Hospitality October 2020

NO.767 OCTOBER 2020

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CONTENTS // October

Contents OCTOBER 2020

16

Regulars 6 // IN FOCUS How a regional kitchen made the most of at-home dining.

10 // NEWS The latest openings, books, products and more.

12 // PRODUCE All about Kakadu plum.

14 // BEST PRACTICE It’s still possible to boost profits this Christmas.

16 // COLUMN An excerpt from Aaron Turner’s latest book The Hot Chicken Project.

4 | Hospitality

26

20 // DRINKS The art of Japanese mixology explained.

26 // PROFILE Alanna Sapwell on learning, teaching and creating an inclusive workplace.

58 // BEHIND THE SCENES Boque by Tapavino’s razor clam omelette.

60 // EQUIPMENT Check staff and guest temperatures with a digital thermometer.

62 // 5 MINUTES WITH …

Free to Feed’s Loretta Bolotin.

34

Features 34 // CHEF’S TABLE: BBQ Firedoor’s Lennox Hastie takes us behind the scenes of Netflix’s hit show.

40 // REGIONAL VENUES First bushfires, then COVID — how regional kitchens are getting by.

46 // SPIN-OFFS Operators are launching hybrid venues that are as evergreen as they come.

50 // ITALIAN DESSERTS There’s more to authentic gelato than meets the eye.

EDITOR’S NOTE // Hello

Social

Keep up with the Hospitality team

UPSCALE DINING Three Williams has snagged finedining chef Fabian Mucke, who has curated a new menu. Our pick is the soft shell crab roll with slaw. @hospitalitymagazine

Home soil

RAMP IT UP The addition of beetroot hummus takes avocado toast to the next level. This one is from Cucinetta. @annabellecloros

WHEN I THINK of memorable dishes, the

shift, which calls for gelato. But the process

some of the world’s finest ingredients, and I

is far more gruelling than you may think.

feel dishes rarely miss the mark when chefs

Alessandro Pavoni and Sandra Foti talk

choose to hero, not conceal, the produce

about why they refuse to cut corners when

they’re working with. The notion is a common

it comes to the Italian dessert.

theme woven throughout this issue.

TARTED UP Marble BBQ's ankimo tart is a textural flavour bomb. @madeline.woolway

The warmer weather signals a seasonal

simplest often come to mind. Australia grows

This issue, we also look at how regional

Firedoor’s Lennox Hastie shares the story

venues are weathering numerous

behind his episode in Netflix’s latest iteration

challenges, explore a new style of

of Chef’s Table. The barbecue-centric season

venue that’s opening up and profile

has given the chef an opportunity to turn the

Alanna Sapwell.

word barbecue on its head, but his proclivity

I hope you enjoy this issue.

to share the spotlight with producers is an important lesson to everyone who works

Annabelle Cloros

in the industry — without growers, there

Editor

simply wouldn’t be one.

Follow us @hospitalitymagazine #hospitalitymagazine PUBLISHER Paul Wootton pwootton@intermedia.com.au EDITOR Annabelle Cloros T: 02 8586 6226 acloros@intermedia.com.au JOURNALIST Madeline Woolway T: 02 8586 6194 mwoolway@intermedia.com.au

ADVERTISING NATIONAL Simon York T: 02 8586 6163 F: 02 9660 4419 syork@intermedia.com.au GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ryan Vizcarra ryanv@intermedia.com.au PRODUCTION MANAGER Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au

CIRCULATIONS subscriptions@intermedia.com.au To subscribe please call 1800 651 422. hospitalitymagazine.com.au facebook.com/ HospitalityMagazine twitter.com/Hospitalityed instagram.com/hospitalitymag

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October 2020 | 5

IN FOCUS // Rare Hare At Home

Regional matters When one of Victoria’s premier hotels had to close its doors, resident restaurant Rare Hare decided to push on.

WORDS Annabelle Cloros JACKALOPE HOTEL IS a destination

The At Home program has seen the

per person and included everything from

in its own right. The location is situated

culinary team create revolving menus

potato bread and truffle mac and cheese

on a vineyard in Victoria’s Mornington

each week for pick up or delivery. Rare

to 12-hour braised beef cheek plus add-

Peninsula and is known for its high-end

Hare sold over 500 meals for their Father’s

ons (salumi, olives, desserts, etc). The

accommodation and equally on-par food

Day offering which was priced at $45

venue’s signature wood-fired choc-chip

offering. But it’s been a sticky year for operators, especially those in Victoria.

Jackalope Hotel closed in response to COVID-19 restrictions, but one of its restaurants, Rare Hare, jumped at the chance to curate a takeaway and delivery offering.

Executive Chef Guy Stanaway is one of the brains behind Rare Hare At Home; a triple-threat program that allowed the restaurant to continue working with producers, employing staff and feeding diners. “Rare Hare at Home was something we gave serious consideration to during Victoria’s first lockdown,” says Stanaway.

“When we entered lockdown 2.0 and Jackalope had to close again, we knew it was the time to try something new as a way of staying connected.”

6 | Hospitality

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IN FOCUS // Rare Hare At Home cookie has been one of the hottest tickets, with the kitchen team “literally [making] thousands of them”, says Stanaway.

The uptake has been humbling, with regulars continuing to support the restaurant. “Both Jackalope and Rare Hare have incredibly loyal customers, people who under normal

“Creating restaurant moments in people’s homes and helping them celebrate is really rewarding.”

– Guy Stanaway

circumstances would enjoy time with us monthly and in many cases weekly,” says Stanaway. “[We’re] amazed at how many regulars ordered it every single week.

Rare Hare At Home has been making

accelerated turnaround from conception

Creating restaurant moments in people’s

strides since its inception, but the whole

to execution.”

homes and helping them celebrate is

process has been a little strange for chefs

really rewarding.”

used to plating up on ceramics, not in

able to eyeball customer reactions to their

takeaway boxes. Working out which dishes

meals, but social media has provided an

from visiting the location in person,

are takeaway-and delivery-appropriate

alternate view. “I find it really interesting

word has spread fast about the venue’s

is another hurdle, but one Stanaway has

to observe customer interpretations of

takeaway offering. “Increasingly, we’re

relished. “I have had a few late nights in

each dish on social media; specifically the

making multiple deliveries on the same

the kitchen working out how we are going

plating and presentation,” says Stanaway.

streets, and with both Peninsula- and

to make these dishes suitable for travel

“This situation has certainly opened a new

Melbourne-wide delivery available, we’re

without compromising the flavour,” he says.

avenue of interaction with Melbourne’s

accessible to customers who might not

“With six new menu items each week, it’s

diners, and I’m glad that despite being a

normally road trip down our way,” says

certainly a test, but I’m enjoying this new

regional restaurant, we are able to be part

the chef.

way of thinking and the challenge of an

of it.” ■

While travellers have been prevented

8 | Hospitality

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NEWS // Entrée

Entrée

The latest openings, books, events and more.

EDITED BY Annabelle Cloros

Koko Black launches Australian Classics Collection Artisan chocolatier Koko Black has curated a new collection inspired by some of Australia’s most-loved flavour combinations. The new line includes bars, packets and slabs and covers flavours including Honey Joys, Koko Crackles, Lamington Slice, Jam Wagons, Koko Vovo and Gaytime Goldies.

“Every single person has memories they can look back to as the ‘good old days’ where milk bars were on every corner and summers were filled with memories … ” says Head Chocolatier Remco Brigou. The collection is available online and in-store for a limited time. kokoblack.com

Underground Spirits gin celebrates Floriade Ibby Moubadder, Paul Farag and Jorge Farah

Paul Farag joins Nour

Canberra distillery Underground Spirits has created a limited gin inspired by spring celebration, Floriade. The pink gin is crafted from raspberries and

Former Fish Butchery chef Paul Farag has joined Sydney’s Nour

finger limes alongside the brand’s core

restaurant as executive chef. Farag is currently working on a new

botanicals. Tasting notes describe the

menu, which will go live in 2021, and says he’s happy to be back

gin as having a lush aroma of raspberry,

in the restaurant game. “The group has presented a chance for

a zesty character and a subtle sweet

me to get back into real kitchens and let my creativity run wild

floral finish. The gin sits at 40 per cent

flaunting with different mediums,” Farag tells Hospitality. “Nour

ABV for 700ml. Available for a limited

now gives me the opportunity to cook Middle Eastern food, which

time from selected retailers for $95.

I steered away from for some time for the avoidance of being

undergroundspirits.com.au

typecast. I believe there is so much more to do with the group and I’m so excited for the coming months.” noursydney.com

Naga opens in Brisbane Andrew and Jaimee Baturo are set to launch their latest Brisbane venue in early October. Four years in the making, modern Thai restaurant and bar, Naga, will open in the Eagle Street Pier precinct. The venue will plate up Thai dishes featuring Australian produce such as Moreton Bay bug pad Thai, Seafood dumpling green curry and Thai street food including grilled pork neck salad and massaman beef milk buns. The drinks list covers fresh and fruity drinks, a concise and accessible wine list and house specials such as lychee wine, Naga Laga and the signature Nagaroni. Naga will operate Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Sydney Opera House venues return The Sydney Opera House has announced Opera Bar and Opera Kitchen are back in business. The venues have been closed since March, and are now welcoming back patrons according to COVID guidelines. Solotel’s Opera Bar has debuted a pop-up Japanese temaki and sake bar and there’s a heavy focus on Australian seafood and producers. “We’ve made some big changes including putting local producers front and centre across our menus along with making it easier to get a table,” says Chef and Owner Matt Moran. sydneyoperahouse.com Photography by Steven Woodburn 10 | Hospitality

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PRODUCE // Kakadu plum

Trees can grow

Production is estimated

up to 10m high

to average 15—17 tonnes per annum

Found in open woodland

Fruit is harvested by hand

Has a sour and astringent flavour profile

Needs to be frozen within 24

Has the highest level

hours of harvest

of natural vitamin C of any plant

Kakadu plum Kakadu plum has been an important bush food for people in northern Australia for millennia.

