was a world of salty white purees, which were really just white mirepoix, cream, butter and root vegetable (celeriac, cauliflower, parsnip, Jerusalem artichoke) … that poor Vita-Prep.

Everyone remembers working with chefs who used to scream at you because the frustration of uncertainty was so overwhelming they didn’t know what else to do but to yell. This whole cooking game used to be one big guess.

Everyone remembers being a junior chef trying to decipher a recipe that included scribblings with more units than the Roman legionary: one onion? 5cm ginger? A kitchen spoon of olive oil? A big pinch of salt? Then there was the anxiety and frustration of these recipes ‘sometimes’ working – even the chef creating them had no idea what went wrong when it didn’t work. And when it did work it probably needed a pinch more salt.

The good old days were actually really long, bad days in cuisine. Yet, there are those still terribly sentimental and nostalgic about the kitchens of yore, wishing we were still pressing cuts of meats with our fingers to guess their degree of doneness. Or wiping our fingers across the back of a wooden spoon to see if the crème anglaise is ready (because apparently that’s the best way to tell if custard has cooked to a temperature

the seasoning spectrum, condiments and additives that we have at our disposal to make food delicious. It has to be salt, and more of it.

I’m relieved 65°C has replaced the firmness of my chin or nose as the indicator of a well done steak. I’m glad that’s what apprentices are taught; not only in cooking school but at work and not by some angry wannabe acolyte of Marco Pierre White (nothing against Marco, but for the true White Heat fans, I urge you

“The good old days were actually really long, bad days in cuisine.” range of anywhere between 70°C and 87°C – a precise 17°C variation). While all this is going on, you’re also hoping the ice-cream won’t turn out grainy or icy once you churn it. Those fingers you’re using to wipe the wooden spoon? Maybe you should cross them too.

And “more salt”. How many times has that been the go-to solution for improving the flavour of an ingredient or dish? Let’s all just add more salt to food and ignore the rest of

to report a success after cooking the pomme puree recipe – it’s on page 121). I’m glad we’ve finally arrived at scales, probes, timers and science (cheers, Heston). Now I’m just hoping that the world will embrace the metric system – what an amazing time we will all have as chefs then. What a time to be alive.

Victor Liong is chef and co-owner of Melbourne’s Lee Ho Fook.

May 2017 Hospitality 17

pastry

The fundamentals of baking The discipline of baking has evolved exponentially with the rise of new technologies that boost precision and consistency. Madeline Woolway spoke to three chefs about how to maintain the art of pastry in the 21st century.

18 Hospitality May 2017

“

They say we’re in danger of training a generation of chefs that know how to make pastry, but don’t know what’s going on behind the process,” said Chris Thé, founder of Black Star Pastry in Sydney.

New technology has made the science of cooking more exact and helped chefs achieve a level of consistency once unimaginable. The baking world was very different when Thé was training. Cavernous ovens were inefficient, filled with hot spots and cool spots.

“You had to spin trays 180 degrees, move top trays to the bottom, bottom trays to the top, outside trays had to be moved to the middle,” said Thé.

Time consuming it may be but these processes teach more than skill – they give bakers an understanding of the fundamentals of pastry.

“Technology today is amazing. We baked 16 trays jam-packed with hot cross buns and every tray, every bun, came out perfect. That’s amazing for a business person who wants their baker to turn out consistent products, but for someone who’s learning the craft they’re really being cheated of learning to bake manually.

“The new ovens can detect how many trays are in there and adjust how they bake; that was the baker’s

skill. You had to make those assessments.”

That’s all well and good, said Thé, until a problem arises.

“When you don’t have an in-depth understanding of what’s going on, then when a problem arises you won’t know how to deal with it,” he told Hospitality.

While she doesn’t necessarily think we’re at risk of creating a generation of young bakers who lack fundamental skills, Jo Barrett, senior sous chef at Oakridge in the Yarra Valley, does think new technology allows chefs to be more relaxed with skills.

“When you’re making lemon curd or custard you can pop it in a Thermomix and it does it for you.

Same with ice-cream machines that now pasteurise the custard base for you,” Barrett said.

“I’m a big believer that you have to learn those skills properly before you use equipment like that…if you’re going to learn you need to know the how and the why.”

“It’s about understanding the science behind it,” adds Nic Poelaert, founder of Choux Patisserie in Newcastle.

“You need experience. You can’t just take a recipe and reproduce it. You need to understand that a bag of flour at this time of year and a bag of flour in

pastry

December aren’t going to be the same. You can’t just mix your flour, eggs and butter together. You need to understand everything, like the qualities of the butter and how much moisture is in it.”

A TALE OF TWO KITCHENS The fundamentals tend to stay the same whether working in a patisserie or a restaurant kitchen, making them even more worth mastering.

“You need technical training in basic skills, from mixing dough to melting sugar – all those fundamental things are what make you a pastry chef, so they need to be really strong,” Barrett told Hospitality. “Those base skills stay the same in a patisserie or restaurant.”

The two environments aren’t exactly the same though.

