Hospitality No.730 November 2016

NO.730 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Rules for recruitment THE SIMPLE PROCESS THAT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS

WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THE YEAR AHEAD?

“I'm not going to be left behind” GEORGE CALOMBARIS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CHANGING WITH THE TIMES

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Editorial

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hat a way to finish the year, with the industry legend George Calombaris gracing the cover.

I have to be honest, in the lead-up to our chat, I was a little wary. It’s not uncommon for chefs and restaurateurs of Calombaris’ calibre, who speak to the media on an almost daily occasion, to come across as, well, rehearsed and a little uninspiring. And I get that. They’re probably cautious about being misrepresented, or at the very least bored of being asked the same questions over and over again.

Thankfully, my concerns weren’t realised. I was surprised and impressed with just how candid Calombaris was.

He spoke at length, and passionately, about what is his number one priority these days: his staff. If read in isolation, some of his comments could come across as arrogant, but that’s not at all the reality. He is truly a modern day restaurateur – he’s sick of business owners complaining about their staff, he won’t stand for negativity and he’s invested in his team’s lives – both personally and professionally.

Mention the word ‘culture’ and operators around the country roll their collective eyes – it’s often either put in the too hard basket, or considered a waste of time. But at Calombaris' Made Establishment, culture is king. The weekend before our conversation, he’d taken his team to the pub. In a couple of weeks, they’ll go visit a cheesemaker; they’ve even been to the opera.

“It’s not just about doing the normal stuff, it’s about doing the stuff that’s a bit left of centre to make them think. If I put all my energy into them, they’ll then put all their energy into the customer, and that’s important," he said.

How refreshing is that??

Let’s hope that the new year brings more people like George Calombaris to the fore. Perhaps his management style is a New Year’s Resolution we can all put some thought into?

Have a fantastic festive season, readers! Stay safe and eat well.

Danielle Bowling dbowling@intermedia.com.au

November/December Contents

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4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 24 28 30 34

In focus Openings Top stories for 2016 Flavour of the month Fast casual Best practice Drinks Trend Pizza Cover story Trends for 2017 Recruitment Eating Out in Australia 36 Shelf space 37 Diary 38 5 minutes with…

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PUBLISHER Paul Wootton pwootton@intermedia.com.au

PRODUCTION MANAGER Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au

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

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

JOURNALIST Madeline Woolway T: 02 8586 6194 mwoolway@intermedia.com.au ADVERTISING NATIONAL Dan Shipley T: 02 8586 6163 F: 02 9660 4419 dshipley@intermedia.com.au DESIGN Kea Thorburn kthorburn@intermedia.com.au

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November/December 2016

Hospitality

3

in focus

Just how confident are Australian small businesses?

The latest Sensis Business Index survey has assessed the confidence and behaviour of Australian small and medium businesses, and the results are quite varied.

C

onfidence among small and medium businesses (SMBs) dropped in the quarter ending in September, according to the latest Sensis Business Index survey, rebalancing from a five year high to register a net balance score of +38 (previously +44).

The Index, which reflects the views of 1,000 small and medium businesses from across Australia, revealed three times as many SMBs (57 percent) were confident as those who were worried (19 percent). The net balance score of +38 is 11 points higher than this time last year.

While business confidence went down, current perceptions of the economy stayed the same and the 12 month outlook jumped, registering a positive score of +5, eight points higher than last quarter and only the second positive reading since December 2014.

There were confidence gains in Tasmania, Queensland and South Australia, while there were falls in NSW, the ACT, Victoria, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Sensis chief executive officer, John Allan said “The national figures tell a positive story overall, but belie the turmoil some locations are experiencing

with Western Australia and the Northern Territory languishing well below the national average.”

“Tasmania recorded the most improved score with a 22 point jump thanks to improved business conditions, while Victoria suffered a drop of 15 points to sit below the national average with declining sales and increased cost pressures impacting business confidence,” he said.

“It is pleasing to see sales and profitability performances improve this quarter; the sales result (+5) is particularly encouraging as it is the first time since March 2008 that we have seen consecutive positive quarters.”

With the survey beginning two weeks after the federal election, it found SMBs were indifferent about the return of Malcolm Turnbull’s coalition government, with its approval among SMBs the same as last quarter on +2.

“We normally see a jump in positive sentiment towards the incumbent after an election, signifying relief at a return to ‘business as usual’.

This time we’ve seen significant variability across the states with Tasmania and the Northern Territory the most supportive, and the other states either dropping back or not changing at all,” said Allan. n

confidence gains

There were in Tasmania, Queensland and South Australia, but there were falls in NSW, the ACT, Victoria, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Despite this, NSW is the most confident state.

Confidence of SMBs in capital cities fell 15 points, while regional confidence rose by eight points.

Confident businesses list their

solid business structure Hobart and Brisbane are the

most positive capital cities.

4 Hospitality November/December 2016

and established offering as contributors, while less confident business list decreasing sales and an unfavourable business, economic or industrial environment.

Elections

usually result in a jump in positivity, but businesses are indifferent about Malcolm Turnbull’s win.

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

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Banksii

Sydney, NSW Barangaroo’s new vermouth bar and bistro is Mediterranean influenced and botanical focused, with a menu designed to share. Small dishes include grilled prawns with curry leaf butter and pickled turmeric; Banksii chicken pate with muntrie jam and toast; and kangaroo carpaccio with pickled radish and nasturtium. Vermouth is the cornerstone of the drinks list with over 40 served straight, with tonic or in cocktails.

2

Dingo’s Bar

Melbourne, VIC Smith Street in Melbourne’s Collingwood has welcomed Dingo’s, an Australiana bar with cocktails including The Flaming Galah, Stolen Car and The Passiona. Founded by Zack Hogan, the bar has a bright 80s-inspired decor, and both the food and beverage menus boast a “cheeky” Australiana theme. As well as cocktails, the beverage list includes 4 Pines, Sample and Hawkers beers, and Australian wines.

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1 2

A Hereford Beefstouw

Melbourne, VIC The venue, owned by dry ageing specialist Tim Burvill, offers a relaxed Nordic-style menu featuring high quality steak in a Danish designed setting. In-house grass-fed dry aged beef is central to the menu, however seasonal cool climate produce is also a key feature. There’s already one A Hereford Beefstouw restaurant in Adelaide and another 14 across Scandinavia.

4

Jethro Canteen

Melbourne, VIC Located in an old medical centre, Jethro Canteen will soon offer two menus, with a take-away menu to join the current in-store one, which features items such as waffles with cereal milk panna cotta, and according to Billy Zarbos, founder of Jethro Canteen, the menu may also soon include dishes comprising insects.

4

6 Hospitality November/December 2016

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5

Lotus

Sydney, NSW The 160-seater Lotus Barangaroo waterfront restaurant is the second largest of the group’s three Lotus venues. Shanghai-born head chef Chris Yan has added modern Australia to the Chinese menu, with native Australian ingredients such as lemon aspen and crystal ice plant. Pastry chef Tiffany Jones is infusing traditional desserts with Asian inspired flavours, including the ‘Ma fleur de Lotus’ – a yuzu and chrysanthemum cheesecake with coconut ice cream and coconut meringue crisps.

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5

Nour

Sydney, NSW Surry Hills has welcomed Nour, a new Middle Eastern restaurant from the team behind Cuckoo Callay in Newtown. The menu is designed to share and has a strong focus on vegetarian dishes and Middle Eastern breads including Yemenite pastry, challa and Lebanese pita, all made in-house. Dips, pickles and preserves, couscous and dairy items including yoghurt, labneh, curds and ashta are also made in-house.

7

Rooftop at QT

Melbourne, VIC Located on the 11th floor of the recently opened QT Melbourne, the Rooftop at QT can host up to 185 patrons. The split indoor/ outdoor space serves classic cocktails with a twist, including the QT Rooftop G&T, which uses West Winds Sabre Gin, elderflower quinine syrup, fresh lime, sugar, cucumber sparkling water, rosemary and cucumber; and the Yarra Valley Sour with Four Pillars Gin, fresh lemon, orange blossom, orgeat, egg white, Pinot Noir and edible flowers. Bar bites include minced Thai beef on toast with green chilli, sweet basil and sambal; Scotch quail eggs wrapped in Wagyu beef, mortadella, sesame and sticky black sauce; and polenta crumbed onion rings with squid ink mayo.

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7

Fred’s

Sydney, NSW Led by head chef Danielle Alvarez (ex-Chez Panisse), Fred’s is focused on sharing the story behind ingredients and using both old-world and innovative techniques to showcase produce. The menu at the 60-seater Paddington restaurant will change daily according to availability and seasonality, with examples including hand-made cavatelli with rabbit and peas; leg of lamb “a la ficelle” with laver bread, broad beans and mint; and rhubarb and beaumes de venise mille feuille. Alvarez and her team cook on free standing Tuscan grills and a large, custom-made hearth.

