RC December 2012

<How to keep your drinks list interesting with some hidden gems, page 24 <The software that drives the engine room of your restaurant, page 22 <Choosing the

right staff, page 10 <How to make Tuesday nights rock, page 13

Official Journal of

Restaurant & Catering

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Restaurant Catering

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Katrina Birchmeier and the team from Garagistas have brought the world to Tasmania in their award-

winning restaurant

Wisdom from Norberto Spagnolo &

Julie Messinger “Customers are the best

judge. You can't take advantage of them”

2010

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In this issue ...Upfront

4 From the Association Wishing you the best Christmas for your families and your businesses, from everyone at Restaurant & Catering!

6 News and events HOSTPLUS launches Cook for Your Career; Pink endorses Beppi’s in Sydney; check out the latest in Hospitality Design; and much, much more...

Wisdom

10 Hire educationIn this time of skills shortage, finding the right staff has been likened to an art form. Following some basic processes, the experts agree, remains the best method

13 Filling the voidHow do you turn slow Tuesdays into income-spinners and consolidate customer loyalty?

20 What I’ve learntThe owners of Norberto’s Buenos Aires Restaurant and Gaucho’s reveal what half a century of hospitality has taught them about running a restaurant

Stuff22 The engine room

How to grow your margins without lifting a finger. We investigate the latest back-of-house technology

24 Hidden gemsHow do you keep your drinks list interesting?

27 Product guideThe 2013 Restaurant & Catering magazine Product Guide: the best of the best products for the next year

38 Details Architect Chris Grinham of Humphrey + Edwards worked with Matt Moran and Peter Sullivan to give a once-fashionable Sydney venue a new lease of life

December 2012 $6.95 GST incl.

GARAGE BANDKatrina Birchmeier injected everything she learnt from years of world travel and top-class hospitality experience to her Hobart restaurant, Garagistes

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Restaurant & Catering magazine is published under licence on behalf of Restaurant & Catering by Engage Custom Media, Suite 4.08, The Cooperage, 56 Bowman Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009 www.engagemedia.com.au

Editorial Director: Rob Johnson Creative Director: Tim Donnellan Sub-editor: Kerryn RamsayContributors: Sharon Aris, Nicole Azzopardi, John Burfitt, Ben Canaider, Kellie Morle, Kerryn Ramsey, Danielle Veldre

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Restaurant & Catering Restaurant & Catering’s mission: To lead and represent the Australian restaurant and catering industry.

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Restaurant & Catering AustraliaSuite 17, 401 Pacific highway, Artarmon NSW 20641300 RCAuST (722 878) Ph: (02) 9966 0055. Fax: 1300 722 396,Web: www.restaurantcater.asn.auRestaurant Guide: www.restaurant.org.auCaterers Guide: www.caterer.org.auEmail: [email protected]

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and prosperous

Breaking inThe HOSTPLUS Cook for Your Career competition opens the industry’s doors to keen wannabe chefs

HOSTPLUS has announced the launch of the HOSTPLUS 2013 Cook For Your Career (C4YC) competition. The national cooking

competition is offering people, with or without cooking experience and of working age, the chance to win a full apprenticeship in one of Australia's award-winning restaurants.

Launched in 2011, the C4YC competi-tion not only gives people the opportunity to realise their dream of a career in the kitchen, but also endeavours to give the Australian hospitality industry a helping hand when it comes to finding and building quality chef talent. "Australia is renowned for having some of the best chefs and gastronomic experiences in the world and it's important we keep it that way. With our network of members and dedicated partners, C4YC was a natural progression to support the industry. It is a

great pleasure to be supporting the industry and the next generation of quality chefs," says HOSTPLUS CEO, David Elia.

Shane Delia, who has been involved in C4YC since inception, is one of the program's most vocal supporters. "If it weren't for initiatives like C4YC when I was a young chef I wouldn't have ended up where I have. I took

every chance to compete and whether it was win, lose or draw, I always got something out of it. Creating opportunities, like C4YC, for people enthusiastic about hospitality is the best way to continue to nurture and strengthen our industry," says Delia.

To find out more go online to www.cookfory-ourcareer.com.au.

News&events


Last year's C4YC winners Michael Frenkiel and Ryan Grant, with Adam D'Sylva.

In the chairFollowing the success of this year’s exhibition, which attracted more than 6000 visits, the AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR (AIFF) and co-located DECORATION + DESIGN will return to the Sydney Exhibition Centre from 6-8 February 2013.

Unveiling the latest furniture designs for commercial, residential and retail indus-tries, AIFF will offer visitors an opportunity to view the latest developments in their industry. In addition, DECORATION + DESIGN, Australia's premier interiors event, will showcase the newest furniture and furnishings available from industry leaders and exciting new designers worldwide, specialising in fabrics, soft furnishings, lighting, outdoor furnishings, objet d’art, artwork and more.