“I think the difference is that you need flexibility [in a restaurant]. In a patisserie you can set up a bit more of a routine, whereas in a restaurant there are heaps of other things going on as well. That happens in patisseries too, but often, at least in smaller restaurant kitchens, you don’t get just one area dedicated to pastry so you end up working next to people who are butchering or prepping fish,” said Barrett.

“In a patisserie, you can often line up what’s going through the oven, what bench you’re on, what’s in the mixer; because you’re not doing service you can

set all that up and work from a prep list, whereas in a kitchen people might put bones in the oven when you need to put the bread in. You have to learn to be flexible and to problem solve.

“Patisseries allow you to execute things to a finer detail. You have a controlled environment and have the time and dedicated bench space, so you can focus a bit more. If you train that way and then go to a restaurant scenario, you’re a bit more experienced.”

Not only does working in a restaurant kitchen teach flexibility, it can also lead to the fruitful exchange of ideas between savoury and dessert, said Barrett. It’s crucial to train in both environments.

“More than just technique, you need to know what good pastry should and could taste, look and feel like – and you get that from eating,” Thé said.

“So, train your palate in a restaurant and learn technique in a pastry shop. But always find the best teachers in either.”

Poelaert agrees that finding the right teachers is invaluable.

“Try to work with the best people you can,” he said. “Pastry is all about discipline. It’s about where you worked, who you worked with and what you learned there. It’s not only about the mentor though; it’s about what the young chef wants to learn.”

It’s important for apprentices to take control of

“Train your palate in a restaurant and learn technique in a pastry shop. But always find the best teachers in either.”

FOODSERVICE Dairy for Today’s Professionals

May 2017 Hospitality 19

pastry

their own learning because that’s how the discipline will continue to evolve.

“I can teach you every technique we use at Black Star and yet, you could walk out and not know why it works or why it tastes good,” said Thé. “I could tell you the answer, but it won’t sink in. If you know the why, then you can repeat limitless variations and create your own thing in your own shop.”

LEARNING INTUITION New technology has been a positive force in the industry and any risk of new bakers becoming reliant on the magic of technology can be counteracted with a methodological and thoughtful approach to learning.

Despite years in the industry, Thé is compelled to continue searching for a deeper knowledge of the whys and hows behind various processes.

“I need to keep learning myself. Reading and reading and reading. Lately I’ve been reading more about yeast. Getting a very technical understanding of proving and hydration, and then teaching everyone what’s going on, like, if we play with one variable how will that affect the outcome?” he said.

“Time, for example. What happens if we prove our buns overnight versus just for the day? How does that affect flavour and temperature? And why?”

This sort of experimenting forces bakers to 20 Hospitality May 2017

work out what’s going on behind the process, helping them to develop hindsight and then foresight, which Thé likens to intuition.

“When you look at someone with baking intuition, they just know. That happens through years of going through the motions, through many years of making mistakes.”

“Pastry is all about discipline.

It’s not only about the mentor though; it’s about what the young chef wants to learn.”

This brings motor memory into the equation.

“You can’t cheat people of the opportunity to go through the motions. They’re the building blocks. You can Google a technique or watch it on YouTube but then you’re missing the building blocks that allow you to fly later,” said Thé.

For Poelaert, baking is a mix of precision and intuition, with skills like making choux and puff pastry requiring dedication to master.

“You need to understand the ingredients,” he reiterates. “With pastry it has to be 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of sugar. There are different challenges chefs will meet in their career, and pastry is one of them.

“When I make the choux pastry dough, I make really large batches and sometimes it’s just that I need one-third of an egg to get a little bit more moisture into the dough.”

Barrett said that pastry chefs tend to want to understand the processes that are taking place as a meal is being cooked or an ingredient prepared. Technological advancements, therefore, don’t have to come at the cost of skills.

“There’s some amazing equipment out there,” she said. “A Thermomix and a Vita-prep are the main things I use. I guess there is the potential to lose skills, but I think it will come full circle and it’s a new set of skills learning to use new technology.”

“It is really important for people to know those skills. Sometimes you can be more creative if you know the rules – you can experiment and get results you wouldn’t expect.”

The key, then, isn’t eschewing the use of new equipment, but learning to maintain basic skills while employing technology to evolve the world of pastry. n

Making the perfect pastry is easy with the right butter.

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FOODSERVICE Dairy for Today’s Professionals

Foodservice Australia

Savour Patissier of the Year 2016 winner Deniz Karaca

How to get the most out of

Foodservice Australia

T

The annual Foodservice Australia tradeshow is back in Melbourne this year with an impressive roster of events specifically crafted for food and beverage professionals.

his year Foodservice Australia will be back in Melbourne with three days of exciting events set to offer attendees invaluable insights and networking opportunities. Alongside a range of specialist exhibits, seminars and workshops, the hospitality-focused tradeshow is home to prestigious competitions.

With the World’s 50 Best Restaurants extravaganza casting all eyes on Melbourne, world class competitions like Bocuse d’Or and Chef of the Year are set to capitalise on the limelight.

“These competitions are distinctly different, however they have one thing in common,” said event director Tim Collett. “They encourage chefs to strive for excellence and share their passion for world-class cuisine.”