8 November/December 2016 Hospitality 7

year in review

2016’s hottest headlines The stories that made the biggest impact this year.

Most popular stories online: 1. Keystone group enters receivership 2. Defending defamation: how these reviews would stack up in court 3. Appetite for Excellence finalists revealed 4. Creating Australia’s first billion dollar restaurant group 5. Simple number crunching exposes the reality of Australia’s chef shortage

Best comments online: 'SYDNEY’S BAR CENTURY TO CLOSE THIS WEEK' Ok this is not good, now you have my attention. Mr Baird ... There is an opening in the northern beaches retirement village for men who went to boys schools who are now rejected from society. You will share a room with Hockey. You’ll be living next door to Abbott and Baz. There will be a STRICT curfew, but you like it like that don’t you? Thank you, bye.” – Jim

'GEELONG EATERY ORDERED TO BACKPAY $6,600 IN UNDERPAID WAGES' “It begs the question: do employers actually know they are underpaying staff and are blatantly doing so or are they blissfully unaware that Fair Work exists and there are minimum wages in Australia.

I get that times are tough between rises in operational costs (electricity, water, rent etc) and penalty rates. If these employers were on the receiving end would they mind?

I hear a lot of employers say it’s a privilege to work at their venues and the wages shouldn’t matter. The learning experience is reward enough. If I only pay 75% of my bill after dining at their fine establishments I can simply tell them that it should be a privilege for them to cook for me and that would be enough. Hardly seems fair does it?

Fair Work needs to provide a great deal of information to the hospitality industry in simple terms so that they understand it and then be prepared to belt those failing to comply with a very big stick. Everyone knows it happens, everyone lets it happen. Unless you change the culture this will continue to happen." – Dale Pierce

Most popular post:

Most popular cover: NO.722 MARCH 2016

Capital gains CANBERRA'S THRIVING RESTAURANT SCENE

Reinventing the chip

THE POPULAR SIDE GETS A MAKEOVER

Get a life

HOW TO WORK ON – NOT IN – YOUR BUSINESS

a

Welcome return DAMIEN PIGNOLET TAKES THE REINS AT REGATTA

8

Hospitality

November/December 2016

FIND COVER FAST?

Flavour of the month The versatility of cherries has no boundaries and they’re a great indicator that spring has sprung, with summer well and truly on its way.

Cherries

B

right red, crimson and yellow are some of the colours associated with this sweet, crisp stone fruit – the origins of which are a little sketchy. It’s believed that the cherry was found in Asia, though literary historians often talk about the Cherry Tree in both Greek and Roman history.

SOURCING Australian cherries are grown in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

Tasmania has the shortest harvest window yet the third highest harvest volume.

We have more than 80 varieties of cherries growing in Australia. The common variet10

Hospitality

ies are Bing, Stella, Lapin, Van Sweetheart, Empress, Simone and Kordia.

Approximately 15,000 tonnes of cherries are picked during the season, which represents 0.5 percent of the world’s total production.

FLAVOUR MATCHES A good cherry has its own special characteristics: crisp, clean, fresh and juicy. Some think of them as plum-like and even nectarine-like when referring to the whiter fleshed cherry.

Classic pairings include: • Apricots • Black pepper • Cinnamon • Chocolate

November/December 2016

• • • •

Citrus fruits Basil Mint Roast pork

TASTY APPLICATIONS Truly a versatile little fruit with stacks of flavour and juice, cherries lend themselves to: • Compotes • Chutneys • Baking • Poaching • Pickling Pitted cherries also make a great sauce, both hot and cold to pour over vanilla bean ice cream and buttermilk pancakes. I also love to place cherries in a bottle and top up with a good brandy.

Pitted cherries in a baked

frangipane tart are gorgeous, as are cider vinegar and chilli pickled cherries with game meats.

STORAGE Cherries suffer from seasonal factors such as rainfall, humidity and frost so with that in mind storing tips are quite the same.

Only wash cherries when you are ready to eat them. Place on a tray in the fridge until they’re chilled then put them in a plastic container. If freezing, try placing in a zip lock bag and keep them flat. Remember, the quicker they freeze the better they will be when you defrost them.

Julio Azzarello, Gourmand Providore Sydney Markets.

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fast casual

Huxta hustle Franchising wasn’t always on the cards for Melbourne’s cult burger brand, Huxtaburger, but continued growth precipitated the search for a new business model that would ensure the brand’s success in the future.

Daniel Wilson, Jeff Wong and Duane Ruaini

W

hen the first Huxtaburger venue opened across the road from hatted restaurant Huxtable – the first venture from founders Daniel Wilson, Duane Ruaini and Jeff Wong – franchising wasn’t part of the plan. Initially it was a case of operating a burger joint with the idea of opening a couple more. Fast forward five years and five venues, and the brand’s growth has been so phenomenal that a new approach was needed.

“The demand for Huxtaburgers and the growth of the casual space have driven the expansion so far. When I entered the business 12 months ago we had just opened the Eastland location. Considerable investment went into that venue. We had to ask: how do we actually obtain enough capital to keep growing the business?” said Huxtaburger’s general manager, Matt Fickling.

thing. We’ve been looking at branded marketing, the supply chain and operations procedures; consistency will come from the fact that we’ve developed really robust standard operating procedures.

Business name: Huxtaburger Over the last 12 months we’ve built a really strong When was the business organisational structure. At a macro-level, we established? December 2011. have a head of marketing, a head of supply, and a finance manager, and then on a micro-level we Number of locations? Five. have a really strong team of corporate store manNumber of staff members? agers and a regional manager. Every franchisee Approximately 120. will be assigned a regional operations manager, and their focus will be on training, development Most valuable asset in the and executing those operating procedures on the business? That’s easy – our people! frontline,” said Fickling.

Plans for 2017? Awesome And it won’t be a case of letting anyone with announcements around brand money buy into a franchise. Maintaining consisand loyalty, network growth and tency means protecting the brand and culture that franchise partner recruitment. the ‘Huxtaboys’ have worked hard to develop.

Fickling said the application process, which will be WHY FRANCHISE? overseen by franchising partners DC Strategy, is “There were a few options for growth. We could long. So, while a national presence is very much have licensed the brand and had people operate it. We could have the aim – we’ll open our 50th store in five years, said Fickling – don’t exlooked for investors, or we could have obtained our own capital, which pect to see an explosion of Huxtaburgers across the country overnight. can obviously be really expensive,” said Fickling.

Huxtaburger’s food credentials are behind its initial success and will “The franchise model seemed the best to us for a number of be protected by the continued use of proprietary products developed by reasons. It’s a lot easier to obtain capital. You gain access to talent – it food director Daniel Wilson, careful selection of local suppliers for fresh provides an incentive to find people who are passionate about owning produce and analysis of each new market. their own business, which alleviates HR issues. It also makes it easier “Victoria will be the focus for the next two years. We really want to have to maintain the brand because the executive team and board can focus a strong presence in that market before we start expanding. If we go into on big picture strategies, rather than the day-to-day tasks of running a Sydney in a couple of years’ time we will open a considerable amount of store. We can navigate the brand through the growth period and grow stores. We want to have huge market penetration wherever we go. We more responsibly.” want our franchisees to be successful. Brand presence and momentum play a huge role in that,” said Fickling.

CONSISTENCY “We could plonk a store in Perth and it could be profitable, but if we Although franchising can mitigate a number of issues associated with don’t do it properly people won’t get the same service as our stores operating multiple venues, a solid foundation is required to ensure a in Melbourne. We’ll grow one market at a time and we won’t grow for robust business structure. growth’s sake, but by the end of 2021 we do see ourselves having a “What we’ve been doing over the last year is consolidating everystore network in excess of 50.” n 12 Hospitality November/December 2016

At a glance

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To see what’s possible with potatoes and to request a sample, call us at 1300 781 555 or visit LambWeston.com/MashedAU2

©2016 ConAgra Foods, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

best practice

A real leader’s checklist

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It was the big question behind the discussion at the recent Restaurant Leaders Summit in Sydney. You don’t have to be Superwoman, just a real person making lots of people happy and producing a great income. By Ken Burgin.

here’s more to leading a business than having your name on the lease. Sure, you might be the boss and do more hours than anyone else, but that’s not what creates strong relationships with your suppliers, staff and – most importantly – your customers.

To ensure you’re getting the most from both yourself and those around you, make sure you’re a true leader. This means you’re: • Strong on relationships, and not just with customers – it’s amazing how many people we meet, greet and connect with over the years. You’re a hustler, deal maker, a new friend, and above all, just a nice person.

• A motivator – the creator of a great culture. It’s no accident that more and more businesses now talk about their People and Culture department instead of Human Resources. A positive culture doesn’t happen by accident, but with hard work and leadership.

