hospitalitymagazine.comfoodservicegateway.com.au/wp-content/uploads/hospitality-july-201… · ly...

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09No.674 July 2011

foodservice ■ accommodation ■ beverage ■ management

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

PUB CHEFWhy Paul Wilson is spending a lot of time in local watering holes

Tea on a highAussie appetites grow for afternoon delight


Tea on a high

Crank up the volumeSuccess is in the detail

with event catering

Austrians flex musclesAustrian wines build

local presence


with event catering


local presence

7chefs’ winter ideas for chicken, duck and quail

Look at the

Birdy

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VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.KRWW AFTFOODSERVICE.COM.AU

ON THE COVER:

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No.674 July 2011

foodservice � accommodation � beverage � management



Tea on a highAussie appetites growfor afternoon delight


Tea on a high


with event catering


local presence


with event catering


local presence

7chefs’ winter ideas for chicken, duck and quail

Look at the

Birdy

contents

AS I sat here at my desk try-ing to decide what topic tofocus on for my monthlynote to you, my dear readers,my mind kept wandering tofood, more precisely what Iwas going to eat for dinner.It’s a thought that often fillsmy head, even at the most in-appropriate moments. Frommy dinner musing I startedpondering on where I’d gofor dinner on the weekendand so on.

Anyway I decided to givein and turn this month’s raveinto a celebration of this in-dustry by recalling just a

handful of my memorablefoodservice experiences sofar this year. After all it is, asI sit here, only three days un-til the end of the financialyear so an opportune time toreview the year so far. Right?

Hmmm, well just on theweekend there was the oh sotender grilled calamari witha perfect ragu of white beans,with crispy slivers ofpancetta from the kitchen ofGuy Parkinson at newlyopened La Vespa restaurantin Charlestown on Newcas-tle’s southern beaches. Andthen the previous weekend

there was the deliriouslygood salumi plate at Joe Var-getto’s Mezzo restaurant —prosciutto crudo, cacciatoresalami, house pickled cucum-bers, cured pork ‘bresaola’,and tuna carpaccio ‘la zin-gara’ — followed by some ofthe most succulent pork bel-ly I’d ever tasted.

Other recent memorablesinclude slow roasted lambshoulder at James Hird’sBuzo restaurant, the silkydumplings slurped whilewatching the chefs gothrough their paces at ChefsGallery, and the amazingpork and fennel sausage rollsconsumed at a table in thegritty surrounds of BourkeStreet Bakery’s Marrickvilleoutpost.

There was the magnificentRueben sandwich withcorned beef at the fine new

Felix Bistro, and all the deli-cious sharing morsels at Dis-trict Dining from the prawntoast, to the chicken wings tothe crispy quail eggs.

Eggs? Did someone sayeggs? Can’t forget that per-fect poached egg at Tam-worth’s Old Bell Tower cafe.

Common to all these wasfaultless service by front ofhouse staff who added to thejoy of being there.

Anyway, really this mostindulgent of all editorials isabout how brilliant thisgrand industry is and howmuch excellence is out therefrom operators with atten-tion to detail and passion forfood and people. Hey I loveyou all!

Editor’s Note

Rosemary Ryan

4 News$10,000 in 90 minutes forMelbourne chef.NSW restaurants face foodsafety deadline.

6 OpeningsThe latest new arrivals toopen their doors.

8 Mystery dinerWe visit Geoff Lindsay’snew Vietnamese.

10 WorkplacePlanning a staffrestructure?

14 Hospitality chefWhy is chef andrestaurateur Paul Wilsonhanging out in pubs?

18 ImbibeAustrian wine flexesmuscles on Aussie lists.

31 BurginEssential steps forsuccessful events.

32 Dr HospitalityYour hospitalitymanagement questionsanswered.

Features20 Tea on a highThe gentile and growingoccasion of high tea is inthe spotlight.

24 Watch the birdySeven top chefs share theirrecipes for warming winterways with duck, quail andchicken.

28 Turn up the volumeA new wave of operators israising the benchmark forevent catering.

Got to love some perfectly cookedduck don’t you? Well on the coverthis month we have a picture of abeautiful winter duck dish from themenu of chef Peter Robertson fromSydney restaurant Baroque Bistro.

Robertson is one of seven chefswho’ve contributed recipes to ourfeature celebrating the popularpoultry trio of duck, quail, andchicken.

Being a French bistro, Baroqueusually has duck on the menuRobertson told Hospitality when we

spoke to him for the feature.“Duck is consistently on our menu

at Baroque in some way or another.”Robertson said.

“It’s something that’s classicallyFrench.”

Also contributing to our focus onour fine feathered friends wasMezzo Bar and Grill’s JosephVargetto, Franco Choo’s StevenChoo, France-Soir’s Geraud Fabre,Aki’s Kumar Mahadevan, BittonCafé’s David Bitton and 400 gradi’sJohnny di Francesco.

3hospitalitymagazine.com.au hospitality | july 2011

PUBLISHER

Michelle Graves

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EDITOR

Rosemary Ryan

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news

4 hospitality | july 2011 hospitalitymagazine.com.au

AS EUROPEAN authoritiessearched for the causes of thedeadly e coli outbreak in Europelast month, Australian food safe-ty authorities said it also high-lighted the need for food han-dlers here to be vigilant aboutfood safety practices. The sourceof the bacteria in Germany wastraced to to raw salad shoots andseeds but it left a death toll ofmore than 23 and caused morethan 2000 people to fall ill.

In Australia the NSW FoodAuthortiy used the outbreak toremind local foodservice opera-tors and consumers to be vigilantwhen handling fresh produce. Itsaid it was a “timely reminder”for consumers and food handlersto follow the normal practice offood safety and hygiene whenpreparing and handling freshfruit and vegetables.

It urged foodservice operatorsto head to its website to checkout its range of food safety tipsfor ensuring the safety of freshfood.

Meanwhile, FSANZ said itwas working with the AustralianQuarantine and Inspection Ser-vice to assess the risks.

E coli scare promptslocal food warning

Awards

HOW does $10,000 for 90 minutes work sound? That’s what chefNicolas Poelaert achieved by winning this year’s FSAA CHEF of theYear national championship.

Poelaert, who operates Embrasse restaurant, and is a former TheAge Young Chef of the Year, beat defending champion, Soren Las-celles, from Sydney’s Assiette restaurant, along with the rest of thecompetition at the event held at industry event FSA Expo 2011 lastmonth.

More than 20 chefs went head to head over two days of the showin the competition. Their challenge was to come up with three sep-arate dishes from a mystery box of ingredients and prepare six servesof each for the judges in an hour and half.

Common throughout the boxes was a different cut of lamb thatthe chefs had to feature in all dishes. Poelaert (pictured) said thecompetition was a challenge. “It is a tough competition, it's prettystressful,” he told Hospitality magazine shortly after being an-nounced the winner. "But this will come in handy, I need some newchairs for the restaurant."

The French-born chef said his box had included some lamp rumpand lamb kidneys which he used in the three different dishes. "Thekidneys were a bit of a surprise," he said. "They aren’t somethingI use a lot."

Poelaert said his strategy had been to try to show off a variety ofdifferent techniques to produce some simple but creative dishes forthe judges. “You don’t have time to do anything too complicatedbut you need to come up with something different, outside the box."

$10,000 is all in a few hours work fortop Melbourne chef

HOSPITALITYMAGAZINE.COM.AU

MOST READ STORIES

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2Appetite for Excellence awardfinalists revealed

3Accor moves to strengthenappeal with growing Chinese

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4E coli outbreak emphasisesimportance of safe food

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5Sage named best ACTrestaurant

Source:hospitalitymagazine.com.au20 to 24 June, 2011

Chef Nicolas Poelaert was celebrating after picking up the big winner’s cheque

at this year’s FSAA CHEF of the Year competition.

A MACHINE from Winterhalter has become the firstcommercial glass washer to be granted certificationunder the Australian water savings program SmartWaterMark.

While energy and water ratings have long beenavailable for domestic machines, the Smart ApprovedWatermark certification of the machine is a first step forthe commercial ware washing sector here.

The Winterhalter UC Undercounter Commercial glasswashing unit received the approval after Winterhalterwas able to demonstrate that it uses around 2.2 litres ofwater per cycle, less than the maximum of three litresper wash allowed in guidelines.

Smart WaterMark is a national program that identifiesand certifies water saving products and services. It's a sister program to the WELS Star Rating for domesticappliances.

Smart Watermark chief executive officer Julian Gray said the Smart WaterMark for the Winterhalter unitmarked a milestone in the program. “It was identified that the hospitality sector needed independent assistancein recognising equipment that used water and in turn energy more efficiently — both offering benefits for ourenvironment and cost savings for their businesses,” he said.

Gray said the Smart WaterMark program had worked closely with Sydney Water to develop guidelines forcommercial glass washers, which were identified as a major water and energy user in the hospitality industry inAustralia.

Glass washer scores first in water saving tick

Winterhalter’s Brett Duffy and Cally Sheehan from Smart Water.


news

Legislation

THE NSW Food Authority is re-minding the foodservice industrythat time is ticking away for NewSouth Wales’ businesses to ap-point a Food Service Supervisor(FSS) and avoid being fined.

Businesses have until October 1to ensure they have a trained FSSon staff and to notify the relevantcouncil of who their FSS is.

A NSW Food Authorityspokesman said the take up rateby businesses had been “slowerthan we would like” and so want-ed to give a reminder to the indus-try about the deadline.

“If your business is a restaurant,takeaway, pub, club, catering serv-ice or bakery you must have at

least one trained and notified FSSby October 1 or you will be break-ing the law,” the spokesman said.

Restaurant and Catering Aus-tralian chief executive officer JohnHart urged foodservice businessesnot to risk prosecution by failingto be compliant by the start date.

“We know our members are allwell underway with this and thatthey know that they have to becompleted by the end of Septem-ber,” Hart said.

“We have promoted it a lot andthere have been great numbers go-ing through. But there will alwaysbe those that don’t [make thedeadline]. And they will risk beingprosecuted.”

To become a certified FSS, nom-inated staff need to completetraining within the Vocational Ed-ucation and Training system. Thelegislation also requires refreshertraining every five years.

The NSW Food Authority saidthe mandatory training was aimedat “adding an extra layer” to ini-tiatives already in place to reducefoodborne illness.

It said poor food handling ac-counts for more than a third offoodborne illness in NSW andcosts the community around$416m a year.

The new initiative brings NSWinto line with requirements inQueensland and Victoria.

NSW foodservice urged to act nowon new food safety requirement Top suppliers awarded

Some of the best suppliers keepingthe Australian foodservice industrymoving were honoured at the recentFoodservice Suppliers AssociationAustralia’s National Awards ofExcellence. Making the trip to thewinners’ podium were Bidvest,Foodservice Central, Superior FoodServices, QFFS, Max Stocks WholesaleFoodservice, PFD Foodservices, AsianUnited Food Service, Sealanes,Craven Foods, Inghams Foodservice,Golden Circle, Australian Fine China,Comcater, Vanrooy, and the AusralianCulinary Federation.

Aussies hungry for infoMore than 70 per cent of Australianswant to know more about thenutritional content of their mealswhen eating out, with more than halfbelieving restaurants should beresponsible for providing nutritionalinformation on their offerings. Theinaugural Unilever Food SolutionsWorld Menu Report found almostthree quarters of Australians willchoose to eat with food operatorswho are more transparent about theingredients they handle. It also foundAustralians are most interested inknowing the fat (64 per cent), MSG(50 per cent) and sugar (49 per cent)content of their meals.

Munro is new AAA CEOThe Accommodation Association ofAustralia has lured the formerAustralian Hotels Association NSWchairman for the accommodationsector Richard Munro to become itsnew chief executive officer. Mostrecently the director of developmentAustralia/New Zealand/Pacific withWorld Hotels, Munro has more than20 years experience in the industry.