Over 250 exhibitor stands will fill two floors of the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, from 28–30 May, showcasing food and beverage products, catering and baking equipment, hospitality technology, entertainment, furniture and fittings, and more.

Show highlights AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL CHEF OF THE YEAR Australian Professional Chef of the Year is a back in 2017, with the event to be surrounded by stadium-style seating for the first time. Judges will select the top 32 entrants to compete live in Melbourne in heats over three days.

22 Hospitality May 2017

“This is a highly regarded and competitive event,” said competition director Gary Farrell. “This year we have had over 200 entries, which will be narrowed down to 32 finalists.

"They will meet each other in high pressure one hour heats, culminating in a grand final on the last day. There is a strict set of criteria and a team of culinary experts to judge the winner.”

A total prize of pool of $10,000 makes the competition one the most rewarding. The winner of each heat will take home $500, while the winner of the grand final will receive $6,000 as well as the competition's trophy.

BOCUSE D’OR AUSTRALIAN SELECTION The Bocuse d’Or competition is a five hour battle between four finalists, all vying for the honour of representing Australia in Bocuse d’Or competitions in Asia and France.

Each finalist and their commis chef must create a meat dish and a fish dish that will impress a panel of judges that includes Philippe Mouchel and previous candidates Tom Milligan (president of Bocuse d’Or Australia), Scott Pickett and Joseph Vargetto.

“It is a big commitment to training and competing over the next two years,” said Milligan.

“Therefore at the Australian Selection we are not just assessing the flair, flavour and presentation of their dishes, we are also inter-

ested in their composure under pressure, their kitchen organisational skills and their interaction with their commis chef.”

In 2016, the Australian team, made up of Dan Arnold and his commis Ryan Cosentino, achieved the highest ranking for Australia in 30 years, coming in eighth out of 24 countries.

The event will culminate in Lyon in January 2019. To qualify, Australia must come in the top five of the Bocuse d’Or Asia Pacific, which will be held in Singapore next year.

SAVOUR PATISSIER OF THE YEAR Savour Patissier of the Year will be held in Melbourne for the first time this year.

The live competition is organised by Kristen Tibballs from Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School and will be judged by Australian and international patissiers, including Jordi Roca from El Celler de Can Roca, which was recently named number three on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

“This will be an incredible opportunity for patissiers to showcase their talent and dedication, and will provide nail-biting excitement for visitors as they cheer on the contestants,” said Tibballs.

The 30 Savour Patissier of the Year competitors will be vying for their chance to take home the competition trophy, $10,000 cash and over $25,000 in prizes, including a trip to Hong Kong to learn from Marike Van Beurden at the Ravifruit Studio.

NATIONAL RESTAURANT CONFERENCE The National Restaurant Conference is back for one day only on Monday 29 May on the gallery level of the Royal Exhibition Building.

Foodservice Australia attendees will be able to hear from industry players such as Hatem Saleh, Chris Lucas, Gail Donovan, Matteo Pignatelli, John Hart, Daniel Vaughan, Natalie O’Brien, Bruce Keebaugh, Andrew Fielke, Larissa Wolf-Tasker, Frank Tucker, David Mackintosh, Stevan Premutico, Levi Aron and more.

Conference tickets are $249.

SEAFOOD SUMMIT A brand new event, the Australian Seafood Summit on Sunday 28 May is jointly organised with the Association of International Seafood Professionals (AISP) and will have a global outlook.

AISP executive director Roy Palmer said “This is a unique opportunity to learn and share ideas and concepts about best practice in all aspects of the seafood supply chain from ocean to plate.”

The Summit will cover topics including foodservice trends in seafood, food safety, sustainability and supply issues, plus profitable and innovative ways to serve fish on the menu.

Seafood Summit tickets are $249 including lunch and entry to Foodservice Australia.

CAFÉ SCHOOL Once again the Café School will give café, sandwich bar, takeaway and deli operators the opportunity to learn how to make the most of the boom in daytime dining and food-to-go.

The topics covered in the free three day program are all highly relevant to foodservice operators, with a focus on profits, sustainability and market intelligence.

Sessions include breakfast is king; food-to-go trends and insights; wraps and pizza innovation; creative native advertising and merchandising; plus coffee masterclasses and latte art demonstrations.

REGIONAL PRODUCER’S PAVILLION The Regional Producers Pavilion returns with boutique suppliers from outside major cities showcasing their unique produce. Visitors looking for inspiration for their restaurant, cafe, bakery or commercial kitchen can literally taste all the new ideas and meet the producers behind the product. n

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May 2017 Hospitality 23

World's 50 Best

The best of the best

Daniel Humm and Will Guidara

In what was a massive coup for Melbourne and Australia more broadly, the world’s hospitality leaders flocked Down Under last month for the revelation of the annual World’s 50 Best list. Danielle Bowling was there, and spoke with some of the most influential chefs and restaurateurs about what it’s like to be at the top of their game.