• Secretary general of the United Nations – they can meld a group of people from Egypt, Nepal, Ireland, New Zealand, China and Australia into a rich and dynamic team.

• A good trainer – and you delegate most of the training work to others. Whenever we hear the T-word we get nervous about time and cost, but there are people on your staff who would love to run the 10 minute training sessions and will make the time in between busy shifts.

• A mix of decisive and laid back – sometimes it’s just a matter of waiting for the bride to come back to you on a quote.

Or the supplier to recognise how good a customer you will be. Other times you need to move fast and start wheeling and dealing.

• Good at managing stress – you don’t let it get you down and you understand how it can affect your staff. Leaders look after their own health and the health of people around them.

14

Hospitality November/December 2016

•

•

•

•

•

On the ball when it comes to new technology – and you find ways to use it. Use new technologies to manage your numbers, share great photos on Instagram, manage menu changes on a shared Google Doc and keep an eye on new trends mentioned on Twitter.

On top of the numbers – and you have systems set up to have these at your fingertips whenever needed. You’re proficient with your online accounting, online rostering, recipe costing, and you’re on top of any credit card deals that might be better than your existing one.

Have a feel for marketing and list building – email, SMS and of course social media. You don’t just say ‘I leave that to my daughter.’ (How magical it is to watch customer spending and behaviour change as a result of the marketing moves we make?!).

Entrepreneurial and ready to take risks – carefully. A new style of email newsletter, diving into Snapchat, renting a combi oven for testing, redoing the website and testing a pop-up concept.

Hungry for information and better ways to do things – that could mean a trip to Melbourne, Singapore or even Milan. Your eyes are wide open to be inspired, sometimes that comes from retail, or things you find in a park, museum or a shopping centre.

Finally, good restaurant leaders make sure they are profitable, because that gives them the freedom to innovate, pay decent salaries, replace the stoves with induction cookers, redo the website and train staff. And have those wonderful two weeks in Bali twice a year. n For more information on the Restaurant Leaders Summit, head to hospitalitymagazine.com.au. Ken Burgin is founder of Profitable Hosptiality, profitablehospitality.com

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To see what’s possible with potatoes and to request a sample, call us at 1300 781 555 or visit LambWeston.com/SweetsAU2

©2016 ConAgra Foods, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

beverage

An appetite for aperitif The Europeans have been at it for years and now the aperitif trend is permeating the Antipodes and making a spalsh in Australia. Stefanie Collins investigated how you can capitalise on the growing trend in your venue.

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oughly translated, the term 'aperitif' means ‘to open’ or ‘opener’ and refers to an alcoholic beverage that is meant as an appetiser. Digestifs, however, close out a meal. Regardless, the only real difference between the two drinks is the stage of the evening you’re at – the herbal bitterness both gets your palate ready and settles your stomach.

The tradition of settling in for a few sneaky, low ABV drinks before your evening meal began in Italy in the 1700s, however the tradition has a stronghold on most of Europe.

The drinks work as a way to reset the palate, said Kelly Viles, brand manager for Galliano.

“All day your palate is exposed to new flavours and tastes, through the variety of foods and beverages you consume,” she said. “By 16

Hospitality November/December 2016

the time you sit down for that meal once the sun is down, your tastebuds are well, exhausted, and in need of reinvigorating.”

Manu Conde, from Cerbaco, which imports a lot of aperitifs, said the term is both a beverage category, and an actual moment.

“The category gathers relatively wellknown products such as vermouths, amari or mistelles,” he said. “The moment is about getting together, before dinner, around a drink and (most of the time) a bite to eat.”

Classic drinks for aperitif time are wines, pastis and absinthe, cider or cocktails, while classic foods for aperitif are breads, cheeses, charcuterie, and olives.

Max Allison, head bartender at Boilermaker House in Melbourne, breaks it down even further.

“Similar to an amuse bouche in cooking, it gets you ready to experience something – whether that is more drinks or food,” he said. “It’s typically dry, as sweetness messes with your palate a little bit and inhibits your ability to taste other flavours, and low alcohol because no one wants to get super wasted before the main course arrives.”

WHY SO POPULAR NOW? “Surrounding us everywhere is edification on food,” said Viles. “Think MasterChef, food exhibitions and consumer events. People are becoming more educated about food, drinking more premium products, and being particular about what they consume. A lot of venues are implementing this style of dining, and therefore, drinks to accompany the meals respectively.”

beverage

Matching food with aperitifs Max Allison, Boilermaker House: always taste what you’re matching. There is always going to be those micro variances with cheese and charcuterie and if you’re making an aperitifstyle drink with different kinds of booze, they are all going to react differently together. Charcuterie is a little fatty and oily so you want something like a spritz made with a dry sparkling or a dry sherry cobbler to cut through. Also aged jamon and aged Champagne is always a winning combination for when you’re feeling super fancy. As for cocktails – I have to give a shout out to my bar manager Josh Crawford who turned me onto drinking bone dry, overproof martinis with a couple of dashes of Absinthe in them – which he calls a Bon Vivant – it’s a great drink for having with Italian food, it gets you just happy enough to get you really enthusiastic about what you’re eating.

Mikey Nicolian, Continental Deli: I would say it’s similar to matching wine – go like for like. So things that are heavy and dark, something like bresaola, you want bigger, richer styles of amaro – Cynar or something herbal will go with that heavier cut.

And then lighter styles, things like prosciuttos and mortadella, you should go for things that are a little bit lighter in body, so something that is made with more citrus at the front like Aperol.

Image credit: Alana Dimou

Image credit: Daniel Boud

Allison likewise believes the trend is food and produce driven, rather than being about people intentionally seeking out aperitifs.

“A lot of people don’t just order a negroni, they order a Four Pillars negroni or they’ll ask, ‘What vermouth do you use?’ or, ‘What gin do you use?’” he said.

“They want a drink tailored specifically for their experience. Consumers are savvier these days. Things like the craft beer movement and the craft distilling movement [show that] people like locally sourced products, and they like to know more about what they’re drinking. They just care more.”

IT’S THE VIBE OF THE THING “Aperitif is about the moment: more than just a drink, it’s about the feelgood vibe you can offer,” said Conde.

And that’s what you should be selling you customers, rather than just mindlessly handing over some drinks.

“I heard of a ‘pizza and pastis’ hour for example. A cognac flight (young, fresh, lively ones) with chocolate will also work. Wine and cheese is a classic, while French cider and cheese (try blue cheese) is a bit more outgoing.”

As Viles points out, some customers are extreme creatures of habit.

“They walk into a venue, typically won’t look at a cocktail list, request from the bartender the same drink or one of, from their known repertoire,” she said. “Whereas on the flip side, other consumers love to be entertained by bartenders and their recommendations. Crafting your cocktail list around the occasion and segmenting them into aperitifs and digestifs is an easy way to introduce the consumer.”

This article was originally published in Bars and Clubs magazine. n November/December 2016 Hospitality 17

Trends What do you get when you combine the power of Instagram with Australians’ love for summer time sundowners?

Frosé Mr Miyagi's frosé

R

estaurant and bar operators around Australia have New York City’s Bar Primi to thank for the latest boozey trend sweeping across the country.

Bar Primi’s general manager, Justin Sievers, developed the frosé – a rosé based slushie drink – during the States’ 2016 summer, and it was an overnight Instagram sensation. The drink’s popularity has not only skyrocketed across the US, it’s also ventured overseas and is set to enjoy a similar cult-status during Australia’s warmer months.

Pelicano, located in the affluent Sydney suburb of Double Bay, has embraced the frosé trend, going so far as to launch a dedicated Frosé Garden terrace.

“I spent most of the Australian winter in North America and Europe, looking for new venue and beverage trends. While I was in America the frosé concept came into play in New York City and I thought it would have a great impact here at Pelicano, especially considering that in summer our rosé sales outstrip the sales of white wine and red wine combined,” Pelicano owner, Andrew Becher, said.

The terrace seats 32, has five rosés on its list and tries to introduce a new frosé each week. When Becher spoke with Hospitality, Pelicano had two on offer: a sweet variety made from Jacob’s Creek rosé, a house-made strawberry syrup, freshly squeezed watermelon juice and fresh lemon juice, served in a coupette and garnished with edible flowers, and a drier option, also with Jacob’s Creek rosé but with the addition of Lillet Blanc vermouth, fresh lemon juice and soda water.

At Melbourne’s Mr Miyagi, owner Kristian Klein only has one frosé on offer, but patrons aren’t bothered, with the slushie machines working overtime on weekend nights.

18

Hospitality

November/December 2016

Pelicano currently has two frosés on offer

trends

“We’ve got five machines at the moment and on a Saturday night we’re going through them twice, which is exciting because we haven’t even had a hot night yet. We’ve been a bit unlucky with the weather lately, but as it gets hotter, it’s going to be interesting to see how much frosé we go through. We’re doing about 800 glasses of it a week at the moment, which is pretty crazy,” he said.