Meat sales slumpMeat sales across the countrydropped 10 to 15 per cent followingthe Four Corners program showingfootage of cruel cattle slaughteringpractices in Indonesian abattoirs. TomMaguire of the Australian MeatIndustry Council, said he wasn’tsurprised the public had turned awayfrom meat. "Seeing what was theappalling...treatment of animalsupsets people's values,”he said.

in brief

The deadline for New South Wales foodservice businesses to ensure they

have a certified food safety supervisor on staff is approaching.

World’s top chefs head to Sydney for food festivalTHE CONTINGENT of top international chefsheading to Sydney for the annual World ChefShowcase that’s at the heart of the Crave SydneyInternational Food Festival in October has beenrevealed in all its glory.

Amongst the group who’ll be sharing their foodphilosophies and tips during the two day WorldChef Showcase program are the talents behind sixof the S Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants.

They include Alex Atala from Brazil, the SouthAmerican chef behind D.O.M restaurant (#7), DanielPatterson from Coi, San Francisco (#76), DavidChang from New York’s Momofuku SSam(#40) andMomofuku Ko (#65), and Argentinian MauraColagreco from Mirazu (#68).

They’ll be joined by Gabrielle Hamilton (pictured)from Prune restaurant in New York, who’s just beennamed Chef of the Year in the prestigious JamesBeard awards, and hot young Los Angeles chefsVinny Dotolo and Jon Shook.

They’ll be teaming up with some of our mostinnovative local chefs including Ben Milgate andBen Abrahanowicz (Bodega, Porteno), AndrewMcConnell (Cumulus, Cutler & Co, Golden Fields),Martin Benn (Sepia), Tony Bilson (Bilson’s), FrankCamorra (Movida), Philippa Sibley, Ben Shewry(Attica), Dan Hong (Ms G’s), Mark Best (Marque),Luke Nguyen (Red Lantern), Adriano Zumbo(Adriano Zumbo Patissier), Alex Herbert (Bird CowFish), Peter Gilmore (Quay) and Neil Perry.

openings


Chef and restaurateur Nino Zoccali’s latest venture is a stylishpizzeria and bar at the opposite end of level two of Sydney’shistoric Strand Arcade to his highly acclaimed Italian fine dinerPendolino. Be wowed by the food, wine and liqueurs as well asthe “ecclesiastic Italianate” space.

Opened: JuneCapacity: 100 in the main restaurant and a further 20 at the bar.Head chef: Nino ZoccaliFood: Authentic southern Italian food designed with plenty of passionfrom Zoccali and his team. Along with the thin based pizza there’s bakedpastas and traditional Neapolitan mains, including offal, baby octopusand truffled wild boar sausages. Plus Zoccali is working with salumemaster Vince Papandrea to create a range or artisan smallgoods that willbe on offer. In the bar is tasty small plates to pair with the 50 Italianliqueurs on the list.Address: Strand Arcade, Sydney CBD

La Rosa Bar and Pizza

The team at Sydney’s Longrain has expanded the successfulrestaurant and launched a new little brother — Shortgrain — adownstairs licensed canteen and takeaway with an everchanging lunch board menu.

Opened: MayCapacity: Up to 20.Head chef: Martin BoetzFood: With its ‘streetstyle vibe’, Shortgrain is serving a daily changing,short and seasonal lunch menu featuring a selection of six to eightdifferent dishes that will always include a different curry and salad —think green curry of chicken with rice noodles and a prawn and smokedmussel salad with chilli nahm jim plus dishes like roast pork with Chinesebrcccoli and yellow bean — all priced under $20.Address: 10 Hunt Street (opposite Hotel Hollywood) Surry Hills, Sydney

The latest venture from the everexpanding The Press Club Group,St Katherine’s is a reflection of thecombined cultural backgrounds ofchefs George Calombaris andShane Delia. It’s packing them inwith rustic fare including plenty ofsucculent meat from the grill androtisserie.

Opened: MayCapacity: 150 downstairs in the restaurant and100 in the upstairs function room.Head chef: Paul DunlopFood: St Katherine’s embraces a contemporarysharing style menu, with a melding of ModernGreek, Turkish and Middle Eastern flavours. Aswell as meat and seafood from its custom-madeTurkish grill, fourteen spike rotisserie and a woodfired oven, there are signatures like Turkish lambdumplings, St Katherine's fried chicken, and CocaCola lamb ribs.Address: 26 Cotham Road, Kew, Melbourne

Shortgrain Canteen

St Katherine’s


review

MELBOURNE is not exactly bereft ofVietnamese dining experiences, but inthe main they’re in the cheap andcheerful category sending steamingbowls of pho and curry out to thehordes that flock in to the strips inRichmond, Footscray and other cen-tres of Asian food excellence. Not toomany of these establishments couldhold their head up as ‘high end’ andmany others struggle for ‘authentic’,but none of them is the least bit likeDandelion.Geoff Lindsay, latterly of Pearl, butwith a Melbourne food pedigree thatgoes back through Stella toStephanie’s, has applied his significant skill andexpertise to the Vietnamese domain with won-derful results.

Getting a table is the biggest issue with this newkid on an Elwood strip flush with restaurants,followed closely by getting a car park. My onlyreal criticism of Dandelion is that it’s hard to seefrom the road on a very dark and drizzly night.It’s all very well to get the designers in to makethe logo look cool, but it loses a little impact ifyou can’t see it. Moving on, we arrive and areshown to a table near the open kitchen in a spacethat is long, lean and with a planter box high-riseon the opposite wall to the bar providing a boun-tiful crop of mint, basil and other fresh and fra-grant herbs.

The menu comes with dining descriptions out-lining what the sections represent and with a brief‘how to’ guide on protocol. Some will find this abit over the top, but I found it instructive and use-ful. This is new dining and if you want the cus-tomer to savour the experience, then lead themfrom the beginning. The wine list eschews someof the ‘bigger’ wines by design. Not for this foodare the likes of shiraz, cab sav or even a fullchardonnay. A foreword to Grant Van Every’swine list explains that the food lends itself moreto aromatics and this keeps the delicate food asfocus. I find that it also has the dual benefit ofproviding a range of wine that is friendlier to thepocket. We choose a Kooyong “Beurrot” PinotGris ($58) and it provides a great foil to the fol-lowing delights.

First up the beloved and I have a swing at the‘Wrap and Roll Bar’ section of the menu. We

make a conscious decision to head toward thingsthat we wouldn’t normally have and so the likesof crispy soft shell crab, pork belly and duck areout. In are pancakes, chicken wings and beef. TheSizzling Coconut Pancake ($24) arrives first.Imagine making a pancake batter, swirling itaround the pan and allowing it to cook to acrispy, but not burnt texture. When done, fill thepan with sweet crab bits, slices of roast pork anda pile of beanshoots. Invert on a plate and voila,entrée. With it arrives a plate with a lettuce quar-ter, mint, basil and dipping sauces. Prise off a leaf,rip into the pancake, top with herbs, roll, dip, eat.Messy, crunchy, flavoursome and fun.

The Chicken Wings ($18) arrive as three fat,deep fried, frenched soldiers. Stuffed with blackmushroom and ginger before being rolled insesame seeds, they are startlingly hot and tasty toboot. Then comes the Betel wrapped Beef ‘Ba LaLot’. Minced Waygu portions about the size of a50 cent piece and as thick as your finger, weremoist and packing a real beefy flavour punch. Allgood. All fun.

Mains bring with them another plate of lettuceet al with the addition of noodles. These arejoined by a steaming bowl of Yellowtail King-fish ($33) in a Tumeric Curry with slices of greenpapaya, snake beans and sprigs of dill. The joyof quality kingfish is that it maintains great tex-ture when cooked in a dish such as this, avoid-ing the need to collapse as some other white fishdo. The flavours are lovely and we sop it up withthe baguette as instructed on the menu. From the

coconut grill we chose the Whole BabySpatchcock ($28) with flavourings ofgarlic, lemongrass and five spice. Thebird, like all other items on the ‘grill’section, is marinated in coconut wa-ter and papaya seeds to tenderise – thisseems to work a treat as our splayedand barbequed delight is moist as wellas tasty. We tear at it with our hands,squeeze the lemon cheek over, wrapthe meat in lettuce, dipped away atleisure and had a fine time.

Desserts are a representation ofsome of the more interesting thingsyou will see at street stalls in Vietnamand while the bride heads for the Ba-

nana Spring Rolls ($14), I choose the path of alittle sweet treat offering in the form of CashewNut Fudge and Ginger Chew ($5). The springrolls are finger thin, crunchy and very ba-nanaesque in the middle. They come with acleansing passionfruit sorbet. The fudge is greatand the ginger chews have the capacity to glueanyone’s mouth shut before softening and releas-ing a sensation that is at once sweet and hot in avery gingery way.

This is a terrific new entry to the dining scenein Melbourne. It adds a level of class and polishto a much loved food style. Is it as close toBangkok hawker food as some would want? No,but the hipsters and I (and other non hipstertypes) are flocking here for a great interpretationof Vietnamese food, served well. It’d going tothrive in a busy strip and deserves its success.

mysterydiner

DandelionThe latest venture from high profile chef Geoff Lindsay has been one of

the most hotly anticipated new Vietnamese restaurants Melbourne has

ever seen. Our masked diner battled drizzle and a difficult to spot

location for a taste of the spicy menu on offer.

Geoff LIndsay’s Dandelion.

The detailsDandelion133 Ormond Road,Elwood. Victoria03 9531 4900. Chef: Geoff Lindsay

Verdict: I’m already planning my next visit! Itmight not be as close to Bangkok hawker foodas some would want but this is a greatinterpretation of Vietnamese food, served wellin a restaurant that is delivering a cool, lived invibe.Website: dandelion.ws


workplace

BUSINESSES often need to adaptand change in order to remain com-petitive. Such changes may call for areshuffle or even complete overhaulof staff utilisation. However, an em-ployer’s right to make decisionsabout the optimal levels and distri-bution of staff can be constrained bythe interests of employees and theirwork rights.

There exists an undisputed mana-gerial prerogative to implementworkforce change, introduce newtechnology, enact financial strin-gency measures, or commence reduc-tions in staffing. However, employ-ers need to be aware of theirlegislative obligations when seekingto implement such changes, especial-ly if they include major restructuresor redundancies.

ConsultationThe Fair Work Act (2009) (FWA) re-quires Modern Awards and Enter-prise Agreements to include a work-

place change employee consultationterm. The Modern Hospitality In-dustry (General) Award for exampleincludes a provision which requiresemployee notification and discussionregarding decisions which will ormay have a ‘significant effect’ on em-ployees.

The scope or significance of busi-ness decisions which will instigatethe requirement, or the extent of theconsultation required is not alwaysclear, but may include changes to thecomposition or size of the workforceincluding work hours, transfers orchange of location, and may requirewritten notification and consultationwith the employee or their represen-tative. Any business decision whichinvolves a significant number of re-dundancies will always be sufficientto trigger the consultation require-ment.

RedundancyIf an employer is considering redun-

dancies as part of their businesschange they need to be aware of theoften complex legislative provisionsrelating to this action.

The FWA indicates that any re-dundancy needs to be genuine, withthe specific job in question no longerrequired due to changes in opera-tional requirements. The redundan-cy must be related only to the busi-ness’s requirements, not on accountof any personal act or misconduct ofthe employee.

RedeploymentComplicating this, the FWA alsostipulates a requirement to preventpotential redundancy if and where itis reasonable to redeploy the employ-ee. What is reasonable is again oftendifficult to determine, and based onthe particular circumstances of thebusiness. Some unclear situations in-clude an offer of a lower paid, orlower responsibility role, an offer ofa position within another associat-

ed company, or offer of only a parttime position when previously em-ployed on a full time basis.

In implementing redundancies, theaforementioned employee consulta-tion is required, as well as provisionof a formal notice period, or pay-ment in lieu of notice. The value ofredundancy payment is identified inthe FWA at between four and sixteenweeks, determined by length of theemployees’ service.

There are some exemptions fromthe payment of redundancy, relatedto the size of business and length ofthe employees’service. Formal appli-cations are also available via FairWork Australia to request reductionsin the redundancy liability based onbusiness circumstances.