The popular HOTEL + HOSPITALITY FURNISHINGS feature will also appear again, offer-ing an array of designs and innovations in the hotel, motel, club and restaurant sector.

Find out more at www.aiff.net.au or www.decorationdesign.com.au.

In the pinkBack in November, Sydney restaurant Beppi’s got a wonderful publicity boost after 56 years in business when global pop star Pink tweeted that the restaurant was her favourite—to her (nearly) 12 million followers on Twitter.

Just goes to show that you don’t have to be the newest to be cool—just among the best.

Peter DoyleFifth Generation Restaurateur Peter Doyle @ The Quay

Choose a quality

experience

HOSTPLUS has worked with the hospitality industry for 24 years. So we’ve learnt it’s never just about the food – it’s about the whole experience. It’s why we go beyond super. With our financial literacy program to help members manage their money better. And our nationwide support services to help employers do what they do best – focus on their business. That’s why Peter Doyle @ The Quay and one million Australians choose HOSTPLUS. You can too at choosehostplus.com.au or call us on 1300 HOSTPLUS (1300 467 875).

The information in this document is general in nature and does not consider any of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this information, you should consider obtaining advice from a licensed financial adviser and consider the appropriateness of this information, having regard to your particular investment needs, objectives and financial situation. You should obtain a copy of the HOSTPLUS Product Disclosure Statement and consider the information contained in the Statement before making any decision about whether to acquire an interest in HOSTPLUS. Issued by Host-Plus Pty Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, AFSL No. 244392, RSEL No. L0000093, HOSTPLUS Superannuation Fund ABN 68 657 495 890, RSE No. R1000054. For further information on Chant West ratings visit http://www.hostplus.com.au/members/calculators/chant-west-disclaimer THEDMGROUP HOST7227/R&CAPG

HOST7227_R&CAPG_297x210mm_R&CAPG_01.indd 1 8/11/12 11:46 AM

News&events


Urbanspoon partners with Dimmi Urbanspoon, the leading mobile restaurant discovery application and reservation management system, has announced international expansion through partnerships with Dimmi and European leader Livebookings. Now, Urbanspoon diners worldwide will have the ability to book reservations at nearly 7000 restaurants with the addition of Livebookings and Dimmi reservation inventory.

“Our goal is to give diners the best tools along every step of their dining experience, from finding the right res-taurant, to making a reservation and giving feedback on their meal,” said Kara Nortman, senior vice-president of consumer businesses, CityGrid. “Partnering with other great compa-nies, like Dimmi and Livebookings, extends our reservations coverage

to millions of Urbanspoon diners internationally.”

The partnership between Dimmi and Urbanspoon helps eliminate the frustration for Australians by allowing them to quickly find the right restau-rant and confirm the reservation in real time.

“Dimmi’s goal is to provide our restaurant customers with access to the best diners in the region and driving new reservations through Urbanspoon allows us to deliver even more value to our restaurants,” said Stevan Premutico, founder and CEO of Dimmi.

“Urbanspoon is a popular source of premier restaurant content in Austra-lia and we’re excited about integrating our high-quality reservation product with their website and mobile app.”

Orange presents Slow Summer CarnivàleJanuary's Orange Slow Summer Carnivàle program has been released, promising a week of enterprising events from January 21 – 28, with the highlights of the week being the Day at the Beach, Night Markets and Pups in the Park. “Slow Sum-mer has grown into a key event for Orange and the surrounding region,” commented Taste Orange executive officer, Rhonda Sear. “The Dragon Boat Races at A Day at the Beach is proving to be particularly successful, with a range of activities across the day designed for the whole family.” The full program, including the above events and MasterChef winner Kate Brack’s Junior Cooking Classes, is available online at www.tasteorange.com.au/slowsummer.htm.

This olive oil is 100% extra virgin olive oil produced from premium selected olives which are harvested and processed within 24 hours

Contact sales/marketing manager Domenic for a great deal on 0412906616 | www.olives2000.com

what’s on

Dec 2012 — Jan 2013

Need some time out? Kick back, turn on the telly and check out The Lifestyle Channel’s

Christmas shows all month long. lifestylefood.com.au

The festive spirit abounds in Highgate, WA, with Must Winebar’s creative ‘Must Eat’

Christmas tasting menu. must.com.au

An after-hours hospitality package is on offer at the Gusto! A Culinary

History of Victoria exhibit at the State Library of Victoria. Until April

28. slv.vic.gov.au

Dec15

Cook with the fresh produce from Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market at the Electrolux Cooking School.

Classes continue until Dec 31. visitvictoria.com

22Final lead-up to Christmas—be

prepared for boom time as people shop, socialise, dine, drink…then

shop a little more.