GETTING THE PRICE RIGHT A frosé at Mr Miyagi will set guests back $14 – a price which Klein said he had to consider carefully.

“It’s sort of like a cocktail – you get it garnished, it looks really nice, and there’s more millage than a traditional glass of wine, but we didn’t want to price it as a cocktail because I feel like cocktails are something that you might have one or two of during dinner, but we want you to be able to drink frosé all night,” he said.

“It fits in with the [way we price] the rest of our wine but obviously it’s a little bit more expensive given that we’ve got the cost of the machines and there’s the cost of preparing the mixture. It’s not just a case of ordering a bottle and putting it in the fridge.”

“We’re doing about 800 glasses of it a week at the moment, which is pretty crazy” "The frosé at Mr Miyagi is made from Chandon rosé, and Klein said that despite what many may think, poor quality wine can’t be masked by the addition of other ingredients.

“We tried different rosés and the cheaper ones didn’t really work – it tasted like cheap wine. Crappy wine tastes like crappy wine, even if it’s in a frosé. We weren’t expecting that, but you really can taste the flavours and the quality of the wine through the frosé,” he said.

At Pelicano, frosés go for $15, and like Klein, Becher agrees that a couple of extra dollars need to be charged to ensure its profitability.

“Obviously there’s a bit of labour intensity,

to get the mixture ready for the machine. But after that, it becomes a good, profitable beverage. The price point is really reasonable; we charge $13 for a normal glass of rosé anyway, so there’s a little bit more just to cover the cost of the garnish and the labour,” he said.

And while Pelicano partnered with Pernod Ricard to bring the Frosé Garden Terrace to life, Becher isn’t as convinced about the importance of using a high quality rosé.

“There’s such a broad range of rosés on the market now,” he said. “We target a pretty high end clientele here and we like to use really good ingredients in everything we do, [but] the good thing about frosé is that you can use a lower quality Australian rosé rather than a high end French one. It’s a mixed drink, and the ingredients you add can dictate the taste, so you can definitely add a lower quality, cheaper style of rosé.”

The beauty of the frosé craze is that there’s no recipe to follow; you can use a premium rosé or a more affordable drop, adding as many or as few other flavours as you like. You can get the best of both worlds, jumping on the bandwagon to capitalise on a trend that’s already well established, while giving the bar staff some creative license. Just remember, make sure it’s Instagrammable. n

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pizza

20 Hospitality November/December 2016

A25’s squid ink pizza base

pizza

From top to base

While there’s been an explosion of interest in traditional Italian pizza, some pizzerias are refusing to follow custom. Instead, they’re building their own craft and experimenting with bases and toppings. By Madeline Woolway.

THEO & CO PIZZERIA, PERTH WA Founded by Theo Kalogeracos, Perth's Theo & Co Pizzeria has carved out a space for itself in the crowded pizza market by thinking outside the square. The pizzeria is known for its unusual toppings as well as its unique bases.

“Our pizzas are made fresh in-house every day. The skillet pizzas are Chicago-style, deep dish pizzas, cooked in a cast iron skillet to create a charred crust – it’s like biting into a deep pie,” said Kalogeracos.

In addition to the skillet pizzas, Kalogeracos has also developed a focaccia-style pizza base, inspired by his Greek grandmother.

“The grandma-style pizzas are a light, fluffy focaccia-style dough cooked in a baking tray.

Growing up our grannies never had a round pizza tray at home, most of them had a rectangular baking tray and they used knowledge to make the dough. No measuring cups, no scales, just skills passed down to them from generation to generation,” he said.

This is how many of the pizzas at Theo & Co Pizzeria are developed.

“I often get inspiration from a certain flavour or dish and then recreate and adapt it for pizza,” said Kalogeracos.

“I used recipes from my childhood for the grandma pizzas. The skillet pizzas were inspired by trips to America and Chicago’s deep dish pizzas.

“There’s lots of taste testing involved with family members and especially staff. We get feedback and make refinements over the course of a few weeks before finalising the recipe.

On the other hand, the vegan pizza, which was introduced in October, was developed in response to consumer demand.

“Vegan options in Perth are rather limited.

We often had online questions asking whether we were vegan friendly, and although some of our products are customisable to suit vegans, we didn’t offer an exclusively vegan pizza,” said Kalogeracos.

“So we looked into the market and got in contact with Instagrammer Andrea Brown.

Andy met me in-store and we trialled different combinations before deciding on a recipe. The

Mrs. Potatohead is a thin crust base topped with soy cheese, three different types of potato, red capsicum sauce and a balsamic glaze.

“It took numerous experiments to find the right soy cheese product to use. The taste is subtler than mozzarella. We have to re-arrange the order of the ingredients and place the cheese on top and the soy cheese has to be in slices, not grated like our mozzarella, otherwise the cheese burns in the oven.

“The response so far has been fantastic. Non-vegans are even taking the leap of faith and trying it. If this positive response continues we’ll introduce more vegan recipes in the future.”

“We had a beetroot base that didn’t hit the mark, but trial and error is a beautiful process. That’s the beauty of this game.”

While the idea was a no brainer, a lot of training went into perfecting the application.

“We had to work out how much to put on to make it look presentable. We use four sheets of 23 carat leaf and that covers the entire pizza. Around the perimeter is gold edible paste, the basil leaf is a gold paste, the 23 carat gold leaf is all over the pizza except the circumference,” said Tsotras.

“There was a lot of training and wastage involved. It’s thinner than paper, it’s very delicate. We had to work out what tools were best to use. We tried tweezers, and a few other things. At the end of the day we worked out that long toothpicks are the best. You can just peel the leaf off the film and place it straight on the pizza.

“But it’s very costly. It takes around five to 10 minutes to lay it down.”

The cost of labour combined with the price of gold leaf means the Golden Magherita is quite a commitment, retailing for $50 but it’s worth it, according to Tsotras.

“They look like they’re from the Roman era, it’s the red and gold leaves – it’s great watching customers come in and take photos, they’re all so excited.”

PIZZA DESIGN CO., SYDNEY NSW

DA VINCI’S, SYDNEY NSW

When Parramatta pizza restaurant, Pizza Design Co. partnered with Menulog, the aim was to create a pizza the likes of which had never been seen. After some deliberation the partnership settled on a 23 carat gold leaf covered pizza.

“We sat down with Menulog and we wanted to do something different that hasn’t been done before. We thought, well, no one has made a golden pizza,” said owner and general manager of Pizza Design Co., Nick Tsotras.

“We took a margherita and added the gold leaf. The gold leaf is imported from Germany, but we buy it through an Australian company.

It’s 23 carat and edible; there’s no nutritional value, [but] it just looks great. The pizza is cooked as normal in the oven and then they go to the pastry chef to have the leaf applied.

“It doesn’t change the flavour or texture, that’s the beauty of it.”

Nicola Piteo, owner of Summer Hill’s Da Vinci got the idea to create Sydney’s first charcoal pizza on one of his regular trips back to Italy, where charcoal isn’t an uncommon addition to many dishes.

“In Italy it’s a big thing, a lot of bakeries and pizzerias use charcoal, it’s common,” said Piteo.

While Piteo knew that charcoal bases were possible – having tried them himself – recreating them required experimentation.

“At the beginning we were putting too much charcoal in, and the bases weren’t coming out right. The charcoal kills the yeast a bit, so we have to add a bit more yeast. And then we realized they were better resting in a bit of heat, not in the cool room,” said Piteo.

Although the charcoal completely changes the colour of the base, Piteo said other differNovember/December 2016 Hospitality 21

pizza

Pizza Design Co.’s Golden Margherita

ences between the charcoal and traditional bases are more subtle.

“The texture is crunchier than the usual bases, our bases are already crunchier than the Napoli-style bases because we put very little yeast and we don’t use type 00 flour. Instead we use type 1 and we mix it with wholemeal, and the dough is cooked in a lower temperature,” he said.

“Adding the charcoal makes the middle soft, not chewy, and the outside is crunchy but not hard. It’s difficult to describe, because it’s unusual. You only put one gram of charcoal in for two kilos of flour. It doesn’t alter the taste much, but it does give a smoky flavour.”

The choice to create a charcoal base wasn’t just about creating a novelty dish.

“It’s easier to digest, people who are intolerant of gluten – not allergic, but intolerant – feel better eating this base,” said Piteo.

The initial response was so great the charcoal used to make the bases ran out.

“The supplier we use, which provides 100 percent charcoal, ran out. We had to stop making them for a while, because it’s really important to use the right products, as with all ingredients. We buy the best quality flour, so we have to buy the best quality charcoal,” said Piteo.

“We’re about to start making them again, and expect them to be back from November.”