F

or only the second time ever, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list was revealed outside of London this year, at a gala event at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building. Following in the footsteps of New York, the 2016 host city, Melbourne wined and dined the very best chefs, restaurateurs and food media in the first week of May, culminating at an awards night where New York’s Eleven Madison Park overtook Italy’s Osteria Francescana to become the world’s number one restaurant.

Now in its 15th year, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list includes venues from 22 countries across five continents, with France, Spain and the USA each boasting six inclusions. It was a good year for Australia too – and not just because our thriving industry was thrust onto the world stage. Ben Shewry’s Attica was once again named the Best Restaurant in Australasia, jumping one spot to 32nd position. Fellow Victorian restaurant, Brae, operated by Dan Hunter, had a stellar year, rising from 65th spot to 44th.

David Thompson’s Bangkok restaurant, Nahm, came in at 28th spot – up from 37th in 2016. There was only one spot between Nahm and The Ledbury in London, operated by Newcastle born chef, Brett Graham, which was ranked 27th – down from 14th last year.

Singapore’s Burnt Ends, where ex-Tetsuya’s chef Dave Pynt tosses the pans, took out the 53rd spot and Sydney fine diner, Quay – part of The Fink Group – rounded out Australia’s representation, claiming 95th position.

24 Hospitality May 2017

ELEVEN MADISON PARK: NUMBER ONE

‘There was such a disconnect’ Jumping from third to first place, New York’s Eleven Madison Park forms part of the Make it Nice restaurant group, established in 2011 by Daniel Humm and Will Guidara.

Upon taking out the crown, the duo was quick to emphasise that their success is a direct result of Eleven Madison Park’s all-encompassing approach to hospitality. “[In Europe] I worked in three Michelin-starred restaurants and these kitchens were so intense – there was so much effort that was put into the food, the cooking, and sourcing ingredients. It seemed like all the effort was put in until it was on the plate, and then there was this wall inbetween the kitchen and the dining room. We shed blood, sweat and tears over this food, but then we put it onto the pass and it was handed off to a team we barely knew.

“I worked in one restaurant for four and a half years and I didn’t know the names of the guys who served the food. That’s how it was,” chef Humm said.

“I just felt there was such a disconnect; that it was two teams, working in silos but not working together.”

Humm and Guidara met over 11 years ago, and credit the success of the three Michelin-starred restaurant to their solid and equal partnership.

“It’s harder to run a business with a partner,” said Guidara. “It’s easier when you get to decide what you want to do … It’s like marriage – it’s a lot easier to be single a lot of the time but it’s a hell of a lot more enriching to have a partner.

“We’ve worked for chef-driven restaurants and we’ve worked for restaurateur-driven restaurants and inevitably the reality is that in the first, decisions will always be made based on what’s best for the food, and in the latter, decisions will always be made based on what’s best for the service. With us, every decision needs to be made based on what’s best for the restaurant, and what’s best for the guest,” he said.

“That is ridden with tension but we have this goal of creating a restaurant where we serve delicious food, we serve it graciously and when we have to navigate through all of the thousands of decisions we make together, I’m positive that we will always be making better choices,” Guidara said.

Brett Graham

‘I’ll never forget the shit days’

THE LEDBURY: NUMBER 27 Joan Roca

EL CELLER DE CAN ROCA: NUMBER THREE

Co-owner of London’s The Ledbury, Brett Graham feels that a restaurant’s inclusion on the World’s 50 Best list is far more important than the position it holds. But regardless, Graham is careful not to place too much focus on industry accolades.

“Restaurants are made up of lots of little bits, and whether it’s the Good Food Guide, TripAdvisor, the 50 Best or Michelin, they all make up a little piece of your reputation, which in turn impacts the desire of customers to want to come and eat at your restaurant,” he said.

“The lists all go together to make one little picture – they all go into making the ingredients to run a successful restaurant.

We’ve gotten to the point where, last month, I think we took 1,250 bookings in one day, but I’ll never forget the shit days because that’s what made me respect what we’ve got now and not want to let it go.”

These shit days were some 12 years ago when The Ledbury first opened.

“I think a dozen times, nobody – zero people – came to the restaurant for a whole lunch service, and maybe a couple of hundred times we did less than five.

They were tough early days, really tough.

“But they drove me, because I feared for my business. I feared for my business partners. I feared that I would fail for my wife and family and friends, and most importantly, my staff.”

When the financial crisis hit, Graham

decided to flip the business on its head. He stopped trying to make sure The Ledbury mirrored what customers expected from a Michelin-starred restaurant, and started being a more welcoming and hospitable dining space.

“We changed our approach and everything started with the customers,” Graham said. “We started taking notes – not working out their life story, but if a person comes into my restaurant and they swap cutlery half way through the meal, and the guy likes to eat with his fork in the wrong hand, we’ll take that note so the next time he comes in we’ve set up the table that way. We look at all the details and we try to tailor-make their experience as much as we can.”

It’s difficult to not be motivated by awards, but it’s important if you want to keep yourself and your team grounded, Graham said.