21Looking for a sweet gift for hard-

working staff? Grab a copy of Zumbarons, the new

cookbook by Adriano Zumbo. murdochbooks.com.au

19Vote for your favourite suppliers at the Delicious Produce Awards; category nominations are open

until March 8. taste.com.au

18

Queensland’s Woodford Folk Festival boasts 16 bars and dozens

of food stalls. On Dec 27-Jan 1; woodfordfolkfestival.com

27Boxing Day is also National

Leftovers Day. Learn how we can reduce the four million tonnes of

food Australians waste every year. foodwise.com.au

26Merry Christmas, RCA members!

25Last chance to sell festive gift

products and vouchers—a few special deals on Facebook or

Twitter will appeal to online shoppers.

24

Make sure party poppers and sparkling wines are on hand at midnight—Happy New Year!

Cheer up fragile customers on the public holiday with ristretto shots,

a healthy and not-so-healthy menu, and a good dose of softly,

softly service.

31 Jan1Time to welcome in 2013—the International Year of the Quinoa. Why not work it into your menu?

30Discover Hobart’s hidden

pantries by joining a series of food tours—a highlight at the Taste Festival on Dec 28-Jan 3.

tastefestival.com.au

29

“Ah, good ol' trustworthy beer. My love for you will never die,” says

Homer Simpson. If only he could attend the Australian International

Beer Awards on Jan 7-Feb 15. rasv.com.au

7The Sydney Festival offers more than 100 events on Jan 5-27, making it a busy season for

restaurants, cafes and caterers. sydneyfestival.org.au

5Chai tea stalls are booming at music festivals, such as the Southbound WA event

on Jan 4-5 in Busselton, WA. southboundfestival.com.au

4What do foodies want

during summer holidays? A selection of cooking classes to try! See the new list from Spirit House on Qld’s Sunshine Coast.

spirithouse.com.au

3If your restaurant or cafe is near an outdoor cinema, how about

offering a tasty picnic pack?

2

Inaugural Bike Art Adelaide gets South Australians out

and about, keeping cafes and restaurants soaring. On Jan 9-29;

adelaidecyclists.com

Experience the Chef’s Holidays in Yosemite, California, on Jan 6-31 with behind-the-scenes kitchen

tours. yosemitepark.com

Teach the children well—Food Stuff in Sydney’s Mona Vale offers kids’ cooking classes,

kicking off with fish and chips with homemade tartare sauce.

foodstuff.com.au

11

12 14

Gain access to the US market by taking part in G’day USA on Jan 9-22—become a sponsor, promote your products or get involved with business talks.

australia-week.com

Celebrate Elvis Presley’s birthday by producing his famous Fool’s Gold: a loaf filled with peanut

butter, grape jelly and a pound of bacon. Or visit parkeselvisfestival.

com.au on Jan 9-13.

108Guests pick seasonal vegies from the garden to create a

sit-down feast at the Bells at Killcare cooking school in NSW.

bellsatkillcare.com.au

9

Summer festivals this month include Gold Coast Food Wine

Show on Jan 18-20, Ballarat Beer Festival on Jan 19, and Adelaide

Hills Crush Festival on Jan 27.

15

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Management


Between Novem-ber 2011 and February of this year, recruitment company Rand-stand conducted a survey to track workplace

trends. The findings provided some telling revelations about the modern Australian workplace, but the main trends came as little surprise to many.

One of the most significant aspects of the report was the claim that find-ing the right staff is one of the main workplace challenges in current times.

Identified as being the top three challenges for human resource manag-ers is attracting talent for the next phase of growth, retaining top per-formers and increasing performance and productivity.

Such findings came as little sur-prise to Andrew Holmes from Perth’s Wild Duck. Holmes says the hardest thing about being in business is not

attracting diners in a new market, but putting the right team together.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but everyone I am talking to tells they are also struggling to get good staff,” he said. “I don’t have as many strong chefs coming through and we struggle to get good wait staff as well.

“There are a lot of people out there, but you have to find a way to see through their applications and resumes to find the right ones. You have to be able to see through the cracks often to sort out the good from the bad.”

In human resources circles, it has been claimed recruitment is some-thing of an art. Yet many businesses succeed spectacularly in getting it wrong with the result being creating a team of the lazy, the unskilled, the liars and whingers.

“A lot of people end up in a situation where they have two unappealing al-ternatives,” Joanna Gray from Sydney’s Entrust Business Consulting says.

“One is the desperation hire where they need someone right now and the first warm body gets employed. The other is knowing what you really want and setting high standards, but then getting so worn down by waiting that they end up doing the desperation hire anyway.

“I always tell people they need to hold out for the right fit, because even if you are struggling in the short term, the alternative is finding yourself stuck with the wrong person and then facing turnover in getting rid of them, and so the bad cycle just continues.”