A25, MELBOURNE VIC Melbourne’s A25 has made a name for itself by offering innovative pizzas, with everything from the base to the toppings up for examination. However, owner Remo Nicolini is still a stickler for tradition when it comes to one thing – methods.

“I take things very seriously when it comes to the methods. Having lived in Italy for 15 years as a teenager and in my twenties, it’s in my blood. I like to use those traditional methods, but tweak 22 Hospitality November/December 2016

Dough-making in progress at Theo & Co Pizzeria

them with today’s ingredients,” said Nicolini.

“I take things very seriously when it comes to method, but we’re very inventive with the flavours in the toppings and bases, whether it’s squid ink or matcha bases.

“We use real squid ink and real matcha, there’s no colouring in either base and when you try the matcha you get the real green tea taste. Same with the squid ink.

“We don’t use chemical yeast in any of our bases. It’s all natural leavening – we’ve had the starter for six years. It’s a traditional process they used before yeast was discovered, and it’s a process we take a lot of pride in.

“Simplicity and method are how we improve the end the result.”

So where do the ideas come from?

“We’re not making Napoli- or Roma-style pizzas. We just want to make the best product,” said Nicolini.

“Sometimes that means going against tradition. Our pizza with licorice, dates and sausage is something you would never find in the south [of Italy]. You might find it up north; they’re a bit more adventurous. We consider all of that and do our own take.

“At the moment we top the matcha base with our take on stracciatella soup, so eggs, parmesan, rocket and pomegranate. We’ve just

come up with a new combination of pureed corn and grilled chicken with Italian seasoning finished off with coriander and beetroot relish.

Those are ingredients Melburnians love.”

Although simplicity is key, the process of developing new combinations, whether they be toppings or bases, is complex.

“It’s about working out what ingredients work well together. We have a team of amazing chefs and we all sit around the table and work things out. We don’t just randomly throw ingredients together.

“Even though there are so many Australian pizzerias now, we’re still raw when it comes to pizza. People think it’s simple, but it’s not, it’s complex. It takes a lot of experience, experiments, work behind the scenes, and trials with different flours, different leavening methods, different cooking temperatures, and different resting temperatures.”

While not every attempt has worked out, Nicolini firmly believes in the importance of this process, whether it results in failure or success.

“We had a beetroot base that didn’t hit the mark, but trial and error is a beautiful process.

That’s the beauty of this game. You never stop evolving, and the moment you do you get left behind. That’s why we try to push the boundaries.” n

cover story

Master & commander

George Calombaris is this year celebrating the tenth anniversary of his flagship restaurant, The Press Club, and is using the occasion to reflect on the importance of leading from within. By Danielle Bowling.

24 Hospitality  November/December 2016

cover story

H

e may have 20 years of cheffing experience under his belt and a fine diner celebrating its 10th birthday this year (a true feat in this industry), but George Calombaris still has plenty left in the tank.

At 38 years of age, he oversees Made Establishment, which today comprises five different dining concepts ranging from the 32-seat fine diner, The Press Club, to Jimmy Grants, Calombaris’ foray into the booming ‘fast casual’ sector.

When Hospitality spoke with him, the group was about to launch its first interstate venture, a Jimmy Grants outlet at The Kitchens food precinct in Robina, Queensland, and a restaurant is due to open on Sydney’s Albion Street, Surry Hills next year.

Calombaris has claimed a swagger of industry awards including being named Chef of the Year in The Age Good Food Guide (2008) and Entrepreneur of Year (Southern Region Emerging category) in the 2011 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year Awards. As a young chef he represented Australia at the 2003 Bocuse d’Or International Culinary Grand Prix in Lyon, France, and was even the subject of one of this year’s winning Archibald Prize portraits.

His first ever restaurant, The Press Club has been donned with two hats by The Age and was named Best New Restaurant in 2008. But accolades are not a measure of success for this son of Egyptian and Cypriot migrants.

“Put the awards, the recognition and all that stuff aside,” he said. “It’s an exciting thing to know that we’ve been a profitable restaurant for 10 years. And profit doesn’t mean the amount of money you put in your pocket – well, it does – but more than anything, it’s the fact that we pay our suppliers and we pay our

The Made Establishment portfolio

staff. We’ve done things the right way and I think [The Press Club] has been the backbone and the impetus for the rest of the group.

“Without The Press Club there would never have been the Hellenic Republic, and without The Press Club there would never have been Gazi or Jimmy Grant’s. There would never have been Mastic, there would never have been me travelling around the world, or George on MasterChef. The Press Club is my credibility, and when I moved it a couple of years ago [from Exhibition Street to Flinders Road, some 600m away] I could have shut it in its entirety and put a Jimmy Grants there, but I didn’t want to choose the easy way, because that place feeds my soul and my creativity, and it makes so many people happy,” Calombaris said.

SHIFTING PRIORITIES To say that Calombaris works hard is an understatement. He’s as hands-on as he can be at each of his restaurant concepts, given the significant filming and promotional commitments that come with being one of three judges on MasterChef Australia – the Channel 10 reality TV program which first hit the small screen in 2009 and has been the catalyst for significant growth in the restaurant industry.

Like many restaurateurs, Calombaris said today’s diners are more educated and enthusiastic than ever, and as excited as he is about this progression, he admits that his focus has shifted from being customer- to staff-centric.

“I never used to be too conscientious about my staff; I’ll be quite honest,” he told Hospitality. “I used to lead with an iron fist.

I don’t do that anymore. For me, it’s 100 percent about my staff … The customers will get looked after by my staff. Don’t get me

wrong – I’m in there everyday and I’m around customers. But what I’m trying to say is that I’ve got a responsibility to really look after my staff, every single day.”

So what changed? What prompted his shift from dictator to democrat?

“I guess I just got to the point where I was sick of everyone whinging about their staff, and me starting to talk like that as well. I don’t want that. My industry is a beautiful place. If I’m negative, negativity breeds negativity. I don’t tolerate it.”

Calombaris acknowledges that recruiting and retaining the right people is a significant challenge in the hospitality industry, but unlike many operators, he feels that by and large, the problem lies with the employer, not the employee.

“It’s a massive issue because we make it an issue. I’m sick of the excuses. I’m sick of hearing ‘we can’t hold onto our staff; they don’t want to work.’ Well, why don’t they want to work? We’ve got to understand that the industry has changed dramatically and if we don’t change with it we’re going to be left behind. I am not going to be left behind.

“We’ve started to implement four day weeks at The Press Club … They’re not doing the 100 hour weeks that I used to do. I don’t want them to do that. It puts pressure on your relationships and on your life outside of work.

What I want is not that bullshit word ‘work/life balance’. That’s rubbish. I want them to love their job so much that when they’re coming in, they are so pumped and excited,” he said.

The Press Club staff socialise together on their days off, Calombaris sends them on off-site training days with different food producers, and will even take them to the opera. Regardless of whether they’re the

A high end modern Greek degustation is on offer at The Press Club

• The Press Club – a modern Greek fine dining restaurant on Flinders Street • Press Club Projects – a development and experimental kitchen, also on Flinders • Gazi – a Greek street food concept on Exhibition Street • Hellenic Republic – a Greek tavernastyle restaurant with sites in Brunswick and Kew, and the Hellenic Hotel in Williamstown • Jimmy Grants – a fast casual souvlaki bar, with five outlets in Melbourne and one in Robina, Queensland – Made Establishment’s first store outside of Melbourne.

November/December 2016 Hospitality 25

cover story

The Press Club

kitchen hand or the restaurant manager, everyone gets a daily Order of the Day runsheet before they get to work, filling them in on what needs to be achieved that day and the role they’ll play; and the staff meals are nutritious and most certainly sit-down occasions (“I don’t want them standing at the bench with their asses hanging out.”).

Build a good culture, stay connected with your people and be invested in their lives – both personally and professionally, and as an employer you will reap the rewards, he said.

“Take young George in our kitchen, for example. He’s a red headed boy who’s 19 and was on Junior MasterChef series one when he was 10. We’ve put him through Hellenic Republic and he just started at The Press Club last week. We’ve got a plan for this kid. We’re not going to throw him into the deep end.

We’re not going to burn him out. We’re going to be smart about it. We’re going to have a program, and we’re going to make sure we have a constant connection with him.

“I don’t buy into the ‘let's sit down and do an appraisal’ approach. I mean, what the fuck is that? Appraisals should happen every day, on the job. It means listening to your people.

Every day is a new day, and every day your staff have gone through something different. You don’t know what’s happened at home; you don’t know what’s happened on the train. Every day is an appraisal and we need to listen to them.”

“They’re not doing the 100 hour weeks that I used to do. I don’t want them to do that. It puts pressure on your relationships and on your life outside of work.”

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE Of course the elephant in the room is the comments Calombaris made in 2012 regarding penalty rates. He echoed the concerns of countless other foodservice operators, arguing that Sunday rates are unsustainable and a significant roadblock to profitability.