Origins

1990s. Most production is from wild harvest,

Flavour profile and appearance

Kakadu plum is known by the scientific

but there are some small orchards. Wild

The plums are olive green in colour and ovoid

name Terminalia ferdinandiana, but is

harvest requires government permits and

in shape. The flesh of the fruit is fibrous with

also known as gubinge, bush plum and

availability varies due to weather conditions

a wooden stone. The flavour profile has

salty plum. The fruit is considered a gift

such as bushfires, drought and cyclones.

been likened to stewed apple and pear with

of the Dreamtime by Aboriginal culture

The fruit is generally harvested by hand and

cooked citrus, floral musk and pickled notes.

and is found in open woodland across the

the Kimberley Training Institute has provided

The fruit has a tart and bitter taste with

Kimberley region of Western Australia, the

training on cultivation with the involvement

some astringency.

Northern Territory and Queensland.

of Aboriginal communities.

“Enrichment planting” has also been

Preparation and culinary applications

consumed raw, with the sap roasted and

carried out recently, with trees planted in

Due to its sour taste, Kakadu plum is generally

bark boiled to use for medical purposes.

bush areas with minimal clearing, ultimately

used in jams, sauces and juices, although it can

The fruit and seed are traditionally both

reducing the impact on biodiversity and soil.

also be eaten raw. Due to increasing demand,

Growth and harvest

It takes less than five years for trees to bear

it is also available in fresh, powdered or frozen

While the plum has been an important food

fruit, with the trees growing between 4 and

pureé form and is used in health products. ■

source for millennia, commercial harvest

10 metres high. Kakadu plum grows best in

of the fruit did not commence until the late

hot and coastal environments.

12 | Hospitality

Information courtesy of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.

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BEST PRACTICE // Christmas trading

How to create a more profitable Christmas It’s been a difficult year, but the festive season still holds the promise of profits.

WORDS Ken Burgin THIS YEAR, PEOPLE will still

• 40 per cent of purchasers have

• Promote gift vouchers so

world, with many upgrading

want to celebrate Christmas, but

not eaten at the restaurants

recipients can make their own

ordering systems. Take it further

they’ve become used to hosting

they order from — use the

choice — the money still comes

with new menus and a better

events at home. Work out how

opportunity to turn them

to you, and they’re likely to

website experience. Menu

to help them and you will scoop

into diners when normal

spend even more.

‘modifiers’ and add-on items

up opportunities.

trading resumes.

• Catering can be disruptive —

can make a big difference to the

Magenta Burgin, head

• Test and modify — if dishes don’t

how will you pack and store

of marketing and brand for

work, try something different. It’s

200 boxes to go out in the

Melbourne online restaurant

not comparable to the twice-

week of Christmas? It’s a good

off-peak times: these could be

portal Providoor, shares what

yearly menu change and needs

problem to solve, but plan well

Sunday to Wednesday or late

they’re planning for Christmas

to be much more dynamic.

in advance.

November. Add extras such as

deliveries. The portal features

•D esign packages for corporate

value of each sale.

Create special deals for

party favours, wine or canapés as a bonus rather than discounting.

to send Christmas packs to

Tips to ensure great Christmas sales

boxes and the service has been

50 staff or canapé boxes

Track down previous bookings.

as Christmas gifts. T-shirts,

an immediate success. For most

for everyone to enjoy with a

2020 needs a more aggressive

caps, jams and gift vouchers

of the restaurants, delivery is

Zoom party.

approach — if you haven’t heard

can be easy add-ons with food

from customers, give them a call

orders and solve the perennial

more than 30 upscale restaurants

gifting — the boss who wants

selling dinner and celebration

new, and Providoor has shown

• Special touches make an

Promote your merchandise

them a new and profitable niche.

impact — add a candle, a link

or send an email. If you don’t

problem of what to give friends

Father’s Day was a test run for

to your Spotify playlist, branded

have someone on staff who is

and family.

Christmas, and there are other

napkins, chopsticks, a special

confident on the phone, ask a

celebrations in between such as

platter or Christmas crackers.

wine rep to help — they know

stop posting on Instagram and

spring racing and grand finals.

Whatever you choose, go way

how to do this.

Facebook; post twice a day

beyond the Aussie takeaway

Magenta’s recommendations

bag with leaky boxes.

The pandemic has dragged most operators into the digital

media several times a week, but the best results flow to

using new images or photos from last year’s festivities with a message overlay. Avoid stock

• Work your list hard — Providoor pushes out email and social

Prepare 60 photos for non-

photo cliches. The standard

Menu ‘modifiers’ and add-on items can make a big difference to the value of each sale.

of food photography has risen dramatically — you can still do it with your phone, but it

businesses that communicate

needs much more care and

regularly to their database.

better lighting. ■

14 | Hospitality

#TakeawayTuesday is a fantastic industry initiative created to help the hospitality industry supplement their reduced dine-in business and grow demand for takeaway and delivery.

Evolving #EatAloneTogether into the #TakeawayTuesday movement, we’re encouraging all Australians to place an order every Tuesday in support of local restaurants and casual dining.

Saputo Foodservice is proud to support this joint industry Initiative and help make a difference.

For more information visit takeawaytuesday.com.au

COLUMN // The Hot Chicken Project

16 | Hospitality

An excerpt from chef Aaron Turner’s book The Hot Chicken Project.

WORDS Aaron Turner PHOTOGRAPHY Julian Kingma

I’VE ALWAYS LOVED the booths

me, well, right after the wing,

here — high-backed church

of course. I’ll get it hot — no

pews, discoloured white and

one needs to be dealing with

worn from years of use, torn vinyl

that triple-X burn first thing.

tablecloths, stained with years of

It’s been a while since I’ve been

chicken grease. I never feel more

here and this is our first stop,

at home than I do in places like

so I’m dipping my toe in. I know

this. They just feel good — words

what Thornton’s chicken can do

fail to do them justice. They seem

to a man — I’ve got the nervous

wholesome and real. The room is

sweats just thinking about it.

filled with families gathering for

I’ll also get a breast quarter

an early dinner, the kids tearing

— the white meat with wing

and chewing on wings, forgoing

attached. And a ranch and blue

the plastic cutlery and preferring

cheese. I’ll take that piece plain,

to eat with their hands (as

so I can taste all the spices that

one should). Digging into slaw

go into the flour mix before the

and beans.

whole thing gets drenched in

Couples sit smiling, quietly

those glorious fatty spices.

discussing what to order and

My mouth is watering already.

what to share. Folks on their

“Sides, Sir?”

way home wait patiently for

I’ll get fries, of course —

their favourite cuts to cook and

those who know me know it’s

get the Prince’s treatment to

impossible for me to say no to

go, happy to wait as long as it

fries — and let me get a potato

takes. They are all here for that

salad. And baked beans. And

perfect piece of fried chicken —

a cup of pickles. Oh, and an

that brown paper bag filled with

unsweetened tea should do it.

salvation after a long day.

F**k the million-dollar fit-

It’s been a while now since I fell in love with

outs. No money can create

this chicken, bathed and baptised in spices

places like this. And you can’t

and fats, a dish that changed my course as

replicate the feeling you get

both a cook and a person.

from eating in places like this.

This place — Prince’s

Wait, it’s Wednesday, I know it’s one of only three days that you serve wings, so let me get a double serve.

“How hot, Sir?” F**k it, I know I’ll regret it but let’s go XXXHot.

Hot Chicken Shack — has

First his brother Will ran the

dish that changed my course as

been a part of Nashville

show until it was time to pass

both a cook and a person.

again, watching the happy

for generations. The family

it on to his son, Bruce, whose

That’s the power it has,

faces eating and laughing,

Prince has been nourishing a

wife, Maude, took over after he

community for longer than most

passed away — she steered the

of the restaurants that now

ship until it was time for their

I remember my order from the

mess on the green checker-

fill the neighbourhoods and

daughter, André, Thornton’s

last time I was here. It’s been

topped tables. Makes me think

growing city skyline.

great-niece, to take the reins.

a few years now but, walking

it must have been something

This place has been passed

this chicken.

It feels so good being here

hands stained red, sharing plates of food and making a

André, the reigning queen of

through these doors, it feels just

else when Thornton first opened

down through the family:

Nashville Hot Chicken. It’s been

like yesterday.

Prince’s in that shack downtown,

generation after generation

a while now since I fell in love

gatekeepers of the family secret

with this chicken, bathed and

meat, leg and thigh, the best

music, the Ryman Auditorium,

after Thornton, the founder.

baptised in spices and fats, a

cut from the chicken if you ask

home of the Grand Ole Opry.

Give me two pieces of dark

by the mother church of country

October 2020 | 17

COLUMN // The Hot Chicken Project

Prince’s Hot Chicken

COLUMN // The Hot Chicken Project

Thornton and his brothers slingin’ their chicken for the Nashville community.

I’m gonna tackle this dark meat now.

It’s been sitting here a good twenty minutes, yet when I stick it, steam still comes out — meaning it’s still hot.

That’s a sure indication of a cook who knows what he’s doing out back with the skillets and fryers, getting that perfect crust and seal of flour around the meat, locking the heat in tight.

I’ll tell you true: this chicken is straight-up hot and not to be trifled with. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear it was blistering my lips.

My eyes are looking a little bloodshot and my face is starting to get a little sweaty. Now I’m panting like a rabid dog, desperate to cool my mouth. The water and iced tea offer no relief, the pickles useless in calming the burn. Maybe I should have eased in? But now I’ve started, I’m hooked, and no matter the damage being done — no matter the moments of regret I’ll have at 2 am when my stomach is cramped and churning — I won’t stop. I can’t stop. It’s just that damned good.

And it’s not all fire and brimstone here. There’s good cooking at play too. The chicken is nurtured from start to finish and I’ve never had a bad joint here. It’s always spot-on, no matter the time it takes to do it.