Gray says before sending out any positions vacant notices, a job descrip-tion for the role is an essential. “I find job descriptions are not at all common in hospitality,” she says. “Some aspects of the job might seem obvious, but it’s amazing how much can fall through the cracks when the duties are not made explicit.”

Ken Burgin of Profitable Hospital-ity agrees good managers need to do

HireIn this time of skills shortage, finding the right staff has been likened to an art form. Following some basic processes, the experts agree, remains the best method. By John Burfitt

education

some workplace inventory of their own company before considering meeting any applicants.

“Let’s just be sure that you are the best place to work in the street and you have something good to offer to new staff,” Burgin says.

“I don’t mean they are the nicest owners and the staff is the high-est paid, but it is a fair and reason-able place to work with good conditions. I talk to people in those workplaces and they hang onto their staff for a long time, and always seem to have a line of people waiting to get in. There is a reason for that.

“Any smart person when you have a job going will look at your website before they inquire further. Most restaurant websites are there to only

attract customers, but as labour is our biggest expense and often our biggest headache, wouldn’t it make sense to include one page about what a great place yours is to work?”

Philip Johnson of Brisbane’s E’cco Bistro says a good work envi-

ronment is often its own best advertisement. “I

always try to create a workplace where I would hap-pily work, even if I was not the owner,” he says. “Good work en-

vironments attract other good people,

so what are you do-ing to make sure yours is a

good one?”As to the dilemma between

placing an advertisement and relying on industry word of mouth to fill a po-sition, it is best to follow all options—but be cautious about whose opinion

you seek out. “Always ask your current good staff if they know anyone who is available,” Joanna Gray says. “But never ask your crummy staff members, as they will ask their crummy mates and you don’t need them.”

The old saying claims that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. This is why presentation and behaviour must be taken into account by the interviewer when meeting with the potential new staff member.

“I’m not a huge fan of people who demand immediately to know the length of shifts, days off and how big are the tips before we have even sat down,” Zoe Ladyman of Melbourne’s Libertine says. “It tells me at once they are not after the kind of symbi-otic relationship we have here with good staff.”

As hospitality is about providing a service, Philip Johnson also says attention must be paid to the way the interviewee presents themselves.

“I don’t have as many strong chefs coming

through and we struggle to get good wait staff as well.”

Andrew Holmes, Wild Duck, Perth

When hiring, many businesses get it spectacularly wrong with the result being totally unsuitable staff.


“That is critical, and some people just don’t think it is,” Johnson says. “If they turn up late, unshaven or unprepared, then it is downhill from there as far as I am concerned.

“You also need to ask yourself this—are they just trying to get a job, or are they wanting to work with you and your team?”

One rule Ken Burgin believes is an essential is seeing how well applicants follow instructions from the outset. “If they can’t fill out something as ba-sic as the application form properly, then you need to think how good will they really be in taking the orders properly, filling in dockets or getting the menu right,” he says.

The biggest failure in the interview-ing process, Joanna Gray says, is not checking references. “People assume that all referees are included as they will automatically say nice things about this person, but some people are just not that smart when consider-

ing who their referees are,” she says.“I have had many, many situa-

tions when someone has given me a referee, and when I contacted them, the referee bagged the applicant out with really honest ap-praisals.

“The other thing with a referee is your chance to ask specific ques-tions so you can determine if this person is going to be the right fit for your place. In hospitality, I have seen this part of the process skipped too many times. I don’t understand how you can do business that way and even hope to be bringing the right people onboard.”

The biggest mistake Ken Burgin

recalls he ever made was employing a chef when he failed to do any checks as part of the process.

“Basically, I rushed it,” he recalls. “If I had done a

basic skills test or done a ring around to

other people who had worked with this person, none of the problems would have hap-pened. In the end

I had to eventually let her go. “What was most

troubling was in the eyes of the rest of my staff, I looked

like such a goose. If I was such a good businessman, then why on earth did I employ that one?

“You need to remember when you are hiring someone, it is your rep on the line as well as the person joining the team.”

Management


H+H_REST_CAT.indd 1 26/10/12 11:21 AM

“I always try to create a workplace

where I would happily work, even

if I was not the owner. Good work

environments attract other good people.”

Philip Johnson, E’cco Bistro, Brisbane


These days, a sandwich board and staff member handing out pamphlets can’t do the work for you. Without an online presence such as a website and email database, attracting more customers to dine during those flat spots is a tough ask. If your business already has an effective website, able to contact existing clientele about offers such as birthday meals and new menus, how do you then use it to boost

patronage during under-performing periods? Online tools provide enormous opportunities to be

proactive as a business operator. Being precise about where your business might be more profitable means you can target the right kind of customers to fill those gaps. James Eling, director of market-ing4restaurants.com, cites some recent success stories. For example, if Tuesday night is dead, then “it’s about asking ‘who meets on a Tuesday night?’ One restaurant I know hosts special Book Group nights mid-week which has been able to attract a significant amount of business.” Using a search engine or local newspaper are ways a restaurant might find and contact professional networking or social groups who meet regularly and are looking for a venue in which to meet.