“I’ve worked with chefs who were driven and focused only by guides, reviews and knowing the reviewers, and I don’t think it’s a really nice way to run your business. Forget those people. Your customers will take care of everything for you if you look after them ... They’ll fix the shit TripAdvisor review, they’ll fix the year that you’re not on the 50 Best list, or whatever it might be. The customers in your restaurant that day – they will fix all of your problems over a period of time.”

‘You have to distance yourself from it, otherwise you go crazy’ It is customer expectations, not accolades or rankings which generate the most pressure for foodservice professionals at the top of their game, said Joan Roca, co-owner of El Celler de Can Roca in Spain’s Girona.

Roca operates the restaurant with his two brothers and has done so since 1986. Despite its 31 year tenure, the restaurant is one of the most forward-thinking in how it manages its team. A prime example is the brothers’ decision to hire a psychologist, Imma Puig, who visits the restaurant and speaks with its team members once a week.

“She was working with Barca (the Barcelona football team) and we thought maybe she’d be able to help us, so we could better our emotional understanding and connection,” Roca told Hospitality. “In a fine dining restaurant there’s a lot of tension and so it’s a good way to improve the relationships between the teams – the cooking teams, the waiting staff, the sommeliers and the staff out the front.”

Puig meets with the entire team, with individuals and with separate sections, discussing everything other than the restaurant’s food.

According to Roca, the effect has been extremely positive. “The environment is much better, and the atmosphere …The people that

come to our restaurant, we want to make them happy and if we want our clients to be happy then we have to try to make our team happy too. So what’s improved is that many of the little problems – we now know that they exist. If we didn’t know that, then we wouldn’t be able to solve them,” he said.

Having regular sessions with a psychologist has also improved staff turnover and improved the team’s ability to keep its eye on the prize, not just throughout the awards season, but every single day of service.

“Obviously it [the 50 Best list] is very important, but it’s not what generates the most pressure for us. The pressure is really coming from the ones that come to our restaurant, because they’ve come from far away and they’ve made a reservation with 11 months’ anticipation. They come with high expectations. This is pressure – the daily pressure – not so much the list or the guides, where one year you can be up the top and another year not. You have to distance yourself from that because otherwise you can go crazy.

“We’re very grateful and very happy for these lists because they make us visible, but the quality of the restaurant will always be intertwined with the clients, not the lists.”

May 2017 Hospitality 25

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‘This is not just a celebrity chef restaurant’

Ashley Palmer-Watts, referred to as Heston Blumenthal’s right hand man, is executive chef of The Fat Duck group, comprising The Fat Duck in Bray and two Dinner by Heston restaurants: one in London’s Knightsbridge and another in Melbourne.

Palmer-Watts has worked with Blumenthal since 1999 and is well versed on how the 50 Best list operates. The Fat Duck was number one in 2005 and just one year after Dinner by Heston’s 2011 London opening, it debuted on the list in ninth spot and has maintained its presence in the top 50 since.

Palmer-Watts said there’s no other restaurant on the list quite like Dinner.

“When we went on the list in 2011 our restaurant was doing 125 covers for lunch, 170 for dinner, seven days a week in London. There’s no other restaurant on the list that dynamic. The level of cooking that we set out to achieve and the level of covers – it’s a very unique balance and no different than here [in Melbourne].”

One of the most important tasks for restaurateurs on the list is to keep the staff’s expectations in check, Palmer-Watts said. The focus needs to remain on the customer, and if too much weight is placed on inclusion on the list, staff morale and retention are at risk.

Nowhere is this more pertinent than at Dinner by Heston in Melbourne, Palmer-Watts said.

“It’s not on the list, and we need to explain why. It probably never will be, because it’s the second restaurant after the original. There’s Attica, there’s Brae, there’s Igni, Sixpenny, Quay. Those are the places that people are coming all the way to Australia to see. We’re operating a really lovely restaurant and we absolutely love doing it in Australia and being part of the scene and the food culture, [and] it’s all about how you communicate that to the younger chefs so they don’t think this restaurant isn’t as good as that one.

“The second one of a restaurant is always seen as the second one, and getting the understanding that this is not just a celebrity chef restaurant is quite imporant."

Another way to ensure staff at the upper echelons of the industry remain motivated, regardless of public recognition, is to continue to provide them with education and inspiration. This is something that the list has delivered in spades, Palmer-Watts said.

“The last 15 years have transformed the global camaraderie, the openness and the sharing. It’s really helped to bring people at the pinnacle together, in one place for four, five, six days."

Dave Pynt

Ashley Palmer-Watts and Heston Blumenthal

DINNER BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL: NUMBER 36

‘It’s one of those holy shit moments’

BURNT ENDS: NUMBER 53

Ironically, after debuting on the list in 70th position in 2016, Burnt Ends in Singapore went very quiet. Australian chef and owner Dave Pynt still doesn’t know why, but thanks God it was short-lived.

“Everything dropped for about six weeks, but since opening we’ve been lucky enough to have grown each year and I think the awards and the list only help to reinforce to the public what we’re doing … There’s a lot of underlying trust that the list helps to build, which is important to the number of customers you get in the door and the amount they’re willing to spend.”