Prince’s is a church of fried chicken sandwiched between a nail salon and a discount smokes store.

A strip mall community of drug dealers and pimps, musicians and workadays line the kerb, all coming together for a sermon at Prince’s, with Thornton’s great-niece André, the queen, holding preachment over the hot chicken addicts, first-timers and regulars.

The chicken holds a power all of its own here at Prince’s — its spiritual home. ■ The Hot Chicken Project by Aaron Turner is published by Hardie Grant Books.

18 | Hospitality

Thornton's great-neice André Prince

DRINKS // Japanese mixology

The art of omotenashi In Japanese mixology, omotenashi brings new meaning to bartending.

art form driven by ethos as much as it is

by ingredients and technique. The ethos is

called omotenashi, which translates loosely to hospitality.

Fumiaki Michishita, head bartender at Kuro Bar & Dining in Sydney, explains the concept of omotenashi like this:

“After serving the cocktail, no matter how busy I am, it’s important to observe the customer’s facial expression, especially after they take the first sip. Then we

think of the next cocktail based on the

WORDS Madeline Woolway

customer’s reaction.”

Bartenders will change their style

IT WAS 1860 when the first bar in Japan

it paved the way for many others. Then,

city of Yokohama, it served beer, wine

earthquake destroyed much of the

opened its doors. Situated in the port and straight spirits to foreigners who

had begun to arrive when the country

ended its isolationist foreign policy and opened its borders to trade. Decades

later, the Grand Hotel bar was followed by venues that catered to locals. When

Cafe Pronto opened in the city in 1911, 20 | Hospitality

in September 1923, the Great Kanto

commercial hub, including its night spots,

leading to an exodus of bartenders looking

according to how guests feel, also asking questions to discover what they like to drink in addition to eying expressions,

before making minor alterations to suit different preferences.

The style of mixology itself is as

for work. They took their skills to other

important as this rapport with guests.

the country.

it’s about subtracting,” says Michishita.

locations, resulting in bars opening across In the almost hundred years since,

Japanese bartending has evolved into an

“Japanese mixology is not about adding, “So, we like to get rid of things that are not needed to make it simple and [to create]

DRINKS // Japanese mixology

a divine taste. [It is about] diminishing waste [created] through unnecessary

movement, too many garnishes and so on.”

In recent years, ice has risen in status

throughout the global bartending world.

It’s now widely considered as important

as ingredients such as spirits and bitters.

Japanese bartenders are largely to thank for the evolution. “We think about how much ice will melt into the mix and

dilute the drink,” says Michishita. “It’s all calculated. For example, when stirring, we think about how much ice to put in

the mixing glass and how many times to stir it.”

One of Kuro’s signature cocktails, the

Green Hour, features ice carved into the

shape of an apple. The Green Hour, which combines G’vine, absinthe, dry vermouth, Granny Smith, dill, Champagne cordial

and egg white, perfectly encompasses the

spirit of omotenashi by visually honouring ice while minimising garnishes.

While Michishita has had to adapt his

style a touch to suit the Australian market,

“Japanese mixology is not about adding, it’s about subtracting.”

— Fumiaki Michishita

Lava Flow of Mt Fuji

October 2020 | 21

DRINKS // Japanese mixology

omotenashi is on full display at Kuro, from the style of mixology to the venue’s dedication to reducing waste.

Before arriving in Sydney, Michishita preferred

working with harder spirits such as absinthe

and amaro to mix bold drinks with distinctive flavours. At Kuro, the drinks have noticeably prominent flavours. The adaption is not just due to drinker preferences, though, it was necessitated by the style of the venue.

“As we are ‘bar and dining’, I have made

cocktails that go well with the food and aren’t

too strong,” says Michishita, adding it’s important to ensure guests can enjoy cocktails throughout the meal, rather than just at the start.

Michishita landed in Sydney with 50 different

cocktail ideas. Upon seeing Kuro, meeting

the chefs and researching the local industry,

Michishita cut the list down to 16 separated into

four categories: refreshing, sour, bitter and fruity.

Waitstaff then use the categories to guide guests through the meal.

Some are riffs on classics, like the Bamboo

Tonic, which twists the Bamboo cocktail said to have been invented by Louis Eppinger of Yokohama’s Grand Hotel. Michishita’s

take pushes the drink into aperitif territory,

reinterpreting it in a gin and tonic style which features dry sherry, dry vermouth, charcoal powder, tonic water and umami bitters.

“Umami bitters has bonito, shiitake mushroom

and seaweed and is full of umami flavours,”

explains Michishita. “I also use sakura (cherry

blossom) bitters. It creates a complex taste in the mouth and also aroma.”

The cocktails also showcase spirits such as

shochu and sake, which are popular throughout Japan but less understood here. The former, in particular, is unfamiliar to Australian drinkers.

Akin to vodka and made from barley, potato or

brown sugar, shochu is commonly drunk neat or

on ice and occasionally with hot water in Japan.

Including it in a cocktail such as the Lava Flow of Mt. Fuji encourages guests to explore the spirit.

It’s not all about Japanese ingredients, though.

“I want to mix the Australian ingredients for our cocktails,” says Michishita. “This [mixed style of Japanese and Australian] is very, very important.”

Whatever cocktail Michishita is creating on

any given night, one thing is clear: omotenashi

means that drinks like those served at Kuro are unlikely to be found anywhere in Sydney at the moment. ■ 22 | Hospitality

The Green Hour

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ADVERTORIAL // Foodie Coaches

An opportunity to fix a broken model Investing in knowledge and growth to run your business more profitably is a lifetime investment.

IT’S AN INTERESTING time to be writing

Some owners make a crucial decision that

JobKeeper allows venue owners to step

an article about labour costs when venues

sets their business on a downward trajectory

back from the floor, take a good look

receiving JobKeeper (or at least, should be),

after taking hospitality business advice from

at their business and identify what they

are currently running the lowest labour costs

their accountant. The sad thing is, due to a

need to put in place to make this change

in history. However, it isn’t a time to become

lack of knowledge of their business, most

long lasting. It is not the time to be

complacent. This is the time to be making

don’t realise the gravity of decisions until it is

complacent, as once JobKeeper is turned

lasting changes.

too late.

off, things will go back to how they were,

For years now, the industry has been

The first decision is typically cutting the

if not worse.

plagued with high labour cost due to a

labour of their team and taking more shifts

number of different factors. Traditionally,

on themselves. What starts off as a couple of

matter who you are, the type of

high labour cost in venues has been brought

shifts soon escalates into 60, 70, 80 or more

venue you have or the hours you were

about by three main areas:

hour weeks for some owners.

working before, now is the best time

1. Inefficient workflow design and operation

Most owners in this position lose sight of

2. Poor team culture and lack of leadership

the business trajectory, what is happening in

3. A lack of awareness of the venue’s

the market, and can become the lowest-paid

So what to do now? Well it doesn’t

to be working on your venue and not in your venue.

Now is the opportunity for the industry

numbers and not realising the business

employee (by hourly rate). They soon become

to make lasting change. If you don’t know

doesn’t actually have a labour problem.

slaves of their own creation, rarely work on the

where to start, you need to reach out for

It has a revenue problem.

business and struggle to remove themselves

help. You need to invest in yourself to

from the hamster wheel. Unfortunately,

invest in your business in the same way

owners across Australia and New Zealand

this comes about due to a lack of business

you invested in your fit out and your team.

daily. The team hears countless stories

experience and awareness of how to make

Investing in knowledge and growth to run

from venue owners who have seen their

strategic decisions and long-term change.

your business more profitably is a lifetime

Foodie Coaches speaks to many venue

accountants or advisors and have been told

So what does all this mean? With JobKeeper

they need to lower the labour cost, as it was

in play, it is the industry’s time to make

too high.

a change.

24 | Hospitality

investment that draws lifelong change for your business and everyone it reaches. ■ foodiecoaches.com

PROFILE // Alanna Sapwell

Alanna Sapwell The chef is a free agent and a team player.

WORDS Madeline Woolway

IT ALL BEGAN when Alanna Sapwell was six. Several hours into a road trip from Gympie to Melbourne, her family stopped near Dubbo for

dinner. Used to Domino’s, Sapwell was suspicious of the pizza placed in front of her. So much so, she initially refused it. Her father responded

with a request: “Just eat it, then complain.” The experience turned out

to be revelatory. “From then, I wanted to learn how to do food the way it’s supposed to be,” says Sapwell.

The anecdote is perhaps the first example of the approach that’s

re-emerged consistently throughout Sapwell’s career. After completing

a school-based traineeship at Gympie’s Impressions Hinterland — “the only place that wasn’t a pub” — she travelled to the nearby coastal

town of Noosa to knock on the door of David Rayner’s The River House.

“My grandma used to collect newspaper clippings about all the big chefs in Noosa,” says Sapwell. “She said I needed to go work with David.”

26 | Hospitality

and the kitchen ran smoothly, Sapwell felt

in once a fortnight and the only way to

her team. “It’s not just teaching others

Land instead. A water plane flew supplies get rid of food waste was to burn it. “You literally had to go out the back and burn your waste,” recounts Sapwell. “When

it’s in your face, you become a lot more

careful with what you buy and how you use it. I’d save all the food scraps and throw them in the ocean, then catch

she wasn’t able to check in properly with how to cook,” says Sapwell. “The way I

work in a head chef position now, I try to integrate people’s personal goals into the business so they aren’t just working for

me — they’re working for themselves and towards their own goals.”