Temporary closureSome businesses operate on a season-al basis and close during low trading-months.Continued on page 34

Workforce change and redundancyPlanning a restructure of your business that will include an overhaul of your staff situation? Read on.

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secretingredients

newsextra

Uwe Habermehl — Sydney Convention & Exhibition CentreWith more than 20 years’ experience in Europe and Australia, this very

busy exec chef is the dynamic and creative force behind the food

operations at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. He took a

few minutes out of his schedule to speak to Hospitality magazine.

Can you give us a brief historyof your career so far?When I joined the SydneyConvention and Exhibition Centre(SCEC) in 1998, I’d only planned tostay a year or two but I found theenvironment so stimulating that, 11years later, I’m still here. My moveto the SCEC followed many yearsworking in fine dining and boutiqueresorts starting with my first job atthe Hilton International Munich in1986. A year later I moved to HiltonInternational London, marking thestart of a global career. After workingat the Sheraton Hotel and Towers inStockholm, I arrived in Australia in1989, taking on the role of chef departie and sous chef at the FairmontResort before moving to HamiltonIsland Resort. Following a two-yearstint at Lufthansa German Airlines inFrankfurt, I returned to Australia in1996 to work for P&O Resorts atCradle Mountain Lodge and HeronIsland Resort. Enticed by theprospect of working in a large-scaleculinary environment, I joined theSCEC.

What’s your favourite dish onyour menu?The entrée tasting plate – it givesyou many options with differentflavours in smaller portions. One ofthe combinations we offer is awhite tea confit pork belly, fivespice-dusted duck breast and warmoxtail confit pie but we regularlychange it depending on seasonalavailability.

What’s your favourite ingredientat the moment?Truffles from NSW. I can’t wait. Alsothe Titania chestnut-fed beeftenderloin for its texture, ageing,flavour — a great point of difference.Kohlrabi is not widely used but is afantastic winter vegetable with shortseason availability. It goes great withthe Titania chestnut-fed beef.

Apart from your own, what’syour favourite restaurant?Summer Salt in Cronulla.

And what’s your pick of themenu there?The twice cooked duck leg withorange and cassia bark glaze.

What’s been your mostmemorable food experience?While driving through the FlindersRanges one day I came across thePrairie Hotel, an old convertedrailway station. It was out of the wayand completely surprising andunexpected. The food is simple andrustic and the wine list issensational.

What do you think is the mostover-rated ingredient being usedon menus at the moment?Not necessarily an ingredient but Ithink molecular-gastronomy iscompletely over-rated. One shouldget the basics right and do themwell, like curing, rather than puttingon the rubber gloves and goggles tomake a meal.

The most indispensable piece ofequipment in your kitchen?It would have to be our vacuummachine for sure. The sous videmethod retains the flavour andmoisture and produces a very good

end product regardless of if you’recooking for 10 or 500 guests.

What will be the next bigfoodservice trend?Tasting plates, because of the varietyof flavours all on one plate for anynumber of guests. The interestingcombinations in small portions willbecome really popular.

You’ve just been handed $2m.How would you spend it on yourbusiness?I’d invest in technology to reduce thepaper trail and increase efficiencies,monitor the cooking process such ascooking a steak medium-rare andgetting it exactly on 58C. I’d also liketo get flat screen monitors for thekitchen with photos, recipes andwireless keyboards so that kitchenstaff can look up all their needs rightin front of them.

With the price of everythingrising what are your tips forkeeping costs under control inthe kitchen?Most importantly reduce waste, usetechnology, keep track of inventoryand work smarter, not harder. It alsohelps to use seasonal produce —changing ingredients with seasonalavailability. It’s also important tohave close relationships with highquality suppliers so you can get the

best produce and the best possibleprice.

What’s the key to keeping staffmotivated?Investing in training opportunitiesand giving staff ownership. We’restarting a cooking library and aknowledge-based system where staffcan share ideas and borrowcookbooks just like they would at aregular library. It keeps theminterested and enthusiastic.

Your dream hospitality gig?I haven’t achieved everything I’ve setout to achieve in my current role sothere is a lot more to do here and Idon’t want to become complacent.

Vent your spleen. What annoysyou about this business?People that don’t have a can-doattitude and chefs without a spark orpassion for what they do.

What would be on the menu atyour last supper?Home-made spaetzle with finelyshaved Grana Padano and trufflesmatched with Cristal champagnefollowed by Zokoko 75 per centcocoa chocolate with a sparklingpinot noir.

If you weren’t a chef you’d be…?…very bored.

8 egg yolks270g caster sugar600ml red wineZest of 1 orange1 vanilla bean2 whole cloves1 cinnamon quillPinch of nutmeg (freshly grated)450ml thickened creamLine mould with dessert rice paper.

Bring the red wine, orange zest and spices to the boiland reduce by half.Whisk egg yolk and sugar together over hot water untilthick and fluffy.Whisk cream and scraped vanilla bean together till softpeaks.Strain the red wine through a fine sieve.Fold egg mix, cream and red wine together until fullyincorporated.Pour in to mould and freeze. Best overnight.

Uwe Habermehl’s Mulled Wine Parfait

Paul Wilson leading the revolution in pub dining.


hospitalitychef

Paul Wilson would have to have oneof the most difficult jobs in Mel-bourne. Every day he’s faced with the

task of coming up with new and excitingconcepts for foodservice venues; conceptsthat are familiar enough to Melburnians soas not to scare them away, but still unique,original and enticing — something very im-portant in the city's ultra-competive diningscene.

Well known for his work in some of Mel-bourne’s most acclaimed restaurants, Wil-son is these days the head of Mr Wilson, therestaurant concept consultancy he founded,as well as the director (and soon to be part-ner) of the Pub Group, which last year sawthe opening of eight new venues includingthe Newmarket Hotel, Middle Park Hoteland Albert Park Hotel, and he's nowrenowned as being somewhat of a gastrop-ub guru, a dining scene that's a far cry fromwhere he spent his formative cheffing years.

Starting his apprenticeship at the StaffordHotel in London, Wilson went on to workat a plethora of high-end, luxurious hotelsin the UK including The Dorchester Hotel,the Ritz, Four Seasons and Hanbry manorwith Albert Roux. This was all before histime at Quaglino's restaurant, part of theempire of Sir Terence Conran, one of theworld's best known designers and restaura-teurs.

“He had the biggest influence on my ca-reer in terms of changing the style of mycooking and helping me to be more in-tunewith casual eating.” says Wilson. “My pre-vious career was very much grand hotels,fine dining and Michelin stars.”

Wilson came to Australia to help Conranopen a restaurant precinct and retail store inMelbourne called Georges. Later, after hefell in love with Melbourne, he decided tostay and spent time at the Park Hyatt be-fore he helped relaunch The Botanical, bothto much acclaim. He decided to venture outon his own, with the birth of Mr Wilson,about 18 months ago.

At the moment Wilson manages sevenkitchens in Melbourne, is doing work withthe Hilton group and is planning to purchaseand relaunch some existing pubs in Sydney,a city he believes has much potential.

The transition from glamorous hotels togastropubs isn't a step down, Wilson says,he’s simply following a growing trend in

‘You’ve got to look beyond Australiato have an impact here in Australia.’

Melbourne that has people still demandinggreat quality food and service, but in a morecasual setting.

“The market's changed dramatically andif you don't change with the market you getleft behind,” Wilson says. “Like any profes-sional person you want to keep doing thingsthat are credible, so if the market wants ca-sual food and eclectic food, then let's do itin a way that no one else has done it before.”

And food really is the focus in Melbourne,he insists, unlike Sydney which he believes ismore gaming and beverage orientated.

“Melbourne has always had a love for ho-tels and pubs, but not necessarily as diningvenues, more for drinking and sports be-cause of our sporting culture and the AFL,”

he says. “But over the past five years we'vebecome very food focussed. Since the smok-ing laws have changed, pub operators haverealised that they need to introduce new rev-enue streams and food is obviously a wayof keeping customers in the venue and drink-ing as well.”

Wilson sees gastropubs in Australia as theFrench see their brasseries, and believes agood gastropub is characterised by an inter-esting wine list, talented chefs that have ex-perience in Michelin-starred or hattedrestaurants, and interesting architecture.

“I don't see pubs and restaurants as dif-ferent at all,” he says. “I just see them as ven-ues where people want to eat and eat well.And the joy of the pub is that it's less for-mal and you can use it as you see fit. You'renot pigeonholed into an experience.”

Wilson says one of the most challengingparts of his job is coming up with uniquemenu concepts — something that’s very im-portant both because of the close proximi-ty of his venues and also to maintain the in-terest of the Pub Group's staff, who movearound from one pub to another. “Firstly Ilook at the location and the demographicof the area, so that would drive the pricepoint,” he says.

“Then I look at the size of the venue andwhat sort of cuisine would suit the size andthe market that it’s in. For example, at theNewmarket in St Kilda, it's a very young andeclectic area so we thought South American,Mexican, Californian cuisine would be real-ly appropriate because it suits that younger

Paul Wilson is KING OF THE PUBSChef Paul Wilson has been the name at the forefront of many Melbourne dining icons. Now he’s one of the

leaders transforming the food in Melbourne’s (and soon Sydney’s) pubs. By Danielle Bowling.

Pub food: the dining room at the Newmarket Hotel.

Paul’s picks

FAVOURITE FOOD-RELATED BOOK?Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escape.

FAVOURITE RESTAURANT?Il Pirata, on the Amalfi coast.

FAVOURITE PLACE TO SHOP FOR FOOD ANDINGREDIENTS?Any of our local markets in Melbourne, in particularly SouthMelbourne Market and Victoria Street, Richmond.

FAVOURITE MEAL EXPERIENCE?Barbecued live seafood over coconut husks on the beach atJimbaran Bay in Bali — with my wife at sunset.


hospitalitychef

crowd that like to share items, and it's a foodculture that goes well with drinks.”

But over at Middle Park Hotel, the crowdis older, a little bit more mainstream andwith a strong sporting focus, so Wilson's"retro" menu items include scotch eggs,chicken kiev and prawn cocktails.

Finding inspiration for new restaurantconcepts and menu ideas is difficult, saysWilson, but travelling around the world and

going back to Europe every two years cer-tainly helps.

“If you're a food lover you're alwaysproactive in what's happening in the worldand you're always researching, buying cook-books and looking to others,” he says.“You've got to look beyond Australia tohave an impact here in Australia.”

And while Wilson does his best to makehis menus as individual as possible, there are

some common themes. “Food writers al-ways say, 'it's a typical Paul Wilson menu'because it's a big menu with lots of choice,a strong meat focus, and it's holistic.

“At the Albert Park Hotel all the seafoodis sustainable, we always have a message. Atthe Middle Park we introduce a lot of rarebreeds and we only use Victorian produce,and the same goes with the Newmarket,only Victorian produce. We highlight any-

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thing that's ethically correct.“The menus are diverse but they

have a strong ethical message as wellas an interest in heritage and a specif-ic identity. I think that's why our ho-tels do well in Melbourne, because thefood is delicious and we use great in-

gredients and we buy locally.“If you buy locally you're buying

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“It's not just food to make money,it's food that tells a story.”

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“It's peak season for apples, look outfor heritage or sour varieties to makethis lovely apple tart,” Paul Wilson

Caramelised apples:1.5kg Granny Smith apples1/2 litre apple juice1kg sugar1tbspn glucose250g unsalted butter, sliced25ml calvados50ml vegetable oil

Cinnamon ice cream:2 vanilla pods, split and scraped3 cinnamon quills, smashed20ml calvados500ml whole milk500ml double cream12 large free range egg yolks

Tart base:150g caster sugar70g cool melted butter2 whole eggs67g creme fraiche120g plain flour65g sultanas, pre-soaked in calvadosor cider

Caramelised applesCombine sugar, apple juice, calvadosand glucose and bring to the boil forroughly 15 minutes to a rich caramel,350 degrees on a sugarthermometer. Add butter and reducethe heat slightly and keep warm.Peel and slice apples. Cut width-waysin half, leaving the core which youcan remove once the apples arecooked. Heat a large frying pan withvegetable oil and fry the apple halveson both sides for about 30 secondsuntil evenly browned, in two or threebatches. Drain the apples in acolander as you go. Once they are alllightly cooked increase the heat ofthe caramel to 375 degrees, thenplace the apples in a deep heatprooftray and pour the rich caramel overthe apples. Allow to steep in thecaramel for 15 minutes. Don't leavethe apples in the caramel too long,otherwise they will overcook.