Unsurprisingly, the casual workforce took offence, and Bill Shorten, workplace relations minister at the time, weighed in, claiming that low paid workers like waiters wouldn’t be able to frequent Calombaris’ restaurants if they weren’t paid penalty rates.

26

Hospitality November/December 2016

Gazi

Almost five years on and Calombaris said his comments were taken out of context, but he maintains that the government needs to get involved and acknowledge the contribution that hospitality makes to the Australian economy.

“It’s about sitting down with restaurateurs and actually talking to them and asking what they’re finding tough. Between myself, Shannon Bennett and Andrew McConnell, we probably employ close to 2,000 people in Melbourne … Imagine if the three of us went bankrupt tomorrow? Would the government come bail us out like they do Holden? We’re not going to be in that position because we work tirelessly to make sure our businesses are healthy, and I’m not saying the government doesn’t support us, but there’s a lot more they can do.

“You can ring the Restaurant & Catering Association and get the stats from them about restaurant closures around Australia. We talk about the good news, but there’s a lot of bad news too. There are a lot of restaurateurs closing their restaurants, going bankrupt and not just hurting themselves, but hurting suppliers and staff too. All I’m saying is that I don’t want that to happen,” he said.

“At the end of the day, my sole ambition is to look after this incredible industry and make sure it’s healthy, so one day, when I do walk away from it, hopefully I’ve left a healthy cog in the revolving wheel and have inspired and helped people along the way.” n

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the year ahead

Crystal ice plant salad at Lotus Barangaroo. Image credit: Alana Dimou

We put leading chefs and restaurateurs on the spot, asking them to identify the trends that will influence foodservice menus in the New Year.

1.

QUALITY CASUAL CONTINUES

Think killer burgers and fried chicken.

“The shift away from technical MasterChef-style dishes towards the more accessible ‘home-made’ style seen on My Kitchen Rules is reflective of the public’s appreciation for more humble restaurant offerings,” said Solotel’s group food and beverage manager, David Stossel and executive chef, Ben Turner. “Diners want the same sort of food they can cook at home, just better. If it’s a burger at a pub then expectations needs to be surpassed with interesting condiments and flavour combinations.”

While concepts like Urban Purveyor Group’s Fratelli Famous and Sake Jr are adding variety to the space, burgers are set to remain king in the fast casual category, with brands like Melbourne’s Huxtaburger set to expand nationally over the next five years and a growing number of fine dining establishments experimenting with fast casual concepts (think Ume Burger and Burger Project).

“The burger craze will continue to grow, even though people have declared it dead. At the base of it, people just like to eat burgers,” Erez Gordon of Bishop Sessa told Hospitality.

2.

OLD SCHOOL IS THE NEW SCHOOL

Classical cooking techniques that have been put on the sideline in years gone by are back.

“Chefs are going back to basics and in 2017 you’ll see more slow roasted and braised dishes and less sous vide. Good examples are Bar Brose’s cheese gougeres and Hubert’s jellied eggs,” Stossel and Turner said.

“The more elemental style of cooking will take hold. Places like Firedoor and Fred’s are really latching on to a simpler, transparent

28

Hospitality

November/December 2016

approach to cooking. Hopefully it will create a more honest approach to food and foodservice,” said Gordon.

3.

NATIVE FOODS

Alex Chan, owner of artisan chocolate shop Oh!Boo, said native foods will be 2017’s strongest trend. Oh!Boo is working closely with local indigenous leaders to develop its Barangaroo Box, a chocolate box made exclusively with the flavours and ingredients coming from local indigenous produce.

“Chocolate, just like most foods, needs to represent the heritage of the place you live in. Being based in Barangaroo, we wanted to create a box that paid respect to the history of the indigenous community from the area,” Chan said.

At Lotus, also in Barangaroo, head chef Chris Yan adds a touch of Australia to the Chinese menu, using native Australian ingredients such as lemon aspen, cassia bark, butterfly pea flower and crystal ice plant. Yan’s even enlisted the help of a horticulturist to plant herbs and native ingredients around the restaurant.

Other chefs championing native ingredients include Elijah Holland, Matt Stone (Oakridge Winery), Clinton McIver (Amaru), Kylie Kwong (Billy Kwong) and Clayton Donovan.

4.

MEAT-FREE

A recent report from Roy Morgan found that between 2012 and 2016, the number of Australians who adhered to a vegetarian or almost vegetarian diet rose from 9.7 percent of the population to 11.2 percent. On the back of this booming trend, the humble vegetable has learnt to stand on its own on foodservice menus. “So many innovative cooking techniques are now being applied to vegetables, with many venues really start-

Head chef at Merivale’s Fred’s, Danielle Alvarez

ing to make them the star of the menu, like Sydney’s Yellow,” said Stossel and Turner.

“With rising protein prices – currently at unprecedented levels and expected to continue climbing – making vegetables more prominent on your menu makes good business sense.”

There’s also a growing number of vegan products entering the market, including Over The Moo, a coconut milk ice cream that's 100 percent vegan and is being used by cafes and bars for milkshakes, desserts and cakes.

5.

STRONGER FOCUS ON SINGLE ORIGIN

Brasserie Bread has just converted its entire range to single origin, sustainable grain and expects others to do the same in 2017. It's working directly with farmers from wheat-growing regions such as the Southern Flinders Ranges and Gwydir Shire to craft a milled flour perfect for sourdough. “We’ve found the success in our offering is the fact that we have a strong understanding of our inputs and we are very

the year ahead

strict about what we put into our produce. I searched for five years looking for the best wheat to use in the bread that we bake. Working with single origin farmers has resonated in our customers’ appreciation for our high quality, consistency and taste,” said co-founder, Michael Klausen.

Single origin coffees will continue to gain traction in 2017, as will single origin teas (like those on offer at The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar) and chocolates (RivaReno in Sydney’s Barangaroo uses single origin Valrhona chocolate in its gelato).

6.

FUSSY FOOD IS OUT

Just like many chefs are reverting to old school techniques and simplifying the process of cooking, the finished product is about to get streamlined too.

“I’m guessing there will be less fussy food. I just came back from New York, and everything was three or four components on a plate. And customers are encouraged to order five to seven plates.

If you do that, then you’ve still tasted like 21 components, it’s just more focused,” said Victor Liong of Lee Ho Fook.

Food might look simpler, but the processes behind it won’t be.

With fewer elements on a plate, anything that’s less than perfect will stand out. Liong points to chefs like Josh Niland (Saint Peter) and Chase Kojima (Sokyo) who are taking the time to dry-age fish, creating a product the quality of which has been ensured before it makes contact with a pan.

The trend extends to desserts as well, with the likes of Lauren Eldridge at Pei Modern honing her ‘less is more’ philosophy with dishes like the frozen blood orange curd with blood orange sherbet and candied orange making the most of just one ingredient and a handful of techniques.

7.

MEANINGFUL FUSION

“There are a lot of interesting mash-ups happening. A year ago, putting miso in a carbonara was a big fucking no-no, but these days using miso as an umami component and in an emulsifying capacity makes sense,” said Liong.

It’s about finding parallels between seemingly disparate cuisines and putting the elements together in a way that makes sense, and, fundamentally, tastes delicious. Alluding to the similarities between noodles and pasta despite their origins in very distinct cuisines, Liong said “quasi mash-ups make sense in context, like using pasta in a ramen dish or in stir-fries.

“It’s finding elements of cuisines that are distinctive and adding them together to make it work so that it almost creates a new identity. Mitch [Orr] does a really good job of that at ACME. “I think that really forges an identity in Australian cuisine, in terms of what young chefs are looking at and how they’re trying to identify themselves in this part of the world.” n Brasserie Bread has committed to using single origin, sustainable grain

November/December 2016 Hospitality 29

recruitment

Rules for recruitment

You want great staff but you don’t have a tonne of money to throw at a recruitment agency, and you certainly don’t have an in-house HR department. Here, Geremy Glew, chef and recruitment specialist, shares tips on how restaurateurs can hire autonomously.

F

irst of all, people are everything. The right people can make your life easier, your business more successful and your customers happy. By using the following tips when you’re recruiting, you can attract exceptional people to your team and have them grow with your business. That means spending less on recruiting, plus developing great long term relationships that serve you and your business, and ultimately your customers and workforce.

At Placed Recruitment we ask every applicant pre-interview what they’re looking for. The top priorities, almost without exception are

1. Research

Before you go to market for new employees, know where you sit in that market so you learn what you may need to address (perhaps your location is a challenge for staff members) and also what you should be singing from the rooftops (e.g. your chefs work four day weeks).

There are three main things people are keen to know before submitting an application for a hospitality role: realistic hours per week, the number of straight shifts and double shifts, and the money.