It’s not the type of leadership a chef

enough fish to feed 30.”

can provide if they’ve yet to experience

tropical weather drove Sapwell to look

cutbacks that saw apprenticeships

The six-month stint ended when the

for cooler climes, and a head chef role in Hakuba, Japan, beckoned. Despite not speaking the language, Sapwell

successfully led the kitchen, earning praise from her bosses. “I became really good

at miming,” she says. “But that was the

moment I realised there’s so much to do in [leadership] roles. I felt like I wasn’t doing Arc Dining

While her cooking was commended

van saw the chef land a gig in Arnhem

it justice.”

all a kitchen has to offer. Thanks to

reduced from four to three years, gaps

in knowledge aren’t uncommon. “A lot of people were in my position; [we were] given these roles, and instead of being qualified for them, we just grew into

them,” explains Sapwell. “The problem was not that we didn’t have enough

chefs, but that we didn’t have enough decent ones.”

It was good advice. Four years with

Rayner followed, first as an apprentice

and then as chef de partie. Under Rayner, apprentices would write the menus for their sections, with the veteran chef

making adjustments so all the dishes worked as a whole. It was a chance

to learn about more than technique.

“Obviously, it needed to fit in with his style

of food, but I think that’s something I try to pass on … to give people the opportunity to treat creativity as a skill you work on every day,” says Sapwell.

Sapwell left The River House and travelled to Italy, where she worked in Florence for

six months. The influences are still evident, if not immediately identifiable. Sapwell might not plate up dishes that could be called Italian, but the approach seen in

traditional Italian kitchens is one she tries to emulate. “It looks like there’s nothing in the pasta, but it’s got that really nice

glaze and it’s full of flavour,” says Sapwell, after explaining the process of making an

emulsion from starchy pasta water and oil.

“It looks so clean, yet there’s so much to it.

I love that approach.”

Returning to Australia, Sapwell embarked on a trip that was meant to take her

October 2020 | 27

PROFILE // Alanna Sapwell

around the country. But a broken-down

PROFILE // Alanna Sapwell Recognising her own limitations, Sapwell

decided to step back and dedicate a few years to learning each section to round out her knowledge in Australia.

While Sapwell’s overseas stints helped shape her as a chef, she’s not of the ilk that think

Jo Barrett and Emma McCaskill are two other chefs Sapwell admires

steer your food.”

While in Brisbane, Sapwell spent time

The Wolfe] thought process at Goma; the fact he

“We’re so lucky,” says Sapwell. “Ten to 15 years

ago, [going overseas] was a stripe you had to

earn to be a really good chef. I think what’s more important than going overseas and working 80 hours a week at Michelin-starred restaurants is

to think about the food that resonates with you,

understood Josh’s [Lopez, now chef–owner of

was in an art gallery and everything was made

to look like a piece of artwork. But just knowing I wasn’t doing the kind of food I wanted to do shook me up. It was very much just learning what kind of food I wanted to create.”

and then find the best chef who does that and

Sapwell found her footing in the kitchen of Saint

definitely do that in Australia. I think we’re in a

food more,” says Sapwell. “I love the way Josh

what we have on our own doorstep.”

Sapwell truly ironed out any kinks in Brisbane

and then Sydney. “I hadn’t done a lot of pastry

before,” says the chef. “I got a call from Urbane [closed 2019], asking me to come in and help out for a week.”

A week turned into a year and a half in one of

the most ideal pastry environments. “As part of

the agreement, I said I wanted to be head pastry chef,” says Sapwell. “They obviously laughed, like, ‘You’ve got no experience and this is a

two-hat restaurant’. But I worked my way up

and got the experience. It was the most perfect pastry kitchen; there was air con so you could 28 | Hospitality

everything and then decide where you want to

them beyond mediocrity.

really good position … and it’s nice to focus on Sapwell strives to create a ‘no ego’ environment as head chef

worked with before. It’s nice to do a little bit of

at Gerard’s and Goma, too. “I completely

learn as much as possible from them. You can

Sapwell lists Duncan Welgemoed’s Africola as a venue that actively prizes its FOH team

do chocolate work and a Pacojet, which I’d never

international gigs are a necessity. Australia has everything a green chef could need to launch

Sapwell created Drinks with Chefs in 2018 while working at Brisbane’s Goma

Esmay’s Neapolitan jelly choc, strawberry, toasted rice & pandan

Peter in Sydney. “I couldn’t relate to anyone’s

Niland approaches everything, from no waste to being so proud to put something like a lemon tart in the exact middle of the plate. It shows such skill and technique, but without all the fluff. I was really happy with that job and I

thought that would be me until the end of time.”

Sapwell was content in her role as sous chef at

the fish-centric venue for two and a half years.

So much so that she turned down an initial offer from Howard Smith Wharves to return home to Brisbane and head up modern fine diner Arc.

“Not only was I happy [at Saint Peter], but Josh

did the right thing by me,” says Sapwell. “There has to be some loyalty where you don’t jump at the first opportunity.”

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PROFILE // Alanna Sapwell

Eventually, the opportunity came calling

again and the decision to branch out felt

right for Sapwell and the rest of the Saint

Peter team. “The start was quite intense at

Saint Peter; we felt like we were always on the back foot,” says Sapwell. “Finally, we

grew the team and had the right fit where everyone had Josh’s back 100 per cent.

Because it was such a small kitchen, there was no room for anyone to grow. I said,

‘Josh, this is the right time. Everything runs great, you’ve got a great team; if someone at the top doesn’t go, you’ll lose people

anyway because they can’t just be shucking oysters and not getting on the pans’.”

Arc gave Sapwell the experience she lacked with big business and reiterated her drive to create things on her own terms. Even before COVID caused the closure of one

of Brisbane’s most talked about openings of 2019, Sapwell had laid out what she

wanted to achieve in 2020 when it came to food and business. “I would have thought something like Arc would have a certain

amount of cushioning, but [COVID] hasn’t

discriminated,” she says. “That’s the way it

is, and now I’m able to do something more independent with Danielle [Gjestland]

who I’ve always admired. I’m glad I could

take another important stepping stone and see restaurants more as a whole instead of just from the kitchen.”

That ‘whole’ is Esmay; a three-month

pop-up that opened in the space formerly

occupied by Gjestland’s Japanese-inspired restaurant Wasabi. “We had this unique opportunity where we didn’t have

expectations of what the restaurant was

going to be like,” says Sapwell. “We could just start from scratch.”

The pair worked backwards. Knowing

potential customers had taken a financial hit, Sapwell settled on a fixed menu that could be priced accessibly and allow the

kitchen to run affordably. “We just wanted something fun with good food, good wine

and loud music,” says Sapwell. “Something that would rejuvenate our faith in what hospitality is really about.”

One of Sapwell’s pre-COVID goals was

to push vegetables to the fore and use

meat in a supporting role. “Obviously, I’m cooking seafood [with the restaurant]

sitting on the water, and everyone’s loving 30 | Hospitality

“It’s been liberating to be able to cook what I want.” – Alanna Sapwell

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PROFILE // Alanna Sapwell

The whole point of [Esmay] was to give it three months. Don’t make any plans at the end — just put all your energy into it and make it the best you possibly can.”

– Alanna Sapwell

In many ways, Sapwell and Gjestland

see eye-to-eye. Their ethos’ are aligned,

with both invested in using local produce and never settling for mediocrity. Yet, according to Sapwell, the way they

approach almost every detail is completely it,” says the chef. “There’s a fisherman that comes up to the dock and brings the most stunning stuff.”

Otherwise, vegetables are the star.

Think mountaintop mushrooms in a Diane sauce or a salt-baked cabbage draped in

lardo and smoked pork sauce. “The main

element is the cabbage — the meat is just the sauce,” says Sapwell. “It’s the kind of food I love eating and I want to be moving towards.”

The flexibility and freedom has also

been a welcome change. “It’s been so nice to be in a position where I can change

the menu and I don’t have to check with

anyone and it doesn’t need to go through

three tastings,” says the chef. “I completely understand that; everything needs to go 32 | Hospitality

through a certain system. But it’s been

liberating to be able to cook what I want.”

Working with Gjestland and bringing together the back and front of house

teams has also allowed Sapwell to create a culture she’s always wanted — one where she is both teacher and student. “In an

different. It’s a paradox that means there’s

plenty to learn from each other. “What I’m really trying to do with this place is make

sure that it’s not just about the chef,” says

Sapwell. “I don’t know why front of house is not as highly regarded as the chef, and I think that’s something that really does need to change.”

interview, Paul Carmichael said what

So what’s next? “I’ve been asked this a

teaching and being taught,” says Sapwell.

without saying. At Esmay, Sapwell has

he missed most about the kitchen was

“Even as a head chef, you’re going to learn from people. I’ve always had the opinion

that you can learn from anyone. Hopefully, there will be more leaders who aren’t

lot,” admits Sapwell. But the answer goes found a way to combine all the things she loves about hospitality, from the food to

the style of service and the team culture.

“The whole point of [Esmay] was to give

ego-driven; teaching people skills from a

it three months. Don’t make any plans at

industry as a whole.”

and make it the best you possibly can.” ■

young age is only going to strengthen the

the end — just put all your energy into it

FEATURE // Lennox Hastie on Chef’s Table: BBQ

Slow burn Sydneysiders always knew Firedoor was something special — and now the rest of the world does, too.

WORDS Annabelle Cloros PHOTOGRAPHY Nikki To FIREDOOR’S LENNOX HASTIE is one of

Chef’s Table is known for many things.

— he just didn’t know a meal would result

on Netflix’s docuseries Chef’s Table — aka

cinematic techniques, its signature

globe months later. “I showed them what

two Australian-based chefs to be featured the pinnacle of culinary programming. So just how did the fire connoisseur come to be the subject of an episode in the new

BBQ series? He cooked for the production team at his restaurant after a premiere.

Hastie talks to Hospitality about

receiving an Instagram DM he couldn’t fathom was real, putting Australian producers on the map and why the

further away you are, the louder you have to shout.

34 | Hospitality

There are the Emmy nominations, the theatrical soundtrack and an overall aesthetic that can only be described as slick. The show has rung up six

seasons profiling some of the world’s

greatest culinary minds, but the latest

iteration is different from the rest — it’s

themed. Chef’s Table: BBQ is also shorter, comprising just four episodes.