Take your individual baking tins andlightly butter and line with agreaseproof paper circle.Drain your apples from the carameland place a generous spoon ofcaramel in each mould. Place theapple in the centre, top with a littlemore caramel and allow to cool. Thiscan be done a day or so in advance ifyou wish.

Cinnamon ice creamWarm milk, cream, vanilla andcrushed cinnamon quills with 50g ofsugar, do not boil. Add calvados toegg yolks, sugar and whisk until paleand creamy. Almost bring infusedcream to the boil. Ladle smallquantities into the egg yolk mixture,whisking as you go. Complete thisgradually or it will scramble theeggs. Add mixture to a wide deepishpan so the heat is transferred evenly.Gradually warm the custard, stirringconstantly with a wooden spoonuntil it begins to coat the back of thespoon. Pass through a fine sieve andchill quickly, over ice is best. Churn asyour ice cream manufacturermachine recommends.

The tartCombine eggs, sugar, butter andcrème fraiche, whisk until smooth.Gradually sieve flour and mix to athickish batter. Add your soakedsultanas. Allow to rest for at leastthree hours or overnight.Pre-heat your oven to 170 degrees.Pipe a 2cm high round of cakemixture on top of the apples in themoulds and bake for 15 minutes.Allow to settle once cooked, andthen invert on to serving dishes.Glaze with some caramel and topwith cinnamon ice cream.

Paul’s Upside Down Apple Tart


imbibe

The Austrian wines that An-dreas Puhar sells through hiswine import business, Enote-

ca Sydney, and his Sydney CBDrestaurant, deVine, have a dedicat-ed following. But Puhar is the first toadmit “it’s a small drop in a largeocean”. “Austrian wines are worldclass but Australians are not familiarwith them,” he said. “It’s not farfrom Syrah to Shiraz but it’s a longway to Blaufränkisch.”

According to Puhar, one of themain barriers for consumers is inpronouncing the names of Austria’spopular grape varieties. Names suchas Grüner Veltliner, Zweigelt andBlaufränkisch don’t roll easily off thetongue for most consumers. “Grün-er Veltliner is the one they strugglewith because of the pronunciation,”he said. “Once they drink it, it’s fan-tastic.”

As well as importing an extensiveselection of wines, Enoteca Sydneyrepresents a diverse selection of Aus-trian labels, including Schloss Gob-elsburg, Hiedler and Hirsch, fromthe Kamptal region; Alzinger, RudiPichler and Johann Donabaum, fromWachau; Wenzel, Gesellmann andNittnaus, from Burgenland; andHeinrich Hartl and Schneider, fromNiederoesterreich (Lower Austria).

Puhar says Austrian reds are get-ting good press but it’s mostly Aus-trian whites you’ll see on Australianrestaurant menus. His imports fromAustria are about 80 to 20 in favourof whites. “Sommeliers are very re-ceptive to Austrian wines, especiallythe experienced ones, but the chal-lenge is in convincing their customersto try them,” he said.

Aria sommelier, Matthew Dunne,has several dozen Austrian wines onthe restaurant’s award-winning winelist, most of them Riesling and Grün-er Veltliner, but also a couple of redsincluding Schneider Reserve St Lau-rent, a Burgundian-style wine fromLower Austria, and Nittnaus Kalkund Schiefer, a BurgenlandBlaufränkisch from one of Austria’sred pioneers.

Riesling and Grüner Veltliner alsodominate the Austrian wines on thelist at Rockpool in Sydney, though

there is also a Mantlerhof GelberMuskateller, a full bodied white fromLower Austria, and Kurt Angerer, aPinot Noir from the Kamptal region.

Sydney’s Shangri-La Hotel has aclose connection to Austria throughits general manager, Austrian-bornFranz Donhauser. Jeremy Burke,sommelier in the hotel’s Altituderestaurant, said they aim to servewines that complement their menufrom all regions around the globe,but there are currently two Austrianwhites and two Austrian reds ontheir list. These include HeidlerMaximum Riesling, Salomon Wei-den & Berg Grüner Veltliner, AndertPamhogna Cabernet Sauvignon andKummer Schuster Zweigelt.

Burke says the Zweigelt is a medi-um-bodied red wine that offers a realpoint of difference for Australiandiners. “The whites are my personalfavourites, particularly the dry Ries-lings and Grüner Veltliners,” saidBurke. “There seems to be quite abuzz around Grüner Veltliner winesand the Salomon Weiden & Berg,made by Bert Salomon, is wonderful.(It’s a) lovely single vineyard wine,medium to full bodied, dry with vi-brant citrus notes, peach and white

pepper. It makes an excellent accom-paniment with white-flesh fish.”

From August 1 to 6, the Shangri-La Hotel will host Taste Culture, awine and culinary week being held inconjunction with the Austrian Na-tional Tourist Office and AustrianAirlines. Chef Werner Pichlmaier,from Vienna’s renowned Hotel Sach-er, will collaborate with Altitude’schef de cuisine, Steven Krasicki, tocreate a six-course degustation menudesigned to complement speciallychosen Austrian wines.

A highlight of the culinary weekwill be a dinner hosted by managingdirector of the Austrian Wine Mar-keting Board, Willi Klinger. Klingeris the dynamic international face ofthe Austrian wine industry and forthe past five years has spearheadedits global expansion, including thepenetration of Austrian wines intothe Australian market.

He will also be present at a dinneron August 9 at the National Galleryof Victoria which will be coordinat-ed with an exclusive private viewingof Vienna: Art & Design there.

Klinger said although Austrianwine imports to Australia have comefrom a small base, they’ve increased

significantly in the past few years.Importers had achieved significant

on-premise market penetration, es-pecially in the eastern states, provid-ing an ideal platform for the Austri-an Wine Marketing Board to launchinto the next stage of its program toincrease exports to Australia.

When I met Willi Klinger in Aus-tria not long after he took over ashead of the marketing board, hespoke candidly about the impact of“the big scandal” in 1985, when itwas revealed that some wine brokershad been adulterating their wineswith diethylene glycol, or anti-freeze.

The scandal all but destroyed theexport market for Austrian wine, butKlinger says it was a turning pointfor the industry, prompting it toreposition itself as a producer ofquality wines. “There were 46,000grapegrowers in Austria...now thereare 23,000,” he said. “It took about10 years to recover.”

While the food-friendly GrünerVeltliner accounts for a third of thecountry’s production, its seductivereds, Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt andthe fruity cherry-like St Laurent,were becoming very popular.

“You couldn’t make a top 25 list[of Austrian wines] in 1986,”Klinger said. “Now you couldn’tconfine it to 300.”

Austrian wines boost Australian profileThey may have names that are hard for Australians to pronounce but those in the know urge you not to let

that stand in the way of including Austrian wines on your lists. By Christine Salins.

Willi Klinger is promoting the many merits of Austrian wines.

‘The whites are my personal favourites,particularly the dry Rieslings and GrünerVeltliners. There seems to be quite a buzzaround Grüner Veltliner wines.’

Aussies dabbling withAustrian varietiesDespite the willingness ofAustralian winemakers toexperiment with “alternative”grape varieties, only a few haveembraced the Austrian varieties.

Hahndorf Hill, in the AdelaideHills, and Lark Hill, in Canberra,produce lovely examples ofGrüner Veltliner that have beenwarmly received by Australiansommeliers.

Hahndorf Hill has also justreleased its 2009 Blaufränkisch.Aged for 11 months in French oak,it’s a smart full-bodied red thatprovides tthe perfect antidote towinter.

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Tea on a highThe rise of the high tea in Australian foodservice offers opportunities for

operators who know how to tap into what makes a good one. Danielle

Bowling spoke to some of the leaders in the gentile occasion.

High tea, the luxurious afternoondelight of having perfectlybrewed tea or coffee with an as-sortment of delicate sandwich-

es, scones and sweets, all in the company ofa few good friends, is experiencing a revivalin Australia at the moment.

Next month, tea giant Dilmah will behelping that revival along with its High TeaChallenge, a competition to determinewhich foodservice venues do this English tra-dition the best.

Owner of Sydney’s Flying Fish restaurant,chef Peter Kuruvita is one of the judges, andis excited about what the competition willdo for tea in Australia. Kuruvita, who grewup in Sri Lanka, is passionate about tea andsays that while high tea is steadily growingin popularity here, the focus is mostly on thefood.

“A lot of people have only emphasised thefood and high tea has kind of become a lit-tle bit bastardised, so what Dilmah is tryingto do is bring it back and help people to re-alise what tea is about,” Kuravita says.

“What we’re lacking here is a bit more ex-planation and a bit more of the story abouttea. The mystery and the romanticism of teais there, we just haven’t exposed it enoughto people.”

Flying Fish has a long list of teas on itsmenu, ranging from Rose with Vanilla, per-fect Ceylon, Berry Sensation, Gentle Mintyteas, Original Earl Grey and Italian Almond.

And unlike the way it’s predominantlyconsumed here in Australia, Kuruvita says,in general, teas aren’t supposed to be servedwith milk and sugar, they should be “en-joyed as they are, a beautiful beverage show-ing all of its natural beauty”.

This involves, as a general rule of thumb,three minutes of brewing time, using waterthat is a little bit less than boiling.

“In those three minutes you should becontemplating life, not dipping the tea baginto a cup of hot water and then throwingit away so all you’re drinking is hot water.”

Kuruvita sees great opportunities forrestaurateurs in high tea and is looking atways to include it in the offering at FlyingFish. He says high teas have been tradition-ally enjoyed at hotels where the kitchens arebigger and there’s more staff on hand toshare the workload.

“I haven’t put high tea on yet but I’m go-ing to try to build it in,” he says. “ I guesseveryone is looking for times in their serv-ice when they can do something else.”

Dennis Leslie, executive chef at the HiltonAdelaide, which will be both competing inand hosting the High Tea Challenge, agreesthat it’s easier for hotels to fit high tea intotheir service hours. “We’ve got a very, verybig kitchen run over three floors and we’vegot pastry chefs,” he says.

“It’s your typical French brigade kitchen

High tea at Lillianfels.


tea

that’s split up into different areas. Forus, high tea is just something that weincorporate into our every day work-load.”

At the moment, Hilton diners can

choose between the Sweet Delightshigh tea which comprises tea and cof-fee and a three tiered stand of fingersandwiches, mini quiche Florentines,fresh baked scones with jam and

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‘[The service] has got to be very attentive.People come to afternoon tea to bepampered.’

The perfect match"When you start talking abouttea, it's like you're talking aboutwine. You're talking aboutelevation, you're talking aboutsoil, you're talking about all ofthese things that come into winemaking and that same skill andpassion is there in tea making.That simple cup of tea, thatsimple tea bag has gone througha lot of process, and a lot of loveand care has gone into it."

Peter Kuruvita, owner ofSydney’s Flying Fish, is one ofAustralia's most passionate teaadvocates. He says like wine,matching tea to food iscompletely palette based and atFlying Fish has an extensive teaoffering which he says can bematched perfectly with a number of his dishes.

"Say you're having our Berry Sensation tea — you're not going to dosomething savoury with that. One of the things we've done is makebeautiful meringues and fold the tea leaves through the meringue prior tocooking and you get this beautiful berry sensation through it."

And teas aren't restricted to being matched with desserts or sweet treats,he adds. "I've crusted prawns with Orange Pekoes...and I've also usedOrange Pekoe and mixed it with chilli salt and put it on our signature dish,which is the seared yellow fin tuna with twice-cooked pork belly.”

Tea is a focus at Sydney’s The Loft as well where venue manager SarahRobinson describes the high tea as "casual yet stylish”. “It isn't all aboutsilver spoons and etiquette, but more about indulgence and great service,”she says.