2017 has been a great year for Pynt. Burnt Ends, which specialises in modern Australian barbeque, jumped up to 53rd spot on the World’s 50 Best list, and Pynt was presented with the Chef’s Choice Award at the Asia’s 50 Best list (where the restaurant was ranked 10th).

“It’s one of those holy shit moments that you probably only ever dream of,” Pynt said.

“Chef’s Choice is the one you want to get. The guys that I have looked up to for so long have

been some of the people who have voted for me, so it’s quite humbling.”

Despite Burnt Ends’ rapid rise on the global list, Pynt doesn’t take public praise or accolades too seriously.

“From my perspective, you’re just meant to be making a good restaurant, with good food and a hospitable environment. If you’re working on those things, by default you’re targeting the list.”

With an open kitchen, counter top dining and moorish menu items like a banh mi burger and a pulled pork sanger, Burnt Ends is a far cry from the grandeur of many other restaurants on the 50 Best list.

But the list isn’t supposed to pit restaurants against each other, Pynt said.

“I think with the 50 Best list, it’s just about enjoyability … It’s not ‘is it the most refined? Is it the most technical? Does it have the softest music with the best chandelier? Do the waiters have the best suits?’ It’s just ‘Did I feel comfortable and did I have a good time?” n

May 2017 Hospitality 27

dishwashing

Wash and learn Rene Redzepi warmed hearts around the world when he announced that his 62 year old kitchen-hand had been promoted to co-owner of the highly acclaimed Noma restaurant. Sure, stories like this are few and far between, but there are steps you can take to get added value from this vital back of house role.

By Danielle Bowling.

28 Hospitality May 2017

T

he kitchen-hand is an unsung hero of the hospitality industry. They can make or break a service, they know the kitchen like the back of their hand and they have eyes and ears everywhere. Sure, turnover is usually quite high and finding motivated and reliable workers can sometimes be tough, but when a restaurant strikes gold, the impact can be enormous.

Rene Redzepi, part-owner of Noma in Copenhagen rewarded his kitchen-hand of some 14 years recently by giving him a share of the business. Ali Sonko, a 62 year old former farmer from Gambia, says that despite his promotion he’ll still be manning the dishwasher – at least some of the time – when the acclaimed restaurant relaunches in a new location at the end of the year.

No doubt there are plenty of other stories like Sonko’s. They might not be as high profile, but they send the same message that when nurtured and respected, the kitchen-hand can bring real value to a restaurant.

“For instance, we currently have a chef in the restaurant who has been with us for six years, initially as a cleaner, then as our part-time kitchen-hand,” said Patty Streckfuss, head chef at Andre’s Cucina & Polenta Bar in Adelaide. “We sponsored his immigration and over the past three years his skills have developed. Now he plays a crucial role in our team as a chef de partie and capably cooks for 200 people every weekend. The same can be said about our junior sous chef; he has been with our team for

almost three years and he too began his journey with us as a kitchen-hand.”

Warren Flanagan, head chef at Gemelli Café and Grill in Point Cook, Melbourne, admits that it doesn’t happen often, but when restaurants are able to find a kitchen-hand willing to upskill the long terms benefits can be huge.

“These people have a far deeper respect for the entirety of the kitchen. Every single rank, they’ve worked through,” he said. “It’s really good to hear these stories where people grow organically through the ranks and don’t just go to chefs’ school, do an apprenticeship and get a head chef job, which in this day and age you can do because chefs are in such high demand.”

The first and most important thing for a head chef to do when welcoming a new kitchen-hand, Flanagan said, is to ask questions.

“Some of them are just there for a job while they’re busy studying – it’s always interesting to find out what they do. I’ve worked with a kitchen-hand who was studying to be a rocket scientist. You never know unless you really ask questions, because they’re generally quite quiet and they just get on with their work, come in when they’re supposed to and leave when they’re supposed to … [but] you can really build someone up who wants to be built up.”

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dishwashing

“Depending on the set-up, layout and dynamic of your kitchen, the kitchen-hand can evolve to be much more than someone who stands in the corner doing dishes,” said Streckfuss. “He becomes someone you rely on, grabbing back-up prep in the middle of service, or assisting with prep – peeling potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots; grating cheese; cleaning mussels – all the staples of the kitchen that we require on a daily basis. Breaking down boxes, taking the bins out – all things that can easily be taken for granted.”

Flanagan adds that kitchen-hands can weigh out recipes, pick and prep herbs and make spice mixes. “The role is as diverse as the chef wants to make it,” he told Hospitality. “The position is a jack of all trades. As long as the chef can trust him, the chef can give him jobs to do.”

Like most back of house roles, Flanagan said organisation and cleanliness are indications of a kitchen-hand worth holding on to.

“If they’re quick, organised and on time then you can automatically assume that they would make good hands in the kitchen. If they can organise a dish pit then they can organise a section.

“If you give them pasta or something to weigh out and there’s just containers everywhere and it’s a mess, you know that guy is not going to be good in the kitchen. But then if you get a guy who's just meticulous; they start on one side and they finish on the other side and everything’s nice and neat, then that’s someone you can really utilise.”