Hastie has been a long-time fan of the

production team behind the concept,

and was more than thrilled to have the

opportunity to cook for them at Firedoor

in a 47-minute episode streamed across the we do and it was a real pleasure to meet them; I didn’t think anything of it,” says Hastie. “At the end of November, I got a

message from Brian McGinn on Instagram

asking if I’d like to go on the next series of Chef’s Table. I was blown away. You know when you think something can’t be real

that it must be some kind of practical joke?

I said, ‘Yes, whatever it takes!”

The wheels spun into motion, with plans

to shoot the series in Australia over a two-

week period in November — the peak time

Hastie says selecting which producers to

showcase Australian producers and put the

favourite children”, but it had to be done.

was a little tricky, the opportunity to

industry back in front of an international audience again couldn’t be passed up.

Before the production crew arrived in

Australia, Hastie spoke to the team about his story, from discovering an interest in

the culinary industry to cooking alongside Victor Arguinzoniz at Asador Etxebarri in

Basque Country; which went on to become a focal point of the episode.

The Chef’s Table team hit the ground

running when they touched down not long

film with was comparable to “choosing your The episode includes scenes at Stix north of Sydney and a cattle farm, where the

top 2–3 per cent of the herd is selected for the restaurant’s signature ʻfat-agedʼ steak.

Montages follow of crabbing, filleting fish and scooping prawns from the river. “All

the producers are unique and deserve to be showcased,” says the chef. “I could not do

what I do without the ingredients — there’s

the fire, the ingredient and me. Without the ingredients, forget about it.”

after that Instagram message.

Hastie had no idea his episode would slot

taste of Australia, filming during the tail

approached about being a part of the show,

While the goal was to give viewers a

end of 2019 had its challenges with the bushfires. “Some of the produce comes

from far away and we had a whole list of

places we wanted to go to but we couldn’t

get to; one of them being in Victoria — the

which also features Tootsie Tomanetz from Snow’s BBQ in Texas, Rodney Scott from

Scott’s Barbecue in the US and Mayan chef Rosalia Chay Chuc from Mexico.

Nevertheless, the goal was to show as

slow-cooked meats that tease apart, but in

viewers beyond the Surry Hills restaurant.

The majority of Firedoor’s menu showcases shellfish and vegetables

The venue’s signature steak is ‘fat-aged’

The thing about barbecue is that it

evokes different connotations in each part

much of the country as possible and take

Hastie says grill marks on ingredients are a sign of failure

into a themed series when he was first

hunting of kangaroos is a really powerful Australian story,” says Hastie.

Firedoor regulars have held viewing parties for Hastie’s episode

of the world. In the US, it’s anchored by

Australia, there’s a little more bite to the

ingredients that hit the grill. “It’s tongue in Grilled mud crab

“I’m happy to be able to turn the word barbecue on its head and show the rest of the world what we can do with barbecue in Australia.”

– Lennox Hastie

October 2020 | 35

FEATURE // Lennox Hastie on Chef’s Table: BBQ

for local restaurants. And while the timing

FEATURE // Lennox Hastie on Chef’s Table: BBQ

cheek for the guys — they’re showcasing how diverse barbecue is,” says Hastie. “I

can imagine people watching Tootsie and then episode two cuts to a young chef

in Sydney who’s not doing what they’d

recognise as barbecue. I want to change people’s preconceptions of what grilling and barbecue can be. For me, it doesn’t have to be limited, it’s boundless and

a beautiful freedom of expression that

relates to our culture and the ingredients.

I’m happy to be able to turn the word

barbecue on its head and show the rest of the world what we can do with barbecue in Australia.”

The storyline developed over two weeks of back-to-back filming, but the crux of the

episode very much centres on the mentor– mentee relationship between Arguinzoniz and Hastie. For those yet to watch the

episode (snap to it!), Hastie arrived in

Spain at a pintxos restaurant after realising fine dining just wasn’t cutting it for him. “I got to that level of working in a three star and you think you’re going to find what

you dreamed of, and it wasn’t that. I was

left feeling pretty hopeless. Where do I go now?” he says in the episode.

After some friends told Hastie about a

chef who grills “everything”, Hastie was curious to find out what the restaurant between the mountains was all about.

“I could not do what I do without the ingredients — there’s the fire, the ingredient and me.”

– Lennox Hastie

Firedoor in Surry Hills

36 | Hospitality

often. But having spent so much time with

being the second Australian-based chef to

of flames ensued. In spite of language

chose to share. “I valued their production

“There are so many amazing chefs I love

man who could be likened to a conductor barriers (Hastie could not speak Spanish,

nor Arguinzoniz English), the pair worked side-by-side, and it wasn’t long before

Asador Etxebarri morphed from an in-theknow restaurant to one that climbed lists and received a Michelin star. “For me, it was very rewarding,” Hastie says in the

the production team, it was a story he

levels so much and the level of detail they put into the show,” he says. “I was quite

happy … you seldom see that, to open up and give them everything … particularly about leaving Spain, which I still get emotional about.”

The protégée dynamic is one that hasn’t

episode. “All the hard work was being

been explored beyond a surface level on

never seen a man so upset about getting a

— it’s something they honed in on ... l’m

recognised. But Victor cried in disgust. I’ve Michelin star. Because he was quite happy being what he was.”

Five years on, Hastie chose to leave

Asador Etxebarri to follow his dream of opening his own restaurant. The

relationship between Arguinzoniz and Hastie came to an end once he left

Chef’s Table before. “It was interesting

a chef, but I wasn’t born into a tradition

opportunity to tell your story and [show]

‘this is how I got here, it took this amount of time’. Especially for young chefs;

things do take time and I’m still learning.

I’ve been cooking with fire for 15-odd

years and I still feel like I only know a small amount.”

Part of the beauty of Chef’s Table is its

the cards for the time being, Sydneysiders

material you go over … it’s amazing what they choose and weave together.”

and even people he went to school with

Hastie, and one he doesn’t speak about

story, so it’s such an honour to have the

one was five hours. The sheer amount of

World’s 50 Best Restaurants was hosted It’s an incredibly personal story for

being one of them. Everyone has their

ability to take viewers on a journey into a

were four to five interviews and each

Hastie’s phone has been running hot with

in Melbourne.

and respect in Australia, Ben [Shewry]

of cooking with fire,” says Hastie. “There

Spain, leaving Hastie without closure,

which would come years later when The

appear on the series. “It’s huge,” he says.

supportive messages from peers, strangers as a child. The gravity of appearing on a

show like Chef’s Table certainly hasn’t been lost on him, and neither has the honour of

restaurant. And while overseas trips are off and permitted domestic travellers are

able to experience Firedoor in the flesh.

Hastie says the knock-on effect has been

incredible, with the restaurant now booked

out until March 2021. “People were ringing up saying there was something wrong with the website — but we’re just fully booked.

Some people from the other side of the world have booked for next year.”

Goolwa pippies

Rum baba, poor man's orange with smoked creme diplomat

October 2020 | 37

FEATURE // Lennox Hastie on Chef’s Table: BBQ

Years of game-changing learning from a

FEATURE // Lennox Hastie on Chef’s Table: BBQ

In the current climate, a fully booked restaurant

is as good as it gets for operators. But Hastie isn’t letting it get to his head. “People suddenly flock to these venues,” he says. “The effects of social

media and lists … it’s interesting to see how that

can change a restaurant. Sometimes for the better, but you have to be cautious because you don’t

want to lose what made that restaurant great in the first place.”

Hastie’s response to preserving Firedoor’s

nucleus is simple: “I always cook with conviction,” he says. “People who have come in [after

watching Chef’s Table] are surprised to see I’m actually in my restaurant — I’m still pushing

myself six hours a night on the grill cooking every single protein everyone eats. That is the reality of what we do at Firedoor and I don’t compromise.”

Over its five-year lifespan, Firedoor has never

been fully booked six-plus months in advance.

The flock of new (and old) customers has

provided Hastie and his team with a small

amount of certainty in the midst of a pandemic, from continuing to support producers to job

security for staff. But restrictions have resulted

in the number of seats dropping from over 60 at any one time to just 37.

“I was very cautious about how to progress

with the pandemic,” says Hastie. “The business model is skewed. I’m not compromising on my

staff, what we do, the ingredients we use and the producers we support, so [it’s about] finding a

way to move forward together. I’ve got to be able to pay the rent and pay the staff. Chef’s Table will fill those seats and enable us to do that. I never got into restaurants to make money; it’s purely

passion and the ability to leave things in a better state than you found them.”

Firedoor as we — and now the world — know

it has undergone somewhat of an evolution

since it opened its doors in 2015. Adaptation is the belly of the beast at the restaurant, which

will continue to rumble on with Hastie behind the flames. “It’s the ability to adapt to your

environment … hospitality is feeling the pulse

of what people want at any given time,” Hastie says. “It’s buying a really good ingredient and showcasing it — there’s value in that. When I

was younger, I thought the thing I loved more than anything was cooking — which I do love

— but only because it puts me in contact with

ingredients. The reason I cook with fire is that it instinctively and naturally brings me closer to them.” ■ 38 | Hospitality

FEATURE // Regional dining Muse

Getting by First bushfires then COVID-19 — venues in regional Australia have faced months of difficult trade. But they’re surviving.

WORDS Madeline Woolway

SHUTDOWNS AND TRAVEL restrictions

Just outside the Hunter Valley township of

have had to jump in the last 12 months.

encompasses a number of labels as well

are just two hurdles regional venues

First, the catastrophic bushfire season

left them reeling, with coffers low before COVID-19 hit.

For operators around the country, their

ongoing success is grounds for hope.

Hospitality magazine speaks to chef and restaurateur Troy Rhoades-Brown of

Muse in the Hunter Valley and Georgina

Pokolbin is Hungerford Estate. The winery as a fine dining venue. The restaurant,

Muse, was established in 2009 by chef–

restaurateur Troy Rhoades-Brown. Since its launch, Muse has always done one thing

— expanded. At least until late 2019 when

the first of many destructive fires broke out across Australia’s Eastern seaboard.