Quiet nights have advantages, such as allowing for more intimate or interactive din-ing experiences. Targeting specific groups like language schools is one way to exploit these possibilities, says Eling. A Chinese restaurant, for example, might offer a mid-week

How do you turn slow Tuesdays into income-spinners and consolidate customer loyalty? By Alicia Walsh

Filling

‘Learn to Speak Chinese Banquet’ where staff speak only in Mandarin. An-other angle might be culturally specific cooking classes, with patrons eating in the kitchen with the chef.

Simply using an existing email database prompts customers already familiar with the venue to think

beyond their usual dining routine. At La Pesa, an Italian trattoria in inner Sydney, business is fairly steady all week but until recently the restaurant was dead before the 7.30pm dinner bookings. The owners decided to send an email to let customers know

about a two-course deal only avail-able between 6 – 7.30pm Monday to

Wednesday. Not only did it increase pa-tronage, but according to the owners, most diners also ordered wine and side dishes on top of the deal. Income was increased, as well as word of mouth.

“The database is critical,” says Eling. “If it’s a quiet night with no bookings,

Marketing

the void

“If it’s a quiet night with no bookings,

you can quickly send out a special offer. This is the kind of ‘top of the mind’

approach that works.James Eling, director, marketing4restaurants.com

The trick to filling up your restaurant on quiet nights

lies in your computer.


you can quickly send out a special offer. This is the kind of ‘top of the mind’ approach that works. Everyone is fighting to be the first choice of undecided customers. You can’t afford to miss it.”

There’s another positive to this approach. It’s known as ‘yield utilisation’, says Eling. The restaurant special offered what was already on the menu, meaning there was no waste or extra preparation needed. A quiet few hours were transformed into a very productive period simply by sending out an email.

Traditional all-you-can-eat and half-price offers still draw younger diners, but there’s benefit in being more creative in how you try and attract them in. Food writer Helen Yee sees all kinds of deals designed to inject life into a restaurant’s quieter periods. One of her favourites is a Tuesday night tasting menu that changes monthly. This not only provides value for the customer, but also allows chefs to test new recipes. “Having something new keeps things interesting, and usually you end up staying and ordering off the main menu anyway,” she says. “And specific themes that are only available on certain nights can often get punters in.” Merivale businesses in Sydney have embraced this idea. Ms. G’s restaurant in Potts Point offers a Fried Chicken Tuesday with five different choices of the popular dish, while the El Loco bar in Surry Hills has had Tuesday taco-eating competitions for club members only.

Businesses need to be wary, however, of offering specials that might bring in customers, but don’t necessarily provide profit or longer-term benefits. While there’s definitely a plus in having

a full restaurant mid-week in terms of generating a buzz, this shouldn’t come at a financial minus. A floor packed with custom-ers eating full meals at half-price is not sustainable over the long term. You might discount aggressively to fill the place, says Eling, but you need to make sure you’re also getting something tangible out of it. Collecting email addresses to build the all-important database is one way of trying to transform the cheap deal into customer loyalty by getting patrons back on regular-paying nights. Beware of the predatory deal-seeking customer who moves from restaurant to restaurant, Eling warns.

Keeping those special offers to a short run might also work, as in La Pesa’s case, where the restaurant only ran the deal for a month. Since then, they’ve had reduced but still-steady book-ings for that early evening period. For businesses yet to adopt the internet, print-based media such as newspaper advertising and letterbox drops may still work, but it’s relatively expensive and difficult to measure its effectiveness.

Compare this to an email or Facebook message sent out on a Monday morning advertising a reduced-cost business lunch where bookings can be directly apportioned to the communica-tion. The only cost associated with an email is complying with anti-spam legislation, but once that’s in place, you can email whenever and whatever is right for your business. “It’s all about controlling your presence as well as keeping your costs down and profit up,” says Eling.

Marketing


9096 RedCat Full Pg Ad R&C Mag D1.indd 1 5/12/12 2:38 PM

cover story


Garage bandAward-winning and industry-changing restaurateur Katrina Birchmeier injected everything she learnt from years of world travel and over a decade of top-class hospitality experience to her very special Hobart restaurant, Garagistes. By Chris Sheedy

he French word ‘garagistes’ has two meanings. One is simply ‘mechanic’. The other is a collective term for a wine movement that began in the Bordeaux region. It describes the small-scale artisan producers that create wines without chemicals and additives, wines that fit the season and vary from year to year, as opposed to the increasingly

mass-production wineries they found themselves surrounded by.