The Loft’s tea menu includes 12 different teas — five black teas, threegreen teas and four herbal and fruit teas. “One of our favourites is theBuddah's Tears, made from unopened white pekoe buds and young leaveswhich are then hand-rolled into a sphere,” says Robinson.

“ When you place the buds into the water they open up beautifully in theteapot. We serve all our teas in glass teapots for this reason, the teas are justtoo beautiful to hide away. We also serve an iced version of one of our teas,the Turkish Apple. Some people prefer a cool more refreshing drink,especially in summer and the iced Turkish Apple is a great alternative to ahot tea.

“Our tea infused cocktails are a lot of fun too. Our mixologists havecreated five cocktails that are each based around one of our tea flavours. TheOolong Song for example is a combination of almond vodka, apricot brandyand Tuaca mixed with a chilled Citrus Punch tea and finished with lemon andmacerated apricots. The spirits in the cocktail are matched perfectly to the teaflavour."


tea

cream, chocolate dipped éclairs, baby dollcupcakes, lemon meringue tarts, rose andstrawberry sponge cake, berry friands andfruit tartlets.

Or if they didn’t pack their sweet tooththey can choose the High Society, which cutssome of the sugar out and replaces it withsavoury morsels including vodka curedocean trout, dried beef, sliced prosciutto, fin-ger sandwiches, pate, brioche, smokedsalmon quiches, and then the cupcakes,friands and tarts on the top tier.

“Going forward, I think we’re going to goa bit traditional and just go with one hightea, so scones with jam and cream on thebottom, assorted finger sandwiches, nice lit-tle mini friands, and cupcakes on top,”Leslie says.

“It’s not a customer-based response. Forus it’s a lot of work to put two products out,whereas we could just refine one productand do it really well.”

For Carl Middleton, executive chef at theBlue Mountains’ Lilianfels, refining the hightea offering is more than just serving up per-fectly brewed tea and the freshest, most de-licious sweets and sandwiches. It’s about of-fering the perfect ambience as well.

“It’s that relaxed lounge feel, open fires,lounges, someone playing the piano,” hesays. “If you have the right environment,then high tea is fantastic. You can’t just say,‘We want to do something in the afternoon,lets do high tea’, and put it in your café orrestaurant. It doesn’t have that same feel.”

High tea is about feeling pampered, so arelaxed and luxurious ambiance is impor-tant, says Middleton. And impeccable pres-entation and service is paramount.

“Presentation has got to be spot on,” hesays. “Everything needs to be clean. Yoursandwiches have got to be cut properly —no crusts left on. It’s got to be neat, every-thing has to basically look the same.”

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Depend on us forexpert advice.Freephone 1800 121 535 or visit www.skope.com.au

“And like any high end service, the staffhas to be well trained and look smart. It alladds to the look and feel of the restaurant aswell. It’s got to be very attentive. Peoplecome to afternoon tea to be pampered.”

Middleton says Lillianfels serves around200 high teas every weekend in its LoungeRoom. Its high tea package can come withor without champagne and includes somevery traditional high tea classics, such as

scones with homemade jam and cream, eggmayonnaise finger sandwiches and a sweetselection of crème brulee, opera cake, melt-ing moments, lemon tarts with Italianmeringue and homemade macarons.

While tradition is important when itcomes to high tea, National Gallery of Vic-toria head chef Selvana Chelvanaigum, saysshe likes to change what’s put on the threetiered stand with the seasons, and often likesto create links between her high teas and theexhibitions the gallery is hosting.

When Hospitality magazine spoke withChelvanaigum, a Viennese exhibition wason, so she was planning some interestingGerman-style cakes and pastries for thestand including a Chocolate and AppleGugelhupf. She says high tea represents ahuge opportunity for foodservice business-es, if you get it right.

“It works fantastically,” Chelvanaigumsays. “When you work the food costs andyou work the service it’s very good for thehospitality industry.”

It’s also a good opportunity to minimisewastage and make the most of foods thatyou might have on offer anyway.

“For example, if you’re cutting a slab ofcake and you have little bits left then that lit-tle bit that’s left is still nice and shouldn’t beput in the bin. It can be used as a petit four,and high tea is a petit four stand.”

Regardless of what you put on the stand,it all comes back to service. It’s the one thingyou must get right, every time.

“People come here to be looked after, tohave someone making sure the water in theirteapot is hot, to bring more hot water, to topup the sparkling wine,”Chelvanaigum says.

“They’re going to spend something liketwo and a half hours over their high tea soit’s important to go back to the customer, re-ally serve then well, make sure they’ve gotenough jam and cream.”

High tea at The Loft

Great chefs prefer cooking with natural gas

Cooking with natural gas delivers instant heat straight to the plate allowing you to cook meals to perfection every time. Choose natural gas and enjoy the convenience of having it piped directly from our network to your appliances.

Natural gas can also be used for energy efficient hot water, air conditioning, indoor heating and attractive outdoor heating for al fresco dining.

Call the natural gas hotline on 1800 007 427 (QLD) or 1300 001 001 (SA) and

ask for a Business Development Representative to contact you.

AP

TO1

50

/M2

Look at the

BirdyLook at the

Birdy

Peter Robertson’s Confit Leg of Duck .

As winter bites, popular poultry and game birds like duck, quail and chicken are warming

up cold weatther menus. We asked seven chefs for one of the favourite ways they are

using them to tempt their gueests. Read on for their tasty tips.

As winter bites, popular poultry and game birds like duck, quail and chicken are warming

up cold weatther menus. We asked seven chefs for one of the favourite ways they are

using them to tempt their gueests. Read on for their tasty tips.


poultry

CONFIT LEG OF DUCK, PARSNIP, ROAST ONION,NASTURTIUMFrom Peter RobertsonBaroque Bistro, The Rocks

"Duck is consistently on our menu at Baroque insome way or another — it’s something that’sclassically French. At the moment we have a dishon the menu with the leg and the breast. We do abrine for the breast and then we cook it sous videand then grill it. I find this limits the shrinkage.We’ll also do duck fat beurre noisettes and withall the trim we do duck rillettes for thecharcuterie, duck terrine, duck consomme. duckstock and duck sauce.” Peter Robertson

Serves 8

Confit50g salt flakesZest of a lemonZest of a limeZest of an orange1 clove of garlic, minced5g thyme, chopped1/2g five spice8 duck legs (as large as possible)200g duck fatCombine salt and seasonings, reserve. With asmall sharp knife remove the thigh bone of theduck to the first joint. Season with the saltmixture and reserve for four hours. Removeexcess seasonings from the duck and shape intouniform balls, place in a deep roasting dish justlarge enough to fit the legs, cover with duck fatand then foil. Confit at 85C for eight hours, allowto cool, remove the legs from the fat. (If you aredoing this in advance then leave the legs to coolcompletely in the fat as they can be stored for amuch longer time that way).

Vegetable garnish16 parsnips (as small as possible)3 large brown onions1 red onion130g red wine vinegar200g black currant juice16 nasturtium leaves (as small as possible, largerleafs have a stronger flavour).Peel the parsnips, trim to a uniform size. Blanchin boiling water for eight minutes then in a largesauté pan colour the parsnips in a small amountof grapeseed oil. Once coloured deglaze the panwith water then adjust seasoning and reserve.Peel the brown onions and cut each into sixsegments then arrange on a baking sheet,season and coat in grape seed oil, bake in ovenat 220C for 20 minutes or until tender andgolden. Peel the red onion and cut in half.Blanch in boiling water for six minutes thenbreak the onion apart into separate cups, coverwith red wine vinegar and blackcurrant juice,reserve. Pick nasturtium leaves into ice water,strain and reserve.

The sauce50g sugar150g liquor reserved from onions200g veal glaze1 ripe pearIn a small pan make a caramel with the sugarand then stop with the onion liquor. Reduce by3/4 then add veal glaze. Dice pear to a uniform0.5mm dice and add to sauce. Bring back tosimmer and reserve.

To finish:Place the duck legs on a baking sheet and colourin a 180C oven until golden brown. In the lastfive minutes, warm plates and garnish. Oncegolden arrange the duck on plates with onionsand parsnip, finish with sauce and nasturtium,serve immediately.

ROASTED DUCK BREAST, PUMPKINPUREE, OLIVE AND LIQUORICEFrom Joseph VargettoMezzo Bar and Grill, Melbourne

"We use a lot of duck at Mezzo. Obviously theduck leg, we confit that or slow cook it, we dolittle croquettes, we do ragu. We buy the wholeduck and use the bones to make sauces, the legsto do the braising and the breast grilled tomedium, and the neck for sausages. All thetrimmings and skins we render down to makeour duck fat which adds a luxurious softness andmoisture in your mouth when you use it. Withthis particular dish you have all the differenttextures and flavours that come together with thesweetness of the pumpkin puree. It’s one of thefavourites at the restaurant.” Joseph Vargetto

Serves 44 duck breast (180g), skin on

Duck poaching liquid300g brown sugar600g salt3 litres water2 cloves garlic200ml Marsala5g fennel seeds

Bring everything to the boil and then let it cooldown. Place the duck breast into the brine forone hour. Rinse the duck and dry out duck breaston trays with paper towels in the fridge for fivehours. Roast duck in oven preheated to 200C for10 minutes. Remove from oven and slice intofour and plate up.

Duck stock15kg duck bones4 carrots3 onions3 celery sticks1 bulb garlic2kg tomatoes1tblspn white peppercorns15 star anise4 bay leaf2L portBrown bones until golden. Strain off fat. Cara-melise mirepoix with peppercorns and star anise.Add tomatoes and cook down slowly. Add portand herbs. Reduce. Add bones, cover with water,bring to boil. Simmer slowly for six hours. Pass.

Pumpkin puree1 Jap pumpkin250g butter1 tbspn chestnut honey1 tbspn sherry vinegarSalt and pepperPlace a whole Jap pumpkin in the oven for twohours at 220C. Peel dark skin away, cut in halfand remove all the seeds. Hang the flesh in a finesift for 20 minutes. Place the pumpkin flesh in ablender with butter, maple syrup, vinegar andspices.

Liquorice powder15g ground star-anise300g black olives, pitted300g brown sugar45g ground almondsDry olives overnight at 80C. Sift almonds andsugar, dry for one hour at 80C, sift once more.Grind olives in grinder. Mix together

Olives100g green olives

Joseph Vargetto’s Duck Breast, Pumpkin Puree, Olive and Liquorice.


poultry

Quickly saute the green olives in a little olive oiland cracked black pepper.

Pumpkin seedsCook the pumpkin seeds in hot oil until they puffup, stirring continuously. Season with salt.

To assembleSpoon the pumpkin puree on the plate, add thesliced duck breast and gently sauce around.Sprinkle the liquorice around and position thegreen olives together with the pumpkin seeds.

BRAISED FREE RANGE DUCK INMARSALA AND ORANGE,MUSHROOMS, SOFT POLENTAFrom Steven ChooFranco Choos, Prahran

"As with all braises one of the most importantthings with this dish is to get that browninggoing to really get that flavour. It’s worthspending that extra few minutes on. Then makesure it’s cooked until it’s literally falling off thebone. I like the great flavour of duck, that slightlygamey flavour, and it’s not something that peoplecook often at home so when they go out they dolike to try it. It sells very well. It’s a premiumproduct though so I get the whole duck in andreally make the most of it." Steven Choo

1 free range duck (about 2 kg)3 tbspn vegetable oil2 carrots, roughly chopped1 onion, roughly chopped1 celery stalk, roughly chopped2 bay leaves200ml sweet Marsala2 oranges, zested and juiced1/4 cup (loose packed) flat leaf parsley, roughlychopped400g Swiss Brown mushrooms, sliced

2 tbspn saltSoft polenta, to serve.Rub salt all over duck. Heat one tablespoon of oilin a frying pan over medium heat and cook duckon both sides, breast-side first, until fat rendersand skin is golden brown. Remove duck (reservefat) and place aside.Heat 30ml duck fat in a large pot over medium-high heat, add vegetables. Stir occasionally untilcaramelised (five to seven minutes). Add Marsalaand deglaze pot, then add orange zest and juiceand bay leaves. Add duck, top up with enoughwater to cover and put on lid. Cook over lowheat, turning duck occasionally until tender andalmost falling from the bone. Remove lid and setaside to rest for about 30 minutes. Remove duck from braising liquid and when coolenough to handle, coarsely shred meat (discardbones, skin and sinew) and set aside. Skim layerof fat, then strain braising liquid and return topot on medium-high heat until reduced by aboutthree quarters or until it becomes thick enough tocoat the back of a spoon. Meanwhile, frymushrooms in remaining oil over medium heat.Add a tablespoon of water and continue fryinguntil mushrooms are tender. Season to taste andset aside. Add meat back into sauce and seasonto taste. Stir through mushrooms and parsleyand serve hot with soft polenta.