When finding out where you sit in the market, you can get information from: • Seek.com.au, where it is pretty openly advertised.

• Contacts at other local businesses.

People are usually quite generous and will help wherever they can.

• A local recruitment agency. Request a bit of feedback on your conditions and how they compare with other businesses in the market.

30

Hospitality November/December 2016

development and training and – you know it’s coming – yes, work/life balance. I can feel the eyes rolling out there, it’s not always what you think. More on that later.

It may not be the case for every business or every employee, but a lot of your staff actually want responsibility; they want and need to be challenged, to feel rewarded, to make an impression. Hopefully the tools and processes set out below will not only build employee satisfaction, but will also help you to secure those rarest of gems – the ones that help to take the pressure off you.

2. Retention

Just like customers, it’s far easier to keep an existing staff member than it is to attract a new one. By focusing on retaining great staff, you mitigate the need to recruit.

Imagine being able to offer a workplace where people actually want to show up and even refer their friends and ex-colleagues? Think of companies like Google and Facebook – not with slippery slides, free laundry services and ping pong tables, but a workplace that values a good job, well done. When people love going to work, it reverberates throughout the business and even the customers feel it and return to be a part of it.

“Of everything we do in the recruitment process, references should never be skipped.”

Some of the most important things to remember are: • Don’t flog your staff – It’s the ‘short game’ mentality.

• Show appreciation – It’s an oldie but comes up a lot when people are looking to leave. When people don’t feel valued or looked after, they leave in droves, and that costs you money.

• Support work/life balance – This and ‘good hours’ sits at the top of 90 percent of people’s wish lists, so you must make sure you are at least market, if not better.

It could be a simple matter of more creative rostering.

• Be flexible with working arrangements – This has a double whammy benefit. It gives you access to a new (and motivated) workforce and also fits the desirable attributes wish list that contributes to higher staff retention.

• Talk to your staff – Monthly catch-ups, even a coffee and an informal chat can mean fewer surprises and more engaged, more interested, more eager-to-please staff.

• Tips distribution – Many businesses are now re-evaluating their tip structure, increasing kitchen tips to 20–40 percent.

• Develop people – When potential upand-comers are given a task to achieve and they achieve it, reward them with further training. The training doesn’t have to be expensive (it can be online or in-house) and will boost employees’ self-worth.

• Upskill staff and spread your workload – Empowering your staff can initially feel like another job to do and something else to manage. With a little work upfront it creates a more sustainable business model, provides your staff with professional growth and creates space in your life. Additionally, word gets around that you are an employer that trains and develops which then attracts other candidates. Your staff can be trained to handle recruitment, social media, negotiation or finding better deals with suppliers.

• Have your staff mentor each other – Show them how to coach others (don't just tell them to do it. Lead by example!)

recruitment

3. Recruitment Spend a day setting up your internal system and processes around recruitment. Create forms, flows and files that simplify your system and which anyone can follow.

REFERENCES Of everything we do in the recruitment process, references are the one thing that should never be skipped. Think of it like your child marrying someone you’ve never met nor spoken to. Speak to referees who have worked with a candidate and can speak from experience. But crucially, don’t just take what you are given. Ask the applicant for the referee you want to speak to, for example the head chef, owner or manager, even if they are not listed on the resume.

Spend just five minutes with the referee and you’ll either feel confident to employ the candidate or have some more questions to ask the next referee.

Screening candidates A five minute screen (in-person during a resume drop-off or over the phone) can save you an hour long interview or even worse, taking someone on and having to pay them out for a week when you let them go two weeks later. Implement a basic dot point system to follow when doing a screen. It can literally save you tens of thousands of dollars on inappropriate hires.

There are a lot of great questions to ask, but here are a few: • Where did you see them excel?

• Where did they need help?

• How were they regarded by other team members?

• What behaviours did you observe when this person was under pressure?

• Explain your role and situation and ask what they think about the applicant in that position?

• Would you re-hire them?

These are critical questions to ask: • What are you looking for? Without a doubt, this is the most important question. Ask this before you tell them what the opportunity is. You only tell them about the job if it fits what they’re looking for.

• How much money do you want?

What kind of position do you want?

What’s important to you? Any booked holidays coming up?

Make the candidate feel welcome and comfortable. Deformalise the meeting to bring down their guard and so you can get to know each other quicker. Remember that your interviewee is assessing you and your vacant position while you’re assessing them. Show respect by being prepared; have their resume printed out, with questions jotted down. As a general rule we tend to focus on behavioural patterns such as not taking responsibility, being negative, dramatic or more positively, seeing potential and acting, creating solutions to problems, seeing the big picture etc.

INTERVIEWS

Try to avoid fixating on any one part of the process. I like the analogy of a set of scales: a negative attribute sends it to the left, a positive to the right. People don’t come perfectly packaged so it’s about finding a balance and making an informed overall decision. n

Geremy Glew is managing director at Placed Recruitment and has been recruiting for chefs and the broader hospitality market for the last 20 years. placedrecruitment.com.au 32 Hospitality November/December 2016

From across the country, these emerging and established PorkStar chefs encompass the diverse Australian culinary landscape. The PorkStar 11 are leaders, not followers, and share a love of the magical beast, the pig. Be a PorkStar and get some pork on your menu. www.porkstar.com.au

Eating Out in Australia

Industry insights like no other Intermedia’s Eating Out in Australia report is an invaluable resource for the country’s foodservice operators. Regardless of whether you’re at the helm of a fine diner or a fast food outlet, the findings from this extensive survey could have an enormous impact on how you run your business in 2017.

E

ating out is an Australian tradition. Australians are going to restaurants, pubs, clubs and fast food outlets more than ever before. Cafés and bars are going upmarket, and with the relaxation of licencing laws and other regulations the cost of entry for new establishments is falling.

There are 24 million Australians, and they eat out on average two to three times a week.

That’s more than 50 million meals each week, or 2.5 billion in a year. Each Australian household spends an average of $94 a week eating out. That’s a total of $45 billion a year.

That means eating out is big business.

In fact, it is one of the largest industries in Australia. By way of comparison, it is more valuable than Australia’s coal exports.

It is a big pie, but it is split into many slices.

There are nearly 82,000 places for Australians to eat out, including 22,000 restaurants and nearly 7,000 pubs and bars. Their average annual income from meals – eat in and takeaway – is $533,000 (though cafés average just $350,000).

It is not easy to make that money. The eating out industry is competitive, has low costs of entry, and comparatively little regulation.

There is a high turnover of venues entering and leaving the industry. There are many difficulties – including finding, retaining and paying for good staff.

34 Hospitality November/December 2016

A new report from Intermedia – Eating Out in Australia – analyses the market in a way that has never previously been attempted. It is based on the findings of two major surveys conducted in August 2016: a survey of 1,009 eating out venues, and a survey of 1,095 consumers.

The report also drew on detailed analysis of the industry and Australian Bureau of Statistics data to determine market sizing and structure.

This was supplemented with interviews with leading industry figures to better understand the trends suggested by the research.

The venues were asked a range of questions about their challenges and concerns, about what meals and drinks they served and consumer behaviour, and about issues such as staffing, marketing and the use of technology. The consumers were asked a range of questions about eating out – likes and dislikes, frequency, expenditure, etc. The combination of the findings of the two surveys gives a unique overview of the state of eating out in Australia in 2017.

This report is structured around 10 key trends highlighted by the research:

1. STAFFING PROBLEMS WILL NOT GO AWAY Hospitality is a people industry. But good people are hard to find – and keep. Staffing issues are – by a significant margin – the big-

gest challenge facing the industry. Concerns over difficulty in finding and retaining staff are widespread, as are complaints about poor work ethic, especially among casual staff, and a lack of skills. A related issue is high wages (especially penalty rates).

2. HEALTHIER FOOD IS NO FAD People are eating healthier food. Venues are reporting rising interest in healthy foods and cuisines, with less healthy offerings in decline.

Traditional fast food is down, with chains increasingly offering heathier options. Healthier cuisines like Japanese are becoming more popular, while those regarded as less healthy, such as steak houses, are declining.

3. CONSUMER TASTES ARE CHANGING The lower end of the industry is moving up-market, while the high end is moving down.

Fast food is moving towards fast casual and offering more of a dining experience, while at the same time the upper end of the market – often called ‘fine dining’ – is becoming less exclusive.

4. FINANCIAL PRESSURES ARE INCREASING It’s not easy running an eating venue. There is no end to the money going out. The Eating

Out in Australia survey asked operators to rate a dozen different cost and business pressures in regards to their effect on profitability. Not surprisingly, wages for casual staff rated highest and wages for full time staff rated second.

5. THE VIRTUAL WORLD MEETS THE PHYSICAL EXPERIENCE The world is moving online – but eating out remains a physical experience. Where do the two meet? Consumers are increasingly booking online (though phone calls are still used more often), and they often rely on online recommendations.