Both meanings are very fitting for the Hobart restaurant that has won so many awards and in-troduced a unique dining experience to the Tas-manian capital. Co-owner of Garagistes, Katrina Birchmeier, says the intention of the restaurant has always been to support and promote the work of artisan food and wine producers from around the world. Rather than obsessing over the use of local produce, as so many other Tasmanian restaurants do, the winner of the Electrolux Australian Young Restaurateur 2012 and her partner, Luke Burgess, instead decided to introduce their diners to the best the world had to offer.

“Look at our wine list and it’s likely many customers may have never heard of any of the wineries,” 33-year-old Birch-meier, also the restaurant’s sommelier, says. “We buy wine, for instance, from very small producers of natural wines in Europe. They grow their own grapes, use natural yeast and no

additives or chemicals. The wines are always reflective of a sea-son rather than being mass produced to match a specific taste. They’re unique and individual and a little bit edgy.”

‘Unique’, ‘individual’ and ‘edgy’ are words that also perfect-ly describe the restaurant experience that has been developed by Birchmeier and Burgess since they happened across the

previously dilapidated Hobart warehouse, now the home of Garagistes, in 2010. They had

recently returned from a couple of overseas trips—journeys that took in

the USA, Japan, Spain, France, Italy and more of Europe. They had experienced success with a small cafe called Pecora in Birch’s Bay. But they were now looking for a perfect space in Hobart in which to launch a restaurant.“We were actually looking for

something we couldn’t define,” she says. “We looked at a lot of places we

knew we didn’t want. But we were never quite sure what we were looking for. Then

when we found this warehouse space, a blank can-vas, we immediately knew it was the one. We spent six months renovating it from a shell to what you see today. But there was a lot of doubt along the way. People said it was too far from the restaurant district, that a no-bookings policy would never work, that the idea of communal dining and shared food would never catch on, that the European wine list was a terrible mistake.

“Often the greatest surprises are saved

until last, with dessert combinations such as parsnip ice

cream and Jerusalem artichoke cake and

herb jellies.”Katrina Birchmeier, Garagistes, Hobart

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People had very strict ideas about what a Hobart restaurant should be. But we pushed on and pretty soon we had a lot of people coming through the door.”

The interior of the restaurant, Birch-meier says, creates a memorable im-pression as soon as diners walk in. The wine list is designed to surprise and delight, to offer a new and unique ex-perience. Several small local producers provide such items as vegetables, herbs and edible flowers for the restaurant but at the same time the kitchen staff are not afraid to search farther afield for food items, as long as they travel well.

“The aesthetic of the food and the sometimes unusual combinations of flavours really delight a lot of the din-ers,” she says. “They often feed back to us the fact that they would never have even thought of such combinations, but that they were thrilled with how much they enjoyed them.

“Often the greatest surprises are saved until last, with dessert combina-tions such as parsnip ice-cream and Jerusalem artichoke cake and herb jel-lies. You won’t find chocolate ice-cream on our dessert menu!”

Katrina Birchmeier opened Garagistes to bring the best of the

world to Hobart.

The person behind the parsnip ice creamFor a celebrated restaurateur, Birch-meier’s background has been anything but traditional. In an industry that prides itself on its stars that worked their way up through the ranks from an early age, Birchmeier instead left her hometown of Albury, on the NSW/Victoria border, to study commerce at Sydney’s University of NSW.

The four-year degree, that included majors in marketing, tourism and hospitality management, was followed by stints in the marketing departments of major not-for-profits such as Cancer Council NSW and the Red Cross Blood Service. But throughout her university degree she had worked part-time at Kingsley’s Steak & Crab House in the Sydney CBD and restaurant life was one she felt attracted to.

“When I was out of the industry, sitting at a desk all day, I really missed the controlled chaos of the restaurant environment,” she says. “I missed the different people coming through the door every day and the constant chal-lenges as well as the creative processes involved in running a successful res-taurant. So I left marketing and went back to Kingsley’s for a while.”

Birchmeier’s career then took her through a check list of top Sydney restaurants, including Luke Mangan’s Moorish in Bondi as a waitperson, bill’s in Darlinghurst as a supervisor and Longrain in Surry Hills. While working at Longrain she and Burgess decided to seriously consider launch-ing their own eatery.

In 2006 the pair moved to Hobart to pursue their dream of opening a restaurant in the countryside, and a “quieter life”. That business was Pecora, which launched in 2007 and earned for the pair a solid reputa-tion for quality, surprising food. All ingredients were local and from small producers, including fishermen, pork suppliers and local vegetable and herb gardens.

Twelve months later Birchmeier and Burgess took off on an overseas ad-venture, working, eating and drinking their way around the globe. They took note of what successful restaurants, or simply restaurants that they enjoyed, were doing. Many of those ingredients

became a part of the Garagistes recipe for success.