QUAIL WITH KIPFLER AND PARSLEYFrom Geraud FabreFrance-Soir, South Yarra

"Quail is such a versatile ingredient. It's 'meatier'than chicken and other poultry. It goes well witha huge variety of flavours, from berries andverjuice to grapes. It's preferable to be strong onthe seasoning and better to be slightlyundercooked rather than over. Focus on crispingup the skin and then worry about the cookingafter that. It grills, and pan fries really well. Itallows for a more sophisticated, delicatepresentation as it's a 'pretty' poultry."Geraud Fabre

1 quail, taken off carcass, end two joints of wingsremovedMarinate quail in olive oil, a little port and aspring of thyme overnight

110g Kipfler potatoes boiled in their skins untilcooked, then cut into discs3 generous pinches of chopped parsley2 tbsp butterFleur de selPepperPreheat oven to 200C. Melt the butter in a smallfrying pan. Add the sliced potatoes, toss to coat,season with salt and pepper and put in oven.Heat another pan, add a little vegetable oil,season the quail and put it in the pan skin-sidedown. When the skin has become nice and crispwith a good colour, turn it over and put it in theoven for a few minutes. Toss the potatoes againand return them to the stove. Sauté until theybecome golden and crispy. Add most of thechopped parsley, toss, check seasoning and putpotatoes in a small dish. By this time the quailshould be cooked. Take it out of the oven andplace on top of potatoes. Garnish with the rest ofthe chopped parsley and serve.

QUAIL PORICHADUFrom Kumar MahadevanAki's, Woolloomooloo

"Make sure you don’t overcook the quails withthis dish. They need to be moist inside.” KumarMahadevan

4 butterflied quails1 tbsp coriander powder1 tspn cumin powder1/2 tspn turmeric powderJuice of 1 lemon1 tspn chilli powder1 tspn garam masala powder1 tbspn vegetable oil1 tspn whole fennel seeds20 curry leaves1 tbspn ginger, crushed1 tspn fresh garlic, minced

Steven Choo’s Duck in Marsala and Orange.

Geraud Fabre’s Quail with Kipflers and Parsley.

Kumar Mahadevan’s Quail Porichado.


poultry

1 medium Spanish onion, sliced2 whole dried chillies1 potato, slicedSalt to tasteMarinate the quails by rubbing the dry powderedspices with the lemon juice, crushed ginger andgarlic. Set it aside for 20 minutes. Heat the oil ina pan and add the fennel seeds and the driedwhole chillies. Cook till the tips of the chilliesstart turning black. Then, add the sliced Spanishonion and cook till golden brown.While the onions are being cooked, flash fry thesliced potato and keep ready. In this mixture,cook and seal the quails. Towards the end, addthe curry leaves and fried potatoes and toss inthe pan.To finish, cook in the oven for four to fiveminutes and serve. Garnish with some fried curryleaves and ginger julienne.

GLAZED QUAIL WITH STIR FRYAPPLE & GINGERFrom David BittonBitton Café and Grocer, Alexandria

“We always have a couple of poultry dishesinspired by produce from our suppliers GameFarm. Currently we have our signature MoroccanSpice Chicken Sandwich, a Homemade SpicyChicken and Leek Pie, a Duck Confit and GlazedQuail with Spiced Apple and Ginger. Being aworking kitchen, we always try to use all parts ofthe poultry." David Bitton.

400g quail breasts50ml Bitton Asian dressing50ml Bitton chilli oil4 green apples3 passionfruit1/2 bunch coriander, roughly chopped50ml olive oil1 tbspn ginger, finely chopped or gratedMustard cress to garnishPlace the quail and the Asian dressing into abowl and combine well. Set aside for 30 mins orlonger. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples.Place them into a bowl and cover with water anda squeeze of lemon juice to prevent them fromturning brown. Place a large frying pan over ahigh heat and add the chilli oil. Place the applesinto the pan and cook, stirring for 30 seconds.Add the passionfruit pulp, coriander, salt andpepper and cook for a further 30 seconds.Remove from the heat and set aside.For the quail place a frying pan over a medium tohigh heat. Add the olive oil and ginger, sauté for30 seconds. Add the quail and cook for one ortwo minutes on each side.To serve, divide the apple mixture in the middleof four large plates. Arrange quail breasts on topof each and drizzle over a little of the jus left inthe pan. Garnish with mustard cress and servewith a green salad dressed with lemon dressing.

CHICKEN INVOLTINIFrom Johnny Di Francesco400 Gradi, East Brunswick“This is a very simple dish but it’s very popular

when we have it on the menu, and very good forfunctions. It has a unique flavour — it’s got thesmokiness of the scamorza that goes very wellwith the chicken. And it’s nice and juicy — thechicken is kept moist because of the cheese andthe fat of the prosciutto. We use organic chickensand just do very simple dishes. For the last fewweeks we’ve had a chicken soup, a chickenstracciatella, on the menu., which is pretty mucha chicken broth with chicken pieces with someegg added at the end. Johnny Di Francesco

Serves one1 chicken breast. 1 slice prosciutto 3 slices scamorza cheeseSalt pepperGarlic Olive oil, sage leaves, red wine Butterfly the chicken breast.On one side of the chicken place the scamorzacheese and spread some sage leaves across thecheese. Roll the chicken tightly. Wrap theprosciutto around the chicken and tie with somestring. Heat a pan and lightly saute garlic in oliveoil. Place the chicken into the pan and cookevenly by turning frequently. Add some red wineand reduce a little. Place into hot oven to finishoff cooking for five minutes. Slice and serve hot.

Every one of our products from entry level through to our premium range is quality assured for performance and safety.Every item that leaves our factory has been tested and is supported with a superior warranty and after sales service. Contact us today to find out how we can help you.

Depend on us forpeace of mind.Freephone 1800 121 535 or visit www.skope.com.au

David Bitton’s Glazed Quail with Apple and Ginger.

Johnny Di Francesco’s Chicken Involtini.


When top chef and restau-rateur Fiona Wright be-gan gathering the teamtogether to pitch for the

catering business of the National Gallery ofAustralia in Canberra 18 months ago therewas little doubt she was aiming to do some-thing very special when it came to the foodand service she wanted to be able to offer.

The pedigreed team included executivechef James Kidman, who had been headingup the kitchen at Sydney’s successful OttoRistorante, and general manager, MichaelGray, the former manager and maitre d’ atShannon Bennett’s celebrated fine diner Vuede Monde in Melbourne. Gray had previ-ously worked with Wright at her restaurantWaters Edge which they took to two hat sta-tus.

Last month Wright’s purpose built cater-ing company Ten and a Half grabbed theRestaurant and Catering Australia’s SavourAwards for Excellence Award for BestCaterer in the ACT for its work at the Na-tional Gallery, where functions can rangefrom a corporate lunch for ten to a spectac-ular function for 1200 guests at the brandnew Gandel Hall.

Ten and a Half is one of the new genera-tion of caterers in Australia who are settinghigh benchmarks for event catering with astrategy of delivering fresh seasonal restau-rant quality food and top level servicewhether they’re catering for a small lunch or

‘It’s littletouches —what welike to callsurprise anddelight —things youdo forguests thatmake itmemorable.’

or a major function.It’s a trend that’s in line with the expecta-

tions of today’s consumer, says Gray. “Ithink it certainly has changed when it comesto the focus on food by people.

“People are so much more passionateabout food and they put a huge emphasis onit in their lives. People know the differencebetween a good macaron and an averagemacaron and know what’s gone wrong. Andthis is something that is not going away andit’s driving choice when people are decidingwhere to hold special events in their lives.

“Whether it’s for ten or 400 or 1200 peo-ple they are hoping for a really impactfulfood and wine experience.”

“There’s a focus on freshness and bespokemenus — we’re finding people are less inter-ested in choosing things from packages andmore interested in giving us a brief and al-lowing us to put forward a proposal whichis wonderful from my point of view becausewe are able to really show off our skills inputting something together for them.

“Certainly I think the emphasis beingplaced on the food and wine experience is amajor and very positive change [in catering]that has happened in the last five years andI don’t see that trend going away. If anythingI see more prominence being put on thoseelements.

“And that’s why Fiona Wright brought onsomeone who is famous for the quality oftheir food and who did not necessarily have

a track record in being able to hit timingbenchmarks for big events on a major scaleand all the kind of criteria you would usu-ally bring into selecting a chef for this styleof operation. The focus was very much onbeing able to bring that restaurant aesthet-ic to the food rather than looking for thebanqueting safe option.”

They’re sentiments shared by chef GlenBacon who heads up the food operations atHayman Island which last year was namedAustralia’s best caterer at the R&CA SavourAwards for Excellence.

When Hospitality spoke to Bacon he wasfinalising menus and preparing for the re-opening of the Queensland resort which sus-tained major damage during Cyclone Yasiearlier this year.

The August relaunch will bring newly re-furbished dining outlets and all new menusincluding those for events that take place invarious sites around the resort from poolside to on the beach.

Bacon says the Hayman events teamworks to exceed expectations for guestsfrom the style and quality of the food to theservice and smoothness of the operation.

He says key to that is having a strongcommitment to the product and attention todetail. “It’s a team effort, having everyoneon the same wave length and determined todeliver a memorable experience,” he says.

“It’s not just the chef, it’s the floor staffwho are dealing with the guests, and it’s

Crank upTHE VOLUME

Catering for events small and large is a big opportunity for foodservice businesses but there’s growing

pressure to produce something out of the ordinary. Rosemary Ryan spoke to three leaders in the field.

Quality with numbers at

Sails at Lavender Bay.


When top chef and restau-rateur Fiona Wright be-gan gathering the teamtogether to pitch for the

catering business of the National Gallery ofAustralia in Canberra 18 months ago therewas little doubt she was aiming to do some-thing very special when it came to the foodand service she wanted to be able to offer.

The pedigreed team included executivechef James Kidman, who had been headingup the kitchen at Sydney’s successful OttoRistorante, and general manager, MichaelGray, the former manager and maitre d’ atShannon Bennett’s celebrated fine diner Vuede Monde in Melbourne. Gray had previ-ously worked with Wright at her restaurantWaters Edge which they took to two hat sta-tus.

Last month Wright’s purpose built cater-ing company Ten and a Half grabbed theRestaurant and Catering Australia’s SavourAwards for Excellence Award for BestCaterer in the ACT for its work at the Na-tional Gallery, where functions can rangefrom a corporate lunch for ten to a spectac-ular function for 1200 guests at the brandnew Gandel Hall.

Ten and a Half is one of the new genera-tion of caterers in Australia who are settinghigh benchmarks for event catering with astrategy of delivering fresh seasonal restau-rant quality food and top level servicewhether they’re catering for a small lunch or

‘It’s littletouches —what welike to callsurprise anddelight —things youdo forguests thatmake itmemorable.’

or a major function.It’s a trend that’s in line with the expecta-

tions of today’s consumer, says Gray. “Ithink it certainly has changed when it comesto the focus on food by people.

“People are so much more passionateabout food and they put a huge emphasis onit in their lives. People know the differencebetween a good macaron and an averagemacaron and know what’s gone wrong. Andthis is something that is not going away andit’s driving choice when people are decidingwhere to hold special events in their lives.