“The fires were difficult because the

Beniston, the brand manager behind

restaurant had grown for so long,” says

they’re moving forward.

revenue drop consistently every week …

Margaret River’s Vasse Felix, about how

40 | Hospitality

Rhoades-Brown. “When you see the it was difficult.”

restricted trading.

“The majority of our trade comes from

tourism,” explains Rhoades-Brown. “We have wonderful local support, but in

terms of making an impact on the overall running of the restaurant, it would more so be our relationship with locals and

recommendations from them, which makes them so integral to Muse; not the bums on seats.”

As supportive as locals are, there aren’t

enough people in the area to fill out a

special occasion restaurant regularly. In

fact, Rhoades-Brown estimates 90 per cent of the dining room is usually people from out of town.

In the Margaret River wine region, Vasse

While the pandemic seems to have

Felix Estate also relies heavily on tourism.

subsumed 2020 under a time warp-

“Vasse Felix has always enjoyed strong

inducing fog, it was the bushfires that

support from Western Australian travellers,

initially shrouded everything in a haze.

particularly from the Perth market, however

“They were really, really terrible,”

in the past decade or so, international and

recounts Rhoades-Brown. “They lasted a

interstate visitors have become critically

very long time because the Hunter Valley

important to the business,” says Estate

was one of the first regions in New South

Brand Manager Georgina Beniston.

Wales to start to get fires and then we kind

Now regional travel is back on the cards

of got on top of it. There was still smoke

in New South Wales, business has taken

around, but we were open for trade.”

another leap forward at Muse. “We’ve

But just because the tables were set

gone from doing 80 to 90 covers on a

doesn’t mean diners were ready to be

full night to between 50 and 60,” says

seated. “We got tied in with the whole

Rhoades-Brown.

east coast, which was still burning,” says

Muse is lucky, he says, thanks to its fine

Rhoades-Brown. “People just did not come

dining set up and proximity to a major

to the Hunter Valley.”

The experience was a reminder:

businesses need agility and the ability to

tighten up without losing staff. Ultimately, tough trading conditions throughout

summer were a dress rehearsal. “The

restaurant was on this upwards trajectory for 10 years and suddenly it took a dive,”

says Rhoades-Brown. “Off the back of that, we went straight into the full closure for

nine weeks. We were running tight by the time the pandemic came around.”

Muse is in a relatively good position. Upon reopening for 10 diners in June, locals

rallied behind the venue, booking tables to make up for lost time — it’s a celebration restaurant and guests had birthdays, anniversaries and other occasions to

mark. While Muse usually relies heavily

on out-of-towners to fill its dining room,

city. The venue was never in the business

“I’m very grateful we have the doors open and that we have a strong flow of guests coming from Sydney wanting to experience the Hunter Valley.”

– Troy RhoadesBrown

of shoulder-to-shoulder dining, which has made the transition to square meterage

and physical distancing restrictions easier.

Coupled with being 90 minutes to two hours from Sydney and having a good

reputation, Muse has been able to take

advantage of Sydneysiders looking for an escape. “We’ve been consistently booked

out [under restrictions] for the last three months,” says Rhoades-Brown.

On an even more positive note, operators

are welcoming a new demographic.

“We’re definitely seeing people coming to the Valley that haven’t been here before or haven’t been to the Hunter in 10 or

15 years,” says Rhoades-Brown. “Their idea of what the Hunter Valley was 10 or 20 years ago compared to today is completely different.”

Devastation and opportunity are often October 2020 | 41

FEATURE // Regional dining

the venue was able to make the most of

FEATURE // Regional dining

two sides of the same coin. The last 12 months have provided plenty of both.

As Rhoades-Brown says: “Hopefully,

as an area, we can put it together well

enough so they see the value in a Hunter Valley escape.”

Beniston says the team at Vasse Felix has

noted a similar trend. “While at present,

[international and interstate markets] are unable to visit with the national and WA

hard border closure, we are seeing a very strong resurgence of Western Australians travelling to Margaret River — many for

the first time or for the first time in more

than a decade,” she says. “It’s great to see Western Australians exploring their own state and supporting local businesses.”

To capitalise on such opportunities,

regional businesses can’t continue to operate as usual.

When businesses were told to shut their doors on 23 March 2020, Muse took a deep breath. The restaurant put 18 or

so local staff on JobKeeper (something Rhoades-Brown acknowledges others

weren’t able to do) and paused to consider the next move. Other venues needed to

manoeuvre quickly to keep their staff in

look at what we offer and see what we could do.”

The pivot effect has been well

documented, with venues implementing everything from produce boxes to at-

home meal kits to bring in revenue while trade was restricted to takeaway and

delivery. For Muse, such offerings were

never realistic. “You couldn’t have 18 staff coming back and doing veggie boxes or

Rhoades-Brown. “We rode out the storm

and took the opportunity to rest, recoup,

and doing such projects in sync with

worth it. “The whole idea was to do 50 or 60 covers, but to do it consistently from Wednesday to Sunday,” says RhoadesBrown. “It makes up for us having a

quieter Wednesday and Thursday [in the past] and then having to do those big

numbers on the weekend to pay the bills.”

Instead, the team focused on shifting

to what would work. Muse has fixed its pricing structure, switched to a more streamlined menu and changed its Usually, 90 per cent of Muse’s patrons are tourists

Both Muse and Vasse Felix have seen an influx of local tourists

to a table in a suit and tie celebrating a 60th anniversary.”

but was able to keep the estate experience slightly amended our trading days

as we navigated the first few months and monitored the rapidly changing

environment,” says Beniston. “The cellar door continues to offer tastings seven days a week with amended trading

days for the restaurant and wine lounge

operating Thursday to Monday. We’ve been fortunate to be able to offer guests the

same cellar door and dining experiences

we offered prior to the shutdown, with the exception of our behind-the-scenes tours which we will look to reinstate over the coming months.”

Beyond changes to operating hours, the

dinner added — a decision that suits its

spring/summer events program with larger

lunch have been dropped and a Tuesday positioning as a celebratory venue. “It

For one, there’s a gap in the market

42 | Hospitality

and thongs and they’d be sitting next

team has had to rethink its focus on large

thought behind it,” says Rhoades-Brown.

Under restrictions, Muse does 50 to 60 covers a night compared to 80 to 90 prior to COVID

or after a wine tasting] wearing shorts

operating hours. Saturday and Sunday

was a big decision and there was a lot of

Vasse Felix’s cellar door is operating as usual again, while the restaurant is still on modified hours

in to lunch for an hour and a half [before

intact. “In the reopening phases, we

The amount of time that would have

the Muse brand just wouldn’t have been

things to survive and keep their staff,” says

offer because some people would come

popular for a week or two.”

area,” says Rhoades-Brown. “It might be

desirable, but there has been some good to “Other establishments did amazing

be more flexible with timing and what you

Vasse Felix also made changes to hours,

gone into designing, organising, marketing

come of the situation.

dining for different reasons. You’d have to

take-home dinners for the people in our

jobs, while Muse’s conditions meant it

needed to hibernate. Neither position is

lunch, we’d have different demographics

when it comes to early-week dinners in

events. “We’ve also carefully assessed our

events, which require long-term planning and investment, to be replaced with a

series of smaller more intimate events

leading into Christmas,” says Beniston.

the Hunter. Two, penalty rates make long

Finding a way to squeeze in extra dinner

dinner is what Muse does best. “We’re the

Muse’s offering without diminishing

Sunday shifts a margin-buster. And, three, big night out,” says Rhoades-Brown. “At

covers throughout the week consolidates returns. Being a dinner-only venue also

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FEATURE // Regional dining

includes some chef-set courses while

giving diners some choice. “The idea

was to structure the menu so we weren’t preparing so many different dishes,”

says Rhoades-Brown. “The amount of

preparation and the unknown about what guests were going to order meant extra pressure on the chefs and extra hours.”

Rhoades-Brown feels the switch to a

four-course menu of more substantial

Vasse Felix's restaurant

dishes better represents the dining

experience he wants Muse to offer. The

means Muse has been able to turn a

separate room into a bar and lounge,

which will boost covers and spend in a

way that fits with the brand. “It’s given us an opportunity to use that room, which is used by Hungerford Estate during

the day at the moment,” says Rhoades-

Brown. “Dining room space and square

meterage has been extended again, which should bring us back to almost preCOVID capacity.”

Currently, diners walk up a set of stairs

and enter the venue via a large foyer

area, which is where guests sign in and

temperature checks are conducted before

entering the dining room. The main dining room seats 48 under restrictions, so the

first course is set by the chef and reflects

We’ve been fortunate to be able to offer guests the same cellar door and dining experiences we offered prior to the shutdown.”

– Georgina Beniston

business has been doing its best to turn

“Opening a bar and lounge or a separate

evening out.

makes so much sense.”

“We’re trying to get a few more people

room as a holding bay that represents us The bar has an extensive list of estate

in to dine earlier with the opportunity to

wines (Sweetwater, Hungerford Hill and

don’t want to make our guests feel like

spirits along with a snack menu.

reset a few tables later on,” he says. “We they’re being rushed through the service

Dalwood) and cocktails built around local “I love the idea of a table of six turning

or make them feel like they have to get up

up 20 minutes early coming through into

allow them two and a half to three hours

hand-stitched Italian leather lounge and

and leave at a certain time. We want to to sit down, relax and know the table is theirs.”

On the flipside, no one wants guests

turning up 15 minutes early — a common concern in regional areas where the lack of rideshare apps makes arrival times

a lounge area, sitting down on a beautiful having some oysters and Champagne to

start,” says Rhoades-Brown. “It’s another tier to the business we’ve always wanted and this has provided the time to think about it and execute it.”

less predictable. “I’m trying to figure out

The new addition isn’t the only change.

seamless and get our numbers back up to

several menus: a two-, three- or seven-

the best way to make the process more

where we need to be to support the larger team that we have,” says Rhoades-Brown.