6. IS THE DELIVERY BOOM REALLY HAPPENING? More and more people are eating restaurant meals at home, brought to them by delivery services. But the research shows that the boom may be over-hyped. Operators may be predicting big things, but the actual proportion of meals being delivered remains comparatively small, and consumers have not moved strongly in that direction.

7. MARKETING IS BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT Exposure, mindshare, visibility. Call it what you will. Good marketing can be the difference between success and failure in the dining business. Online is important, but the research shows there is no substitute for an appealing shopfront.

DID YOU KNOW 2.4 MILLION AUSTRALIANS ARE FOLLOWING A

8. THE 'OLD' CUISINES ARE DECLINING Some cuisines are on the rise, some are slowing down. It’s the never ending story.

Old favourites like Chinese and Italian are declining (though still popular), and Modern Australian, Japanese and ‘healthy eating’ are showing growth.

9. CUSTOMERS ARE BECOMING HARDER TO PLEASE The customer is always right. The customer is also often demanding, inconsiderate, or downright rude. Venue operators have noticed customers are expecting more and are more likely to complain if they do not get it.

10. ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IS DECLINING Australians love a drink. Most restaurants, and a fair proportion of cafes either serve alcohol or allow their customers to bring their own. BYO restaurants are in the minority, and very few clubs and pubs allow alcohol of any sort to be brought in. Interestingly, Australians are spending less on alcohol while eating out, but when they are treating themselves, it’s with higher quality drops.

The report paints a unique picture of eating out habits and trends in modern Australia. The overview report is available from Intermedia for $90 + GST. Email Hospitality’s publisher Paul Wootton at pwootton@intermedia.com.au to get your copy. n

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shelf space

1.Dyson does it again

Dyson has unveiled its new Airblade V hand dryer, which is 35 percent quieter than its predecessor and has a dry time of 12 seconds. It dries 24 pairs of hands for the price of a single paper towel, and compared to the original Dyson Airblade V hand dryer, it costs 28 percent less to run. It also contains an antibacterial additive which can help prevent the growth of bacteria on its external surfaces. dyson.com.au

2. Japan does it better

Japanese knife and cookware supplier, Chef’s Armoury, has a selection of new hand-made, hammer-forged knives available to purchase online and at its Richmond (Melbourne) and Stanmore (Sydney) stores. Sharper and more precise than the European counterparts, the knives slice with little effort and will retain a sharp edge for longer due to the knife making techniques, Contact Grill Oven Bag Flyer A4.pdf 1 10/09/2015 tempering and metal composition.

The range includes the Fujii Black Nickel 270 Yanagiba, Bespoke Damascus Nakiri, Kagekiyo Ao 210 Wagyuto and Kaiden Cobra 180 Deba. chefsarmoury.com

4. Capitalise on the vegan trend

Sauce and dips supplier, Roza’s Gourmet, has released a vegan mayonnaise that’s also soy- and nut-free. Hand-made from natural ingredients, the product is preservative-free, gluten-free, kosher and low FODMAP. rozas.com.au 6:38 pm

3. Trash talk

Rubbermaid Commercial Products’ Vented Brute incorporates venting channels that make removing liners up to 50 percent easier. The design also boasts integrated cinches that secure bin liners, allowing knot-free liner changes and contoured base handles that improve grip, reduce strain and improve efficiency when emptying containers. rubbermaidcommercial. com.au C

M

Y

36

Hospitality November/December 2016 CM

MY

Contact GRILL OVENBAG • HYGENIC – No cross contamination and eliminates unnecessary handling of food.

• GREASE REPELLENT – No food leakage through the paper and keeps your equipment clean.

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For the diary Upcoming events in the hospitality industry. Find out more at hospitalitymagazine.com.au

The Age Good Food Month 1–30 November Following on from the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Month in October, The Age Good Food Month will include familiar dining experiences such as Hats Off Dinners and the Let’s Do Lunch series as well as new events such as Spring Social. From November 10–27, Melbourne’s Birrarung Marr will be transformed into an Asian hawker-style market for the Melbourne Night Noodle Markets, boasting more than 30 food stalls, a selection of bars and nightly entertainment. goodfoodmonth.com/Melbourne

Food For Thought charity dinners 14 November (Sydney) and 21 November (Melbourne) With the support of Beer Deluxe, the Food For Thought dinners aim to raise awareness around anxiety and depression, trying to break down the stigma surrounding mental health. The dinners will also help raise funds for beyondblue with 100 percent of profits going to the charity. Founder of and chef Mal Meiers has put together a group of leading young chefs to contribute to the cause, including Aaron Ward from Sixpenny, Bennelong’s Troy Crisante, Peter Gunn from IDES and Attica’s Matt Boyle. Tickets are $150 per person and include a seven course set menu with matching beverages. limeandtonic.com.au

Margaret River Gourmet Escape 18–20 November Now in its fifth year, the Margaret River Gourmet Escape will this year boast over 40 food

and wine personalities from across the globe, including headliner, Nigella Lawson. The event will promote the best of Western Australia and will include brunches, lunches, dinners, tastings, sundowners, Q&As and more. Guests will have the opportunity to meet, greet and taste dishes cooked by some of the world’s best chefs including Joan Roca, Isaac McHale, Dominique Crenn, Peter Gilmore, Ana Roš, and WA locals, Aaron Carr, Seth James and Hadleigh Troy. gourmetescape.com.au

Taste Orange @ Barangaroo 20 November Sponsored by Orange City Council as part of its ‘Visit Orange’ campaign, Taste Orange @ Barangaroo will be a day of cool climate wine tasting, sampling the region’s local produce and exploring the cultural and tourism opportunities the Central NSW region offers. Taking place at Nawi Cove, Barangaroo Reserve, entry to the event is free and over 20 stallholders are expected to take part. brandorange.com.au

Taste of Tasmania 28 December, 2016–3 January, 2017 The Taste of Tasmania is produced and presented by the City of Hobart, with the aim of presenting a memorable event that showcases some of the best food and beverages Tasmania has to offer. The annual event is hosted along the River Derwent, Hobart’s historic wharves and Salamanca Place, with stallholders including seafood, cheese and berry suppliers, as well as beer, wine and cider producers. thetasteoftasmania.com.au

Now Gluten Free

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5 minutes with…

George Francisco, chef and founder, Voodoo Bacon Born and bred in Mississippi, chef George Francisco has spent years trying to recreate the best food memories from his childhood.

With Voodoo Bacon he’s done that, and more.

A

s a chef I was always very ingredient driven. I would find a new ingredient and it would inspire me to create something new. I’ve created many products and produced many ingredients in my kitchens over the years.

I wasn’t unsatisfied with the bacon in Australia, but I remembered this certain type of bacon and flavour from back home, and couldn’t find it anywhere here. Even ‘dry cured’ or ‘streaky’ bacons weren’t what I remembered. I could remember a certain taste and I wanted to use that in my dishes. I wanted to eat and taste that again.

Being a chef, I was able to recreate it here – that’s how Voodoo Bacon came about. The really interesting thing is that I’ve now gone back to the States to compare how close I’ve come and it turns out my bacon is actually better than the memory.

Everyone really needs to learn where their food comes from.

Consumers and chefs need to stop and wonder how pigs can be raised in Denmark, shipped around the world, made into bacon – sometimes in another country – and then imported into Australia and sold for $4.99 per kilogram?! Pork raised in Australia costs much more than that before it’s even processed into bacon. What are they doing to that pork? Would you really want to eat that? Wouldn’t the pigs’ feed cost more than the end product, before all that shipping? What about all of the pollution created by the shipping? Then there’s the issue of putting the Australian farmer out of business so Denmark can thrive. Only buy Australian pork in Australia. It tastes better too!

38 Hospitality November/December 2016

There’s no need to add chemical additives such as preservatives, antioxidants, nitrates and sulphites to bacon. These were required in the days before refrigeration, use by dates and modern packaging.

Wet curing is a method of pumping ham and bacon full of brine, and chemical additives are used to preserve this water logged pork. The chemicals keep the water in the meat so that it doesn’t seep back out.

Nitrates, sulphites and preservatives are used to keep the meat from going off and to keep it pink. Think about what prosciutto or jamon looks like then think about what ham at the supermarket looks like. Prosciutto and jamon are natural cured hams. That pink stuff called ham is very questionable. Now imagine the flavour difference between those products. Proscuitto and jamon are very full flavoured because they’re dry cured, not pumped full of water.

Voodoo Bacon is completely chemical free. Not one preservative is used. It’s dry cured Australian pork belly. The cure is made from organic ingredients, and it’s smoked with wood from apple trees not liquid smoke, pellets or weird sawdust disks. There isn’t a factory of machines making Voodoo Bacon. It’s just me, a chef that loves bacon. n

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