“Whether it’s for ten or 400 or 1200 peo-ple they are hoping for a really impactfulfood and wine experience.”

Gray says along with a focus on the fresh-ness of food people are also looking for be-spoke menus for their event. “We’re find-ing people are less interested in choosingthings from packages and more interested ingiving us a brief and allowing us to put for-ward a proposal which is wonderful frommy point of view because we are able to re-ally show off our skills in putting somethingtogether for them, he says..

“Certainly I think the emphasis beingplaced on the food and wine experience is amajor and very positive change [in catering]that’s happened in the last five years and Idon’t see that going away. If anything I seemore prominence being put on those ele-ments. And that’s why Fiona [Wright]brought on someone more famous for the

quality of their food but who maybe didn’tnecessarily have a track record in hitting tim-ing benchmarks for big events and all thekind of criteria you’d usually bring into se-lecting a chef for this style of operation. Thefocus was on being able to bring that restau-rant aesthetic to the food rather than look-ing for the banqueting safe option.”

They’re sentiments shared by chef GlennBacon, who heads up the food operations atHayman Island which last year was namedAustralia’s best caterer at the Restaurant andCatering’s Savour Awards for Excellence.

When Hospitality spoke to Bacon he wasfinalising menus and preparing for the re-opening of the Queensland resort which sus-tained major damage during Cyclone Yasiearlier this year.

The August relaunch will bring newly re-furbished dining outlets and all new menusincluding those for the large number ofevents that take place in various sites aroundthe resort from pool side to on the beach.

Bacon says the Hayman events teamworks to exceed expectations for guestsfrom the style and quality of the food to theservice and smoothness of the operation.

He says key to that is having a strongcommitment to the product and attention todetail. “It’s a team effort, having everyoneon the same wave length and determined todeliver a memorable experience,” he says.

“It’s not just the chef, it’s the floor staffwho are dealing with the guests, and it’s

Crank upTHE VOLUME

Catering for events small and large is a big opportunity for foodservice businesses but there’s growing

pressure to produce something out of the ordinary. Rosemary Ryan spoke to three leaders in the field.

Quality with numbers at

Sails at Lavender Bay.


eventplanning

little touches, what we like to call onthe island the ‘surprise and delight’, lit-tle things you do for your guests thatmake it memorable.”

Bacon said the focus for the menuis fresh and seasonal as well as touch-es of theatre thrown in. “One of thethings that’s popular is having sta-tions where people can graze around,combining some butler service withlittle stations where chefs are prepar-ing dishes, carving stations wherechefs are slicing up beautifullycooked wagyu or rump, or pasta sta-tions where chefs are preparing pas-ta with fresh seafood, or an oysterbar, and an affogato station wherebaristas are pouring espresso shotsand guests can select their favouriteliqueur.”

“People like it because it’s really get-ting away from the way people re-member it — the way it used to bewith canapes coming out of the darksomewhere. They get to interact withthe chefs and see the freshness of thefood.”

Diners’ desire for restaurant quali-ty food and top level service is work-ing in the favour of chef and restau-rateur Greg Anderson whose Sails onLavender Bay restaurant in Sydney ishugely popular for events, particular-ly weddings. “We probably do around25 weddings a year in the weddingseasons,” Anderson says.

“It’s very good for our business —they are very profitable. We have to do

it for the business, to be able to pro-vide the great location and the foodand service to our regular guests weneed to supplement our income withour function business.”

As well as good food and service,Anderson says one of the keys to hisstrategy for success has been that hedoesn’t charge extra for weddings.“It’s something that people are verysuspicious of with weddings. Theyknow that in some places as soon asthe word wedding is mentioned theprice goes up. We don’t do that – ourprices don’t change.

“The thing is there is a big differ-ence between a wedding for 100 anddoing normal service for 100 people— spending per head for a weddingis higher because it’s a celebratorything — they will drink more wine,they will say lets have a tequila after-wards so that’s why we don’t need tocharge extra.”

Anderson says a bonus of events isthe marketing benefits it can deliveras well. “We often find we have peo-ple who have come for a wedding ora function who will have loved it somuch, and loved the food and hadsuch a great experience that they willcome back just on a regular night,”he says. “Out of those 100 guestsyou might have only five per centwho’ve been to the restaurant be-fore...so if we do the very best foodand service for a wedding then weare going to get extra customers.”

Simple and elegant at Sails.


eventplanning

little touches, what we like to call onthe island the ‘surprise and delight’, lit-tle things you do for your guests thatmake it memorable.”

Bacon said the focus for the menuis fresh and seasonal as well as touch-es of theatre thrown in. “One of thethings that’s popular is having sta-tions where people can graze around,combining some butler service withlittle stations where chefs are prepar-ing dishes, carving stations wherechefs are slicing up beautifullycooked wagyu or rump, or pasta sta-tions where chefs are preparing pas-ta with fresh seafood, or an oysterbar, and an affogato station wherebaristas are pouring espresso shotsand guests can select their favouriteliqueur.”

“People like it because it’s really get-ting away from the way people re-member it — the way it used to bewith canapes coming out of the darksomewhere. They get to interact withthe chefs and see the freshness of thefood.”

Diners’ desire for restaurant quali-ty food and top level service is work-ing in the favour of chef and restau-rateur Greg Anderson whose Sails onLavender Bay restaurant in Sydney ishugely popular for events, particular-ly weddings. “We probably do around25 weddings a year in the weddingseasons,” Anderson says.

“It’s very good for our business —they are very profitable. We have to do

it for the business. To be able to pro-vide the great location and the foodand service to our regular guests weneed to supplement our income withour function business.”

As well as good food and service,Anderson says one of the keys to hisstrategy for success has been that hedoesn’t charge extra for weddings.“It’s something that people are verysuspicious of with weddings. Theyknow that in some places as soon asthe word ‘wedding’ is mentioned theprice goes up. We don’t do that – ourprices don’t change.

“The thing is there is a big differ-ence between a wedding for 100 anddoing normal service for 100 people— spending per head for a weddingis higher because it’s a celebratorything. They will drink more wine, theywill say lets have a tequila afterwardsso that’s why we don’t need to chargeextra.”

Anderson says a bonus of events isthe marketing benefits it can deliveras well. “We often find we have peo-ple who have come for a wedding ora function who will have loved it somuch, and loved the food and hadsuch a great experience that they willcome back just on a regular night,”he says. “Out of those 100 guestsyou might have only five per centwho’ve been to the restaurant be-fore...so if we do the very best foodand service for a wedding then weare going to get extra customers.”

Simple and elegant at Sails.


management

Attention to detail is the key to profitable eventsAre you equipped to make the most of the opportunities that events might be able to offer your business?

Here are Ken Burgin’s essential tips for meeting the expectations of your customers.

FUNCTIONS can be great business,and should be very profitable, nomatter what size your venue. Num-bers and costs are known in advanceand you get to serve large numbersat a fixed price.

But a lot can go wrong, so effi-cient systems are essential. Don’t letstaff frustrate potential customers.There are many different types ofclients, from anxious brides (andtheir parents), to community socials,birthday parties and celebrations.Then there are corporate clients,who have even less tolerance for er-ror and disorganisation. They alsospend considerably more money.

In a recent conversation with acorporate personal assistant her listof ‘pet hates’ had an all-too-familiarring. They ranged from having toomany points of contact and being“hand-balled” to different staffmembers, to anything being dirty,and background noise from akitchen (see the box for the full list).

These sins can be easily avoidedso check your systems to see whatcan be improved. Large four andfive star hotels own much of thiscorporate market, not because theycare more but because they are stick-lers for detail. There’s no reasonwhy you can’t grab a bigger slice ofthis lucrative market too.

If you want to audit the processfrom start to finish, roll out somepaper along a table (about two me-tres long) and start from the left,writing in all the steps from the firstphone call or email through to the'morning after'. This is another ex-ample of the 'Cycle of Service' andis a great way to see all the steps inthe process.

Gather up examples of the func-tion diaries, confirmation letters,template forms, post-it notes, in-voices etc, and place them in the se-quence that you use them. Howdoes it look? Is your Cycle of Serviceclear and complete, or missing someimportant steps? Is there unneces-sary duplication, or perhaps badlydesigned forms that are hard to reador understand? Here’s a ‘quick-fix’ list of items toimprove your performance:1 Have a one-page version of your

function menus widely available —online, at the counter and in func-tion rooms. Also mention your func-tion offering on your regular menu.How many people even know youoffer catering or special services?Make sure you tell them.2 Fast responses get the booking.Everyone wants it ‘yesterday’. Youhave 60 minutes to respond withyour packages and booking details.Have PDF menus ready to email (orfax), standard email replies ready tosend, and standard replies to com-mon requests, as well as a list ofthose Frequently Asked Questions.3 Tighten up your initial responses.That includes replying to inquiries,sending out information, speedyquotes, follow up calls and facilitytours. Many bookings are lost at thisearly stage. Measure your bookingsto inquiries percentage — your“strike rate”. How’s it looking?4 Facilities are always ready for in-spection. There’s nothing worsethan being shown a function roomthat doubles as a store room. Haveat least part of the room set, andgather up past photos into an im-pressive album — on an iPad, in abook, and also online.5 Special tactics for peak season. Ifyou can’t keep up with requests,have a form ready for customers tocomplete, providing the required in-formation including numbers, menustyle, dates, special needs and so on.Email this so they can return it, orput it online. This way you avoidgetting bogged down on the phonewith minor details. Wufoo.com is a

great service for creating onlineforms with email notification.6 Only one staff member talks aboutprices. Everyone wants to negotiate,and a slip of the tongue by an un-trained person can cause problems.Train your staff how to take the ini-tial inquiries — have a standardform for them to work to. Thenyour follow-up call or email willhandle the details.7 Cost, cost, cost. When you knowthe profit you’re making, you won’tbe under-charging or penny-pinch-ing with details, and you will handlethe inevitable discount request withmuch more confidence.8 Every booking has a signed agree-ment. Period. Too much money islost unnecessarily through no-showsor cancellations. Your agreementwill be friendly, but is very clearabout dates for final numbers, de-posits and payments — call it aHealth and Safety requirement ifneed be (and your agreement shouldmention some of those issues aswell, for example, responsible serv-ice of alcohol).9 Keep in touch, even if the inquir-er doesn’t make a booking. If theysay no, it may mean ‘not now’ ratherthan ‘no never’. Party organisers andthe office person with responsibili-ties for bookings are highly valuablecontacts. A regular follow-up emailwill produce results at a later stage.

Ken Burgin is a leading hospitalityindustry consultant. To find outmore visit profitablehospitality.comor call 1800 001 353.

‘Large four and fivestar hotels own muchof this corporatemarket, not becausethey care more butbecause they aresticklers for detail.’

PA’s pet hatesHere’s a list of a typical personal assistants’ pet hates when it comes tobooking an event with a caterer. Recognise any?• Numerous points of contact.• Being 'hand-balled' to different staff members to get answers.• Having to chase the venue for details.• People not following up on commitments.•Technical hitches with AV equipment.• Confusion over parking.• Background noise from the kitchen.• Unclear or incomplete agreements.• Dirty anything: washrooms/floors/table linen/crockery/cutlery• Debiting credit cards but not providing invoices.• No perceived care or concern for the event.


doctorhospitality

management

The sommelier is asking me to pay for attendanceat wine conferences and events. Is this reasonable? There are precious few standards for this prestigiousposition. But if you want to put one person in charge ofthe cellar, there are a lot of other tasks that they shouldbe doing very well. They include thorough staff training,accurate and helpful descriptions on the wine list, stockcontrol and turnover (compare the cost of weekly sales tothe total value you hold) and supplier negotiation. Whenthese are all handled to your satisfaction, industry eventscan be an appropriate reward, maybe with you taggingalong to also learn more.

The new apprentice is way too slow. We’ve tried tomake it work for more than six months but it’s gotto stop. I feel terrible about it. Can you help?This person is affecting everyone’s morale and costing alot of money. Chances are they also feel bad about it.Remember the old saying ‘slow to hire and quick to fire’.Document the standards that need to be met — howmuch prep they should do in an hour, what tasks theyshould carry out without assistance — and compare itwith what they do now. Talk to your industry associationand follow their guidance. Your other staff will absolutelyunderstand and thank you for it.