44 | Hospitality

course, third course and dessert. There’s

also a selection of sides that can be added

and vegetarian and vegan options. “There’s still a lot that goes into it,” says RhoadesBrown. “But we’ve dropped a couple of

dishes off to make it easier. It also gives you time to concentrate on the dishes.”

After a tough 12 months, things are finally looking up for venues around the country

— particularly those dealt the double blow of bushfires and the pandemic. The lows

have made many operators more thankful for the highs, and Rhoades-Brown is no

“I’m not taking anything for granted,”

hopes the bar and lounge area will make the transition between guests part of an

choose between three dishes for the second

exception.

over a few extra tables each night to hit

between 50 and 60 covers. Rhoades-Brown

the season and the region. Guests can

Previously, Muse gave diners a choice of course tasting menu. Now, it’s been

streamlined into a four-course menu that

he says. “I feel very, very bad for the tough times Victorian restaurants, regional

restaurants and those in the city are going through. I’m very grateful we have the

doors open and that we have a strong flow of guests coming from Sydney wanting to experience the Hunter Valley.”

Vasse Felix is also thankful for the

support of its local community, something most regional operators will relate to.

“We’re blessed in Margaret River to be

spoilt for choice with so many world-class wineries and restaurants in the region to choose from,” says Beniston. “The

abundance of gourmet food and wine,

along with the pristine environment and

outdoor lifestyle, is what attracts so many people to the region in the first place. We have a passionate tribe of local food and

wine lovers who have been very generous with their support. The region as a whole has certainly been well supported by the local community.” ■

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FEATURE // Spin-offs

Ciao, Fabbrica!

A hybrid venue has opened in Sydney’s CBD, offering all the Italian wines, cheeses and anchovies you could dream of.

WORDS Annabelle Cloros PHOTOGRAPHY Nikki To 46 | Hospitality

FEATURE // Spin-offs Scott McComas-Williams, Nathanial Hatwell, Matthew Swieboda and Cam Birt

ENTERTAINING AT HOME has very much

McComas-Williams is a firm believer

but for many, donning the chef’s hat has

Ragazzi revolves around this notion. Like

become the dining trend of the year —

every pasta deserves its own sauce, and

been more out of necessity than choice.

While venues across the country have

welcomed diners back with open arms

(sub Melbourne), the same customers are now accustomed to going to restaurants as well as curating meals using tip-top

produce from the industry’s finest. Hence, a new opportunity has arisen.

The team behind Sydney restaurants

Ragazzi, Dear Sainte Éloise and Love,

Tilly Devine lasered in on a gap in the

market for a venue that walks the line

between a produce hub, bar, deli, bakery, development space … the list goes on.

Chef Scott McComas-Williams and

sommelier Matt Swieboda talk to

Hospitality about their newest venture,

Fabbrica — a concept that’s very much a product of our new world.

Italian pasta bar Ragazzi opened its doors

in late 2019, with Scott McComas-Williams heading up the venue as executive chef.

restaurants across the country, Ragazzi

“We had a good product people were keen on.

It sparked the confidence we could actually launch this as a separate venture.”

– Scott McComasWilliams

closed when dining in was no longer

permitted, but it wasn’t long before the

team came up with an alternative — pasta packs. “We had to shut the restaurant and we were focusing all our time on

making fresh pasta and sauces,” says the chef and co-owner. “We realised it could

be done well and we had a good product

people were keen on. It was cool because you got a free hit at trying something

out while we were closed. It sparked the

confidence we could actually launch this as a separate venture.”

The success of Ragazzi’s fresh pasta and

sauce combos green-lit Fabbrica, but the

concept had been floated pre-COVID-19.

“It was an idea we had spoken about

before the viral outbreak, but once we

had to shut the restaurants, we started

exploring different business models we

could work towards,” says Matt Swieboda, sommelier and co-owner.

October 2020 | 47

FEATURE // Spin-offs

“For those who are adventurous, the current climate offers a lot of opportunity.”

– Matt Swieboda

Fabbrica has recently opened its doors on

retail,” says Swieboda. “The guys are also

a lot going for it. Fresh pasta is sold by

people can watch.”

King Street in Sydney’s CBD, and it’s got the gram, ragus and sauces abound and

Chefs from the group’s portfolio will all use Fabbrica’s kitchen for dish development

commercial kitchen in the middle of

they share a common link — they’re all

the heart of the city due to its proximity

ingredients you need to make a cracking pasta dish. “Everybody is entertaining a lot more in their homes than they were historically,” says Swieboda. “Everyone wants to create food that’s as good as

what they’re enjoying in restaurants. We’re [giving] them an opportunity to do that.”

But Fabbrica isn’t just a ‘grocery’ hub. The venue also has a bar, small dining space

and a large kitchen. In other words, it has Breads will now be baked in-house

A short dine-in menu will rotate daily

universal appeal to both customers and the

nowhere, but settled on a location in

to the group’s sister venues. Chefs from Ragazzi, Dear Sainte Éloise and Love,

Tilly Devine are all able to use the space for production and the development of

new dishes. “You can’t swing a golf club in Ragazzi’s kitchen, so it’s nice to have

a space where we can invest money into

some bigger kit like a combi oven and big mixers for doughs, breads and pastries,” says McComas-Williams.

Swieboda says it’s been a game-changer,

team using the space. “We have the pasta

not only in terms of creativity, but

which is a more immersive experience for

things at our other venues we weren’t able

making happening in the background,

the customers, and the front of the shop is 48 | Hospitality

The team considered hiring out a

there’s plenty of wine, anchovies, oils,

cured meats and cheeses to go around. But

Ragazzi sold pasta packs through a number of outlets during the dinein shutdown including DRNKS

breaking down whole pigs and goats and

productivity. “It’s going to help us achieve

to do,” he says. “For instance, we can bring

FEATURE // Spin-offs

“It’s difficult for people to forecast

what’s going to happen in the world at the moment,” says Swieboda. “But for those

who are adventurous, the current climate offers a lot of opportunity. Landlords are

keen to get operators in and that market is really good for operators. There have

been a lot of changes to the way people

use the city and conduct their day-to-day

into guanciale and the loin can go to Dear Sainte Éloise for a dish. We can create

a number of retailers and the acquisition of some new staff — which has actually been a breeze for once. “Staffing has always

been the biggest issue, but it’s been one

of the less-stressful tasks at the moment,” says McComas-Williams.

While Fabbrica will of course be

connected to Ragazzi, the venue is going

how those changes might result in business

to do something different and let it

opportunities. It’s causing a lot of people to

sandwiches at Fabbrica, we can cure it

with Ragazzi’s pasta packs set to be sold by

lives, but it could be a really interesting

time for people who might have an idea of

in a pig and use the belly for porchetta

Things are coming up roses for the group,

assess the hospitality business and how it

will work if the situation lingers for much longer. It’s an interesting time to diversify the way people run their businesses.”

to march to its own beat. “We decided have some more independence,” says

Swieboda. And there’s nothing better than a concept that stands on its own two feet

— especially when there’s fresh pasta and cured meats involved. ■

stocks for the entire group of restaurants

and run it around to everybody. We should be able to realise a more sophisticated

cuisine at the other restaurants because of this.”

While COVID has thrown a spanner in the works for many restaurateurs, opening a

venue during a pandemic has proven to be a ripe opportunity for the right concepts.

Landlords are willing to negotiate for

reliable tenants, tradies are looking for work and customers are relishing the

chance to support businesses during what has been an incredibly challenging year.

Launching a new venue is always a risk, but it’s been one worth taking for the Fabbrica team.

October 2020 | 49

FEATURE // Italian desserts

La dolce vita

Italian desserts range far and wide with regional variations galore, but one reigns supreme — gelato.

WORDS Madeline Woolway

ITALIAN CUISINE IS known for its

A trip from the north to the south of Italy

exception. Across the country, there are

Some will be familiar, having expanded

regionality, and its desserts are no

countless variations of sweet treats.

There are, however, some

commonalities: a respect of good produce and dedication to simplicity. Nowhere is this commitment more evident than in

gelato. Perhaps the country’s most famous dolci export, gelato is a common sighting

on Australian high streets and fine dining menus, but to do it well is an art.

Hospitality magazine speaks to

Ormeggio’s Alessandro Pavoni and

Piccolina Gelateria’s Sandra Foti about how to do just that.

50 | Hospitality

will reveal different desserts in each region.

“It’s about letting those ingredients shine through and not overcomplicating the gelato.”

– Sandra Foti

their reach beyond their home region — tiramisu, panna cotta and cannoli being

some of the most recognisable. Others will be a surprise, even to Italians. Desserts

that have spread throughout the country

still exhibit regional characteristics. Gelato is no exception, according to Sandra Foti,

who owns Melbourne’s Piccolina Gelateria.

“Gelato in the south is much creamier

[and] richer, whereas gelato in the north is

lighter,” explains Foti. “Granita in the south almost borders on sorbet. In the north, it’s icier.”

FEATURE // Italian desserts

For Alessandro Pavoni, the chef behind Sydney venues Ormeggio at The Spit,

Chiosco by Ormeggio and soon-to-open a’Mare, gelato and granita deserve the most attention.

“The most unique, I would say, is the

gelato and the granita,” he says. “I read in history books that granita probably came from Northern Africa to Sicily,

where it became gelato and then travelled through Italy.”

Gelato often draws (somewhat

uneducated) comparisons to ice cream,

but the simple dessert is quintessentially

Italian. “This is a comment on Italian food in general — they like clean flavours; to

let the individual flavours shine through,” says Foti. “Chocolate is just chocolate and hazelnut is just hazelnut — they don’t layer it with cookies and caramel.”