When they returned they also took jobs at several Hobart eateries as they looked around for the location of what would become Garagistes. Now she owns a seriously successful business, as well as its spin-off wine bar called Sidecar, which opened around the corner from its parent restaurant in

April, 2012 (“That’s the extent of this little empire,” she smiles), Birchmeier has little time for the quieter life that she previously sought when she first moved to Tasmania.

“I do like getting out for walks and going for a drive and having a bite to eat,” she says. “It doesn’t happen often enough, but much of my time off revolves around food and wine. It’s


cover story

Top: A sample of the Garagistas menu: eel, quail eggs, onion cream, oca leaf.

Above: The interior of Garagistas.


my passion. And I try to get away to Sydney and Melbourne whenever I can. It’s important to keep alive those industry connections in the bigger cities as it can sometimes feel a little bit isolated in Tasmania.”

Stand your ground for successAs mentioned previously the critics, even before Garagistes opened its doors, were predicting a gloomy end for the upstart restaurant. But although Birchmeier and Burgess admit to having had their own doubts once the voices of negativity became louder and greater in number, they continued on their chosen path. Their intention, after all, was not to follow the proven formula for average success but rather to create a place that they themselves would like to go. It would be a place that combined the best of what they had seen and experienced around the globe.

Communal dining simply fitted the space bril-liantly, Birchmeier says. To have lots of small tables in such a grand space would not have worked in a design sense, and ambiance is vital in a top restaurant. Delivering artisanal, for-

eign wines that no diners had ever heard of, but that boasted a purity of flavour rarely experienced in the commercialised wine environment of Australia, was another risk that paid off magnificently.

“In early 2011 MONA opened and that really changed things for Hobart,” Birchmeier says. “Previously most tour-

ists had visited to go trekking and see the wilds of Tasmania, to experience the incredible landscape

that this state has to offer. But MONA began to introduce a new breed of traveller, one that

was more interested in culture and food and wine. That really helped to kick things off for us.

“Actually, I don’t really think that what we do is all that different to any other restau-rant; we just do things in a slightly different

way. The wine list, the ingredients that come from small producers who are both local

and distant, the space that we have designed that just makes people say ‘wow’, the no-bookings policy—it’s all about not copying others but instead

creating a place where we want to be. We have questioned our own decisions along the way, but if we didn’t stick to our guns then we couldn’t possibly be as passionate as we are now about the restaurant that we have built.”

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The owners of Norberto’s Buenos Aires Restaurant and Gaucho’s in Adelaide reveal what 50 years of hospitality has taught them about restaurants

NorbertoI started in this industry in Buenos Aires when I was 19 years old. I was sent to the Argentinian navy and began my apprenticeship there. I had no choice. Life took me to it. I did that for four years. Now I’ve been 50 years in the job.

My family are Italian immigrants, I was born in Argentina and my first restaurant was in Argentina. Later I moved to Spain, opened a restaurant there, on Ibiza. A friend made me come to Australia 30 years ago. It was paradise.

Here my first restaurant was an Italian one, Davino’s. Then I did the Argentine ones. So I have done Argentinian food, Spanish food and Italian food.

There were too many Italian restaurants, or really, cafes serving spaghetti bolognaise and pretending to be Italian restaurants. I wanted to do something different—and I wanted to make big money from the beginning. So I opened Gaucho’s, which was Argentine food. But my style is universal—a real fusion of Spanish, French and Argentine food. Now I have had six restaurants in South Australia.

There really are no secrets. Select your ingredients well, don’t put prices up too much.

It’s a little bit depressing today. It’s a business for government. It’s really tough.

At the end of the day awards don’t influence customers. What we have here is good meat and good fish for the price. That’s why my customers support me.

JulieWe’ve been working together since 1984. I was freelancing in the film industry and came in and worked for Norberto and fell madly in love.

Davino’s Italian won the Golden Fork for best Italian in South Australian in 1986. In 1987 we opened Gaucho’s, which was a fusion of Italian, Spanish, French and Argentinian. It’s all about location. We put out a sandwich board saying ‘opening Friday’—and opened to a packed house. It was curiosity. People went crazy.

Norberto is very true to his cuisine. He never compromises on dishes. Quality food is paramount. It’s authentic. Norberto is always in the kitchen, watching, making sure the food is always put together properly. It’s being very committed. It’s a very serious business. He has to be really professional with lots of energy.

Everything about the meat is key. We age a lot of meat—it’s the key to tender meat. The storage of food is very strict and hygienic. Norberto used to choose his animals in the paddock. We had a cattle farm for a while so he was a true gaucho growing his own cattle. All to maintain a very high standard.

You are only as good as your assistants and your wait staff. Norberto will help with

dishwashing if he has to. People work with us for a long time.