I’m the new food and beverage manager at a clubwhere I’ve discovered my staff are very set in theirways. Where do I start?First you’ll have to create a sense of urgency, and have aclear picture about what needs to be changed. You’veinherited a ‘B Team’ — the steady ones who turn up everyday and keep the doors open. Start to gather suggestionsfrom them, and share the figures, especially those thatshow the business’s weakness. Relate it back to thechange agenda. You also need to introduce measurablestandards. So it’s not just “work faster” but “each personneeds to be able to manage ten tables instead of eight”, or“we need to have all rooms ready by 10am, not 11am”.There may be staff changes, but try not to lose themainstays of your business. Skills can be taught andspeed increased, but good attitude is hard to find.

We’re thinking of taking over the bookshop nextdoor and combining it with our café. Do you thinkthis is a good idea?Are you crazy? The book trade is going through dramaticchanges, with large and small shops closing all the time.Bookshops need skilled management to be profitable,and a large amount of stock and working capital. They’realso very popular with shoplifters. Here’s another idea.Why not create a bookshop ‘atmosphere’ with shelves fullof quality second-hand books that people can borrow oradmire. It’s easy to create a quaint atmosphere and itmakes a real point of difference.

Do you have a burning question for the good doctor?We’d love to hear from you. Send it to him viaHospitality’s editor by [email protected]

Time for foodservice optimismIt’s time the Aussie foodservice business took its future by the

horns — and started charging more, says Tony Berry.

OH DEAR, how predictable it all is. Gloom, doom, bucket loads ofpessimism and inevitable predictions of bankruptcies, failures and theend of life as we know it.

It must be hell working for Restaurant & Catering Australia(R&CA). Perhaps its walls are painted black and its windows perma-nently darkened. How else can one explain the negative line that un-failingly runs through all its pronouncements? Naturally it was at itsgloomiest best with the recent national wage increase. It would be an-other nail in the industry’s coffin, pronounced R&CA chief executiveJohn Hart. Business closures, staff lay-offs and lack of profitabilitywere obligatory add-ons to Mr Hart’s doom-laden statement.

All of which seems on the face of things at odds with regular reports of industry growthand the rapid addition of new foodservice outlets up and down the country.

The vast expansion of foodservice outlets at Westfield Sydney is an example of the waythe sector is going gangbusters. This isn’t some grotty suburban food court but a so-calledfood atrium with big name chefs and price tags to match. Star City at Pyrmont is treading asimilar trail with its soon-to-be-opened fine dining precinct.

These aren’t tiny projects from those optimists whose friends tell them they should open arestaurant on the basis of the “divine” prawn risotto and “awesome” lemon cheesecake.They’re multi-million dollar ventures based on market research and projections of futuretrends. They would (or should) have taken into account increases in the cost of products andservices and factored in the wage rises that everyone knew were on the horizon. This sug-gests optimism rather than the pessimism and long-term confidence.

There is, of course, a downside to this view as the R&CA will be quick to inform anyoneprepared to listen. It’s the picture painted in its press release earlier this year that was snappedup by unquestioning media outlets which, as we know, always prefer bad news to good. Inone metro newspaper I saw it was used as a round about attempt to soften diners up for arise in menu prices and to explain why three Hobart restaurants were for sale, two of themwithout including any goodwill. There was no questioning of whether there might other fac-tors behind the owners’ decisions to sell. It was, following the R&CA line, simply a matterof rising wages and too cheap meals. This ignores a recent American Express survey findingthat more than two-thirds of Australians would be willing to pay more for the pleasure ofdining out.

The answer lies not in gnashing teeth and wailing, but in finding solutions and boxing clever.Or, to continue the pugilistic analogy, to take it on the chin and come out fighting.

What’s so fearful about demanding more for what is on the plate? Study the fashion pagesand see the prices the women in your life will pay for a flimsy bit of cloth. Note how muchthey pay for the scraps of leather on their feet. Check out the baubles dangling over their plate.Every item costs much more than anything you are asking for the food you set before them.Look at the guys, too, and tot up what they would have paid to fit themselves out. Think,too, of your customers’ home lives — of the computers, TV, cameras, recorders, stereos andthe like for which they think nothing of paying thousands of dollars.

Australia is a consumer-ridden, materialistic society, with a huge tendency to spend ratherthan save. The must-have mentality applies throughout retail. So why should foodservice beany different?

For too long we’ve allowed an attitude to exist that shows little appreciation of the ingre-dients and work that go into creating a restaurant meal. This applies at all levels and also ig-nores the added costs of providing tableware, cutlery and staff to create the meal and bringit to the table.

While massive boosters for the industry such as MasterChef, the growing cohort of tellychefs and the plethora of cookbook writers have had immense positive benefits, they all failto highlight the cost factor. It’s time this changed. They’re as much a part of the industry asthe high street cafes, neighbourhood BYOs and our fine dining outlets. Come on, everyone,spread the word: no more cheap eats otherwise none of us will survive.

For many years known to Hospitality readers by his nom de plume E S Scoffer, TonyBerry is a former editor of this magazine and has also been a travel editor, restaurantreviewer, chef and restaurateur. He’s also the world's fourth fastest half-marathoner for alltime in his current age group.


whatsnew

shelfspace

1 Crowntuff gets tougher.Crown Commercial has created itsbest-selling Conical andWashington beer glasses inCrowntuff fully-toughened glass.After having originally designedand released the Conical andWashington glasses to the marketback in the 1900s, Crown’s newoptions are also Weights andMeasures approved, each in 200ml,285ml and 425ml sizes. Headmasternucleated options are also availablein the 285ml and 425ml sizes forboth styles. Just like the otherCrowntuff options, the newproducts are four to six timesstronger than regular glass for lessbreakages and lowered ongoingreplacement costs, and also resistthermal shock.See crowncommercial.com.au

2 Byron coffee roaster addssyrups. Byron Bay coffee roasterBun Coffee has unveiled its ownrange of branded syrups in fourflavours — Caramel, Vanilla,Hazelnut and Chai — tocomplement its coffee products.Bun Coffee currently offers sevenpremium coffee blends as well as

organic teas and organic drinkingchocolate. Find out more about BunCoffee’s range at buncoffee.com.au

3 Saccaria coffee comes toAustralia. The name Saccariacoffee may not be familiar toAustralians but chances are you’llbe hearing a lot more about it inthe future. Saccaria, whichoriginated in Senigallia, Italy in1882 is now available in Australia inthree styles — Argento, Superioreand Prestige. See saccaria.com.auor phone Ross Francesca on 089314 3817 for a free tasting.

4 Putting the (easier) squeezeon garlic. The humble garlic presshas been given a designermakeover with award-winningresults. Kuhn Rikon’s Easy SqueezeGarlic Press was designed byrenowned Swiss designer, PhillipBeyeler, in an attempt to produce atool that’s easy to use and clean.The Easy Squeeze was awarded theGerman Design Plus Award thatrecognises the combination ofoutstanding aesthetics andfunctionality internationally andvoted best performing garlic press

by Cook’s Illustrated in the US.Featuring high qualityergonomically curved handles andstainless steel sieve the productrequires 60 per cent less effort touse than other presses, accordingto Kuhn Rikon. More informationcontact VGM on 1800 650 601.

5 Super auto coffee machines.Global Coffee Solutions haslaunched the latest technology insuper automatic coffee machineswith the unveiling of its Melitta c35.Backed by the national servicenetwork at GCS, the Melitta c35boasts a modern design with touch-screen colour display enabling youto serve customer specificcoffee/milk variations — fromespresso to cappuccino and caffèlattè, or even a decaffeinated basecoffee. Based on the Cafina Alphasuper-automatic coffee machine, thenew Melitta combines newtechnology and simple handlingwith the smallest possible footprintand is able to serve up to 200 cupsper hour of consistent café stylecoffee. For more information headto globalcoffee.com.au

6 Pacific West adds MSCcertified products. Frozenseafood supplier Pacific West hasbecome the first supplier to offerMarine Stewardship Council (MSC)certified tempura hake products tofoodservice providers in Australia.To be sold under the newSustainable Harvest brand, theproduct uses fish sourced from theMSC certified hake fishery in SouthAfrica. The products will bear theMSC blue ecolabel. Pacific Westproduct manager Neil Cane saidtempura fish is one of the flagshipproducts for Pacific West. “Ourcustomers can be assured that thenew MSC certified tempura hakeproducts are the same premiumquality as before, the onlydifference being that now we cantogether begin to meet the growingconsumer demand for sustainablysourced seafood in Australia, andcan play a positive role inprotecting seafood for the future.”For more head tosustainableharvest.com.au.

Got a new product? Send yourinformation and images [email protected]

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PRODUCTS

what’s on

hospitalitydiary

JULY21-24 Hotel + Hospitality Furnishings;Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Part of the annualFurnitex, this show features the latest in furnituredesigns, fabrics and finishes from local andinternational manufacturers.See furnitex.com.au

SEPTEMBER5-8 Fine Food Australia 2011; SydneyConvention and Exhibition Centre. Fine FoodAustralia is the country's largest gathering ofinternational food, drink and equipment for theretail, foodservice and hospitality industries.See: finefoodaustralia.com.au

11-13 Food, Hotel & Hospitality Arabia;Riyadh Convention & Exhibition Centre, SaudiArabia. Saudi Arabia's only business to businessexhibition dedicated to the hotel, hospitality andcatering sector. Find out more at fhh-arabia.com

11-14 Sydney BarShow Week; HordernPavilion, Moore Park, Sydney. The premier eventfor the business of bars with exhibitors,seminars, demonstrations and awards to

recognise the best in the business.See barshow.com.au

12-16 Australian HACCP Conference; RACVRoyal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, Queensland. The Australian HACCP Conference is the premierdiscussion forum for food industry professionalsinvolved in food safety. This year's conferencewill cover topics including building a food safetyculture in the workplace, emerging food safetyhazards, managing food safety disasters andfood safety and consumer concerns.See haccptown.com.au

OCTOBER27-29 Hotel, Hospitality & Food Sri Lanka;Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention CentreColombo. A new exhibition catering for thegrowing demands of hotel and restaurantsupplies in the hospitality and tourism industryin Sri Lanka and South Asia. To find out more seehhf-srilanka.com.

Continued from page 10In some circumstances businessesmay decide to close over a periodthat attracts higher labour costssuch as public holidays or periodswhere it is not commercially viableto trade. In these circumstances,staff need to be consulted in respectto the temporary closure period.

Modern Awards also provide foremployers to give four weeks noticerequiring employees to take theiraccrued annual leave entitlementsduring a part of close down of itsbusiness operations.

In making business changes thatmay include significant restructureor redundancies, employers will

need to be fully aware of the legisla-tive requirements relating to the im-plementation of that change, espe-cially relating to redundancies.

Where a redundancy is not con-sidered genuine, or reasonable re-deployment is not offered whereavailable, the employer may be ex-posed to a claim of unfair dismissal

and large penalties.

This article was written by theWorkplace Relations Team atRestaurant & Catering Australia.For more information you can contact the workplace relationsteam on 1300 722 878.

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NewsHome Reviews Products Features Profi les

5 – 8 SEPTEMBER 2011SYDNEY CONVENTION

AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

www.fi nefoodaustralia.com.au

food. IT’S MY BUSINESS.

Drive profi ts and create savings for your business by discovering new and innovative foodservice and hospitality products at Fine Food Australia, the largest food industry event in the country. Featuring over 1,000 exhibitors, this is your opportunity to meet face-to-face with thousands of industry specialists and take advantage of special trade deals.

For FREE entry, register online before 30 August 2011 at www.fi nefoodaustralia.com.au and enter priority code: HOSP$30 admission applies at the door for visitors that don’t pre-register online.

FR2588_HOSP

NEW IN 2011

Visit the New Product Showcase

(Hall 1 Mezzanine) to see the latest products

and innovations in foodservice, equipment and retail

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