Honouring this tradition is what drove Foti

to launch Piccolina Gelateria in 2016. Foti’s family immigrated from the south of Italy in the ’50s and ’60s and her dad turned

gelato-making into a hobby. “We had really great traditional gelato at home and I

couldn’t find gelato like that anywhere,”

she says. “I remember having a lightbulb

moment and thinking, ‘Hang on, there’s a market for this’.”

The popularity of traditional gelato

has skyrocketed across Australia over the years. “Gelato is going through the same

growth as coffee was 20 years ago,” says Foti. “When I was little, you couldn’t get proper gelato in this country like you

can now. In the last five to 10 years, the category has definitely grown.”

It’s something Pavoni, who has been

making gelato at Ormeggio for 11 years,

decided to capitalise on when he and wife Anna relaunched Ormeggio at The Spit in

August this year. The dessert menu is now

entirely made up of coppa gelato — an ice cream sundae-esque dessert that allows

the kitchen team to make the most of their skillsets and creativity.

“Me and Giovanni Pilu [chef–owner

of Sydney’s Pilu] often go out for dinner in the city to different restaurants,” says Pavoni. “We never have dessert in the

restaurant. We have our meal then we

leave and go to a gelateria. So the idea came from there.”

52 | Hospitality

“Gelato could be really easy.

You buy the powders, add milk and put them in the machine. What we do is more complicated.”

– Alessandro Pavoni

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FEATURE // Italian desserts The reasoning, according to Pavoni, is

simple: “When you go to a restaurant and you have a big meal, you don’t want to

finish with a heavy chocolate cake. You

want to finish with something cold and hopefully acidic. Gelato has this effect; lighter, clean. I feel cakes and other

desserts are good for shorter meals or afternoon tea/morning tea.”

When it comes down to it, gelato offers

simplicity and a blank canvas, making it appropriate for all styles of venue. “You

but not cut corners and still give the

“Gelato is going through the same growth as coffee was 20 years ago.”

– Sandra Foti

can have a cone while you walk or you

consumer something that’s affordable and accessible,” says Foti.

Where are the margins lost? On

ingredients and labour. “I’ve got a kitchen full of pastry chefs, labour costs are high

and we’re selling a low-price item; you can get a scoop of ice cream for $5.”

It pays, though, to have highly skilled

pastry chefs committed to executing

patisserie techniques to exacting standards.

To achieve the right results, they need to

begin with quality ingredients. “We make

can have a very complicated dish based on

all the ingredients that go into the gelato,”

gelato. It’s a fantastic thing,” says Pavoni.

says Foti. “We make all the caramels

“Anyway you have it; it’s going to be

and the nut butters. We use really high-

bloody good.”

quality chocolates.”

There’s a caveat though — to be good,

It comes back to the Italian ethos —

it has to be done well. And the more

simple ingredients showcased with care

been bastardised.

those ingredients shine through and not

popular gelato has become, the more it’s

and attention to detail. “It’s about letting overcomplicating the gelato,” says Foti.

The gelato made by Piccolina Gelateria

“The salted caramel is pure salted caramel,

and Ormeggio is anything but. While it’s

the hazelnut is pure hazelnut. It’s not

possible to take pre-made pastes and add it

covered in layers of sauces. There are

to a machine along with milk, the product

some [at Piccolina] that do have toppings,

churned out won’t be the same as gelato

but the majority are pure gelato. It’s

made the traditional way.

traditional gelato that has been around for

The latter is a preoccupation of Foti’s,

who refuses to compromise despite the

extra costs. “I’m happy to make less money 54 | Hospitality

a hundred years and will be around for Sandra Foti Photo by Gareth Sobey

another hundred.”

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FEATURE // Italian desserts

Ormeggio at The Spit’s coppa gelato might include multiple components — it’s the

dessert menu at a fine diner after all — but the team applies the same attitude.

“Gelato could be really easy,” says

Pavoni. “You buy the powders, add milk and put them in the machine. What we do is more complicated. We make our

gianduja, which you make with paste from

hazelnuts. We buy unique Italian chocolate and blend it to the percentage we like. It’s taken years of trials. To make gelato with raw ingredients is an art.”

Pavoni’s business partner and fellow chef

Victor Moya runs the prep kitchen, which looks after gelato production. It’s Moya’s

job to design the gelato menu and create

new coppa dishes. So far, variations have ranged from fresh and fruity sorbets to

creamy, hazelnut gelatos. Each has roots in

Italian desserts and ingredients, with twists

“To make gelato with raw ingredients is an art.” – Alessandro Pavoni

providing texture and complexity.

them in different textures, with a chestnut

need to have skills to make caramel and

the traditional chestnut cake from Tuscany,”

classic amarena gelato and spins it with

it’s like if you make Italian meringue, you

“We did one inspired by castagnaccio,

says Pavoni. “My favourite one is a gelato made with Amalfi lemon. The inspiration comes from the delizia al limone.”

The dessert, which originated in Naples,

gelato as the base. A third coppa takes the buffalo yoghurt gelato. “Usually they do it

with milk,” says Pavoni. “We wanted more acidity, so we thought about yoghurt.”

After trialling different yoghurts, the

ganache and nut butters. It’s so precise, have to follow the recipe. Patisserie is

about following the recipe to the gram.

And it’s the same with gelato because it’s a patisserie product — there’s no room

features a sponge cake with custard made

team found buffalo yoghurt had the right

gelato with candied lemon inside, then to

(amarena fabbri, an artisanal variety

Pavoni and his team decided to study and

in layers of colour. “Then we wanted an

chefs, but I guess it’s very difficult,” says

from the thick-skinned citrus. “We do a

give it texture, we do an Italian meringue

on top which we burn tableside and finish with lemon zest,” says Pavoni.

For the castagnaccio-inspired coppa, the

team thought about the elements that make the Tuscan cake what it is and reimagined

balance of acidity and fat. The sour cherries from Italy) are folded through, resulting acidity that’s also sweet, so we use a 25year aged balsamic vinegar from Reggio

Emilia,” says Pavoni. “It’s the cherry on the cake for this coppa.”

Gelato requires more than inspiration.

The machinery is easy to find, but costly.

“It’s some of the most expensive,” says

Pavoni. “If you want to make good gelato in a small restaurant, you have to spend $20,000-plus for a small machine. We

spent about $100,000 because we have different machines. That’s the thing for

anyone who wants to do good gelato in a restaurant; the investment is high.”

Once chefs have the methods down pat,

processes can be standardised to save time.

However, it’s still a technical feat requiring

With pastry chefs already on board,

learn the art themselves. “I didn’t look for Pavoni. “Mostly people buy products premade. If you wanted to open a gelateria next week, you could, to be honest.”

That might be the case, but Pavoni

says the end result could never compare — a fact Foti is all too aware of. At first

convincing trained pastry chefs to work in a gelateria was difficult, but over

time, Piccolina has built a reputation.

“Traditionally, people don’t think,

‘I’m a pastry chef, I’ll go and work in a gelataria’,” says Foti. “People don’t

understand the patisserie element in

producing gelato the way we do. As we’ve grown people can see and appreciate what we’re about, and now we have amazing chefs.”

If the category continues to grow in

highly skilled pastry chefs.

Australia at the same rate it has over the

our kitchen, because all the components

country’s talent will try their hand at the

“We’ve got pastry chefs working in

are basically patisserie,” says Foti. “You 56 | Hospitality

for error.”

past five years, there’s hope more of the art of gelato. ■

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60 | Hospitality

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5 MINUTES WITH ... // Loretta Bolotin

Loretta Bolotin Free to Feed Co-Founder Loretta Bolotin on starting a social enterprise, how the business model works for hospitality and what others can do to help.

PHOTOGRAPHY Katie Shanasy WE FOUNDED FREE to Feed in 2016

barriers to enter the labour market,

Feed is often their first job in Australia.

there should be so few opportunities

experience, training and generally

employment program, a transformation

because we didn’t understand why

for ordinary Australians to access the

enormous talent, wisdom and know-how of people seeking asylum and refuge in

receive invaluable employment

become more connected with the hospitality community.

It takes a lot of work to reconcile

By the time they leave our 12-month

has taken place: they are more informed, connected, prepared and usually

chomping at the bit to continue working

Australia. It seemed to us that this dearth

these two worlds [of hospitality and

a nation and it was keeping vulnerable

Natural? No. What we’ve found — in

our participants take into the industry.

hospitality has many of the characteristics

the hospitality industry can play in

was not helping our social cohesion as people languishing in unemployment.

The power of hospitality took us

completely by surprise. We were really

swept along by the incredible hospitality

experiences of our cooks, whether it was serving up curries to their whole village

in Sri Lanka or running a busy restaurant in Tehran. In addition to activating

social enterprise]. Is it possible? Yes!

our relatively short experience — is that of a social change vehicle: creating

spaces for sharing culture and ideas

and traditions. This potential has to be

balanced with the fact that hospitality is a demanding industry into which to thrust

in hospitality.

Free to Feed is the first step many of

We see an incredibly positive role that

continuing their employment, as research tells us that workforce participation is

the cornerstone to social and economic inclusion for newly arrived people.

Free to Feed provides a deeply

vulnerable people.

immersive 12-month employment

was the social glue to bring the two

the most resilient and hard-working

We would love to invite people from

never imagined.

evocative spaces for them, sometimes

great knowledge and talent, hospitality worlds together in a way we could have The food experiences and events

we create enable ordinary Australians to explore the authentic experiences

of people seeking asylum and refuge through their food knowledge and

stories. Our cooks, who ordinarily face 62 | Hospitality

While our participants are some of

people I know, kitchens can be very

embodying positive memories, sometimes challenging experiences. So, we work really hard everyday to balance out

experience with basic skills training. the industry to impart knowledge as

guest trainers. Participants emerge with increased confidence and experience to take on their next challenge.

■

For more information about getting

the sometimes hectic, chaotic nature

involved with Free to Feed and to

support for our participants. Free to

daniel@freeto.org or 0422 671 632.

of hospitality work with nurturing

support participants, contact Daniel on

Low admin fees Strong long-term returns

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