A COG IN THE WHEEL The kitchen-hand role is probably the easiest one in the kitchen to fill, Flanagan said.

“What I’ve found in the past is that you can pretty much get kitchen-hands to organise their friends if they can’t make it. I remember when I was at Fifteen Melbourne, our kitchen-hands were Korean guys and we used to have lots of new faces because they’d come in, they’d work for three months and then they’d just replace themselves. It was like a never-ending pod of kitchen-hands – when one finished another one started.

“Gumtree is also a fantastic way to get kitchen-hands. If I put up an advertisement today saying that I need a kitchen-hand, and I put in the hours and the rate of pay, by the end of the day I could have one. It’s very, very easy.”

It may be an easy role to fill ... but it’s also the first one to get the chop when the purse strings need to be tightened.

“It’s the easiest to make dispensable,” Flanagan said. “You can cut the hours of a kitchen porter because they all work with hourly rates – it’s very rare that you get a kitchen porter on a salary … If you want to cut your labour costs then you send the dishies home early, or get them to come in an hour later, so you save 10 or 20 hours a week. Chefs are a bit more difficult to make dispensable – once you finish cooking then you’ve got the whole kitchen to clean.”

Regardless of the hours they’re allocating to kitchen-hands, every head chef wants to minimise turnover in his or her kitchen.

It’s not a simple task, but one thing guaranteed to have an impact is ensuring each team member feels that they’re making a genuine contribution to the business, Streckfuss said.

“Staff turnover exists – for some establishments more than others. But I think part of the [solution] is acknowledging the kitchen-hand and their contribution as a cog in the machine,” she said. “The kitchen-hand observes. He sees the high turnover of food. He knows when the potatoes are good to go. He knows which bowl they go in. He knows when they need to go in the bin – when you need to start again. I mean, he couldn’t hold a section solo, run the pass or lead the team but he plays a role. He’s part of the team and he deserves respect. With that, he can evolve, develop and progress.” n 30 Hospitality May 2017

Visa holders and the importance of due diligence

According to Sarah Thapa, managing director at The Migration Agency, kitchen hand roles are commonly filled by temporary visa holders, including international students, working holiday makers and bridging visa holders.

Even though kitchen hand roles tend to be quite transient, employers need to ensure they’re toeing the line when it comes to visa holders’ workplace conditions.

“Employers must verify that the visa holder has rights to work, and [be aware of] any work-related conditions or restrictions on their visa.

For example, a student visa holder can work for 40 hours per fortnight during term and full-time outside of term,” Thapa told Hospitality.

She said that under immigration laws, employers are obliged to only employ staff authorised to work in Australia and to employ those workers in conditions as permitted by their visa.

The Migration Amendment (Reform of Employer Sanctions) creates a strict liability offense for any business that employs a person or refers a person for work without work rights in Australia. “Employers must take ‘reasonable steps’ to verify that a person is authorised to work in Australia. Failing to do so is a breach of these laws,” Thapa said.

But what are ‘reasonable steps’? Thapa recommends the following: 1. Obtain a copy of the employee’s passport (or Australian citizenship) upon commencement of employment, and save a copy in the personnel file.

2. For visa holders, conduct regular checks of work rights for each temporary visa holders using the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) System. A good rule of thumb is to refresh these records every three months for the duration of an employee’s employment.

3. Keep records of your VEVO checks.

4. Ensure that employees are paid according to the relevant modern award and that other workplace laws are complied with.

5. Regularly review your employment contracts to ensure that they comply with current immigration law and policy and contain appropriate provisions.

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3. Find staff, fast 1. Hoist the anchor

Anchor Cream Cheese from Fonterra Foodservice has been specially developed to meet the requirements of the professional market, boasting a mild flavour and suitable for a wide range of bakery and patisserie applications. This subtle flavour allows it to complement both sweet and savoury products or to be used as the base ingredient for sauces, dips and spreads. fonterrafoodservices.com.au

Instahire is a new app helping to connect hospitality staff and employers. Available for iOS and Android, the app uses geo-location map technology to help operators find staff at the last minute. It displays available job seekers within a 10km radius and search details include workers’ skills, certifications and language as well as a job’s pay rate and available hours. The in-app payment system uses PayPal or Stripe to pay directly into job seekers’ PayPal or bank account, while the geo-location technology allows job seekers to check-in on arrival and the employer to confirm the start and end of the shift. instahire.jobs

4. Trigger happy 2. Pipe dream

Nutella has launched a one kilogram piping bag designed specifically for the foodservice market, allowing bakers and chefs to pipe the Nutella easily and quickly without having to first spoon it into a bag. The piping bag follows the recent release by Nutella and Ferrero Foodservice of the Nutella 25g Mini Jar, targeting the café sector. The new foodservice specific piping bags have been available from foodservice wholesalers since April. ferrerofoodservice.com 32 Hospitality May 2017

Kärcher has introduced the EASY!Force trigger gun for its line of commercial cold and hot water pressure washers. Suitable for cleaning commercial kitchen equipment, the EASY!Force trigger gun uses the recoil force of the water spray to automatically hold the trigger down – making cleaning easier and less tiring. The trigger gun is also quick to set-up and has a safety lock to prevent accidental engagement. kaercher.com/au

For the diary Upcoming events in the hospitality industry.

Find out more at hospitalitymagazine.com.au Good Beer Week Melbourne 12–21 May, 2017 Now in its seventh year, the Good Beer Week craft beer festival is returning to Melbourne with a calendar of events at more than 200 venues across Victoria. This year’s program has been streamlined into four main categories: Beer Lover, Foodie, Beer Geek, and Good Times. Over 250 events will take place over nine days, including basketball competitions, live music, a brewery circus, opera at St Paul’s Cathedral and international guest chef degustations. goodbeerweek.com.au

Gold Coast Food and Wine Festival 2–4 June, 2017 The program for the 2017 Gold Coast Food and Wine Festival comprises over 30 different food experiences running across multiple locations.

These include events ranging from a long table lunch on Mount Tamborine to a food truck and craft beer feast in Burleigh, degustations and a picnic in Surfers Paradise. A number of the events invite people to interact with produce – whether it be picking organic fruits and herbs in Currumbin Valley, twilight distillery tours or catching fresh mud crabs. The program also includes a panel discussion on Redefining Food on the Gold Coast, a barbecue masterclass, a one pan meal demonstration by OzHarvest, gin and rum tastings and a dessert tour. gcfoodandwine.com.au

Naturally Good Expo and Fantastic Food+Drink 4–5 June, 2017 The Naturally Good Expo has partnered with Fantastic Food+Drink, a sourcing event that’s dedicated to specialty food and craft beverages. The two expos will be co-located at the

new ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre. The Naturally Good Expo will feature an estimated 350 companies representing thousands of brands, while Fantastic Food+Drink will feature specialty areas including Taste the Farm, the Specialty Chocolate Showcase, Specialty Cheese Providores and Gourmet Gifts. Running across both events will be a range of seminars and interactive advisory sessions with a line-up of both local and international experts. Sessions will cover e-commerce, social media, business essentials, trends and insights. fantasticshow.com.au, naturallygood.com.au

Restaurant Leaders Summit 31 July, 2017 Back for its second year, Hospitality magazine’s Restaurant Leaders Summit will take place at a new venue – the Grand Ballroom at Royal Randwick Racecourse. The full day conference will see leading chefs and restaurateurs take the stage to discuss industry trends, obstacles to profitability and the best ways to overcome them. There will also be a number of Q&A sessions with industry leaders and engaging presentations from operators successfully breaking the mould. hospitalitymagazine.com.au

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May 2017 Hospitality 33

5 minutes with...

Charlotte Gonzales, head chef at The Song Kitchen Charlotte Gonzales is driven by a respect for produce and different cuisines. After working the pans as sous chef at Merivale’s Fred’s, the Gabonborn French chef is coming into her own at The Song Kitchen.

34 Hospitality May 2017

I

became a chef because from a very young age I have always loved cooking and from the moment I stepped into my first role in a professional kitchen I absolutely loved it. Right away I was inspired by the passion, the intensity and the exhilarating atmosphere.

The biggest influence on my cooking has been my Dad. He is a brilliant cook, always dishing me up delicious food at home and continually looking for a better recipe for dishes that are already unreal.

Another major influence in my career was working at l`Atelier Restaurant in France.

The dynamic environment in the kitchen fascinated me and the vision of food [Jean-Luc] Rabanel has is unbelievable. It’s like a theatre.

The food is a dance of many flavours, colours and beautiful smells. Bring all those ingredients together and it’s a perfect fusion.

Everywhere is unique and special for different reasons, which is one of the wonderful things about travelling and tasting different cuisines. Although so many European cuisines, techniques and flavours are present in Australia’s dining scene it’s a different continent with different cultures and produce. I love the produce here and through using techniques I learnt early in my career in Europe I am showcasing some beautiful fresh flavours of Australia’s best seasonal produce.

The Song Kitchen is all about eating delicious food for a good cause. I love the word artisanal and I think it’s a great translation of what we do at The Song Kitchen. The food is very authentic and every dish is made with love.

In the kitchen we use Australia’s best seasonal produce and focus on creating simple dishes that let the high quality of this produce shine. Diners can make a difference at The Song Kitchen with 100 percent of profits going towards YWCA NSW’s much needed support programs for Australians experiencing domestic violence.

The number one challenge in the kitchen is flexibility and consistency. As a chef you need to be able to adapt smoothly to any situation. You need to be prepared and stay as cool as a cucumber when under pressure. Or at least act as cool as a cucumber.

But I love the atmosphere in the kitchen and working with passionate people. Being able to conceptualise a dish and put something on a plate you have created is an incredible feeling. It’s a team effort in a kitchen, where brainstorming and experimenting with flavours help create a beautiful dish on the menu.

I am very proud to be part of YWCA NSW, doing what I love and at the same time being able to contribute to making the world a better place through giving diners the opportunity to make a difference everyday. n

TRENDS & INSIGHTS

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