We have respect for each other and for what each other does. We’ve worked together since 1987, through six restaurants. Now our son Benjamin is in the kitchen as a second-year

apprentice—he’s deferred his university studies for this.

The restaurant comes first. I run front of house, and Norberto runs the kitchen.

The restaurant is like a big baby.

When we moved between restaurants once, we decided to charge for our stir-fried vegetables and chips. But our regulars rebelled. So we reverted back. I think the customers are the best judge. You can’t take advantage of them.

You make it a place people can be themselves. I don’t have trouble with kids making noise in our restaurants. I remember one Mothers Day, my daughter, when she was young, put on her ballet uniform and walked around the whole place and all the kids got along behind her in a little parade. It’s little touches like that that make a difference. We’ve had people celebrate Greek christenings and they’ve brought in their own music.

Norberto Spagnolo & Julie Messinger

What we’ve learnt

“Norberto is very true to his

cuisine. He never compromises on

dishes. Quality food is paramount. It’s

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ith product costs on the rise, there is increasing pressure on restaurateurs to find new ways to manage margins. In the current digital age, many have turned to advanced software systems to

more efficiently manage front-of-house operations, however few have realised the added potential of a fully integrated back-of-house solution. So, what exactly do these systems do, and how do you choose the one that’s right for you?

Kris Satish, CEO of hospitality software specialist, Vectron, says that choosing a back-of-house system is like buying a car. “They all look the same, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Yes, they have four wheels and a steering wheel, however that doesn’t mean there is no difference in how they are made.”

Most back-of-house software systems will work with a point- of-sale system to help manage stock and inventory, accounts and payroll. Some will also help manage online reserva-tions and membership and loyalty programs, while the more

advanced can be fully integrated into site security and CCTV monitoring, venue-wide paging, and even beverage dispensary.

According to Satish, it is the capacity for integration that sets them apart. “There is no point getting a system that only does its job. It needs to be able to talk to all the other technology you would use in running a restaurant,” he says. Fully integrat-ed front and back-of-house solutions allow restaurateurs to spend less time moving data around, freeing you up to focus on what that data is actually telling you.

Spiro Vournazos, national sales manager at hospitality tech-nology company, RedCat, says, “Unfortunately a lot of restau-rants don’t find out they’re losing money until they realise they can’t pay their bills.” Well-integrated back-of-house systems, on the other hand, will produce a complete balance sheet, providing restaurateurs with just-in-time information to make proactive business decisions.

While Vournazos believes that state-of-the-art systems should do it all, he says that it is also important to make sure the one you choose is flexible enough to meet your current needs, and scalable enough to grow with you into the future. You may, for example, need a system that can manage different cost centres within the same venue (such as a bar, restaurant and bistro),

The

Want to know how to grow your margins without lifting a finger? Amanda Lohan reports on the latest back-of-house technology

Technology


Having the right software system driving your business

frees you up to focus on more important things.

engine room


or even manage several geographically diverse businesses from one central location. Good back-of-house software should accommodate all of your specific business needs.

Once you have found a system that will put all of your es-sential data at your fingertips, the next thing to do, of course, is use that data. “In the past we found most restaurateurs were only using the system for the front-end and were not really looking at numbers the way they should,” says Satish. “But in the last couple of years we are finding that Australian restaurateurs are starting to look at the numbers in a bit more detail.”

The value and cost-saving potential of the software you choose will entirely hinge on how you use it. While the potential return on investment may be hard to quantify, Satish recommends analysing the cost from an op-erational perspective rather than as a capital expense. By looking at the cost per day or cost per week, he says, it is quite easy to see how a well-utilised system can pay for itself many times in a single day.

The cost of a $10,000 system might work out at around $10 a day on a four-year lease with monthly repayments, so you only need to catch two glasses of wine on a table for it to pay for itself. In this way even the most basic point-of-sale software, if used correctly, will make such an investment worthwhile by ensuring stock is not walking out the door.

As your use of the system increases, so too will the ROI po-tential. Vournazos says the obvious benefits are associated with

time savings, but the real clincher is getting a better under-standing of where you are not making money or where things are costing you more than they should, then making changes early before it costs you even more. “Exception reporting gives you visibility of a whole range of things that the staff do at the point of sale, for example applying too many discounts, open-ing the cash drawer or changing prices. It will highlight those

sorts of things so you can stamp them out.”Satish says the best way to understand the

value of a system is to spend an hour with it, simulating end-to-end process tracking with a sample of 10 to 20 items. From that brief ex-periment, you will quickly learn whether you are really going to use the system or whether it will remain a glorified till. “Don’t just sit in a sales presentation and listen to everything the salesperson says—get hands-on,” Satish says. Apart from ensuring the system is user friendly, you should also ensure your cho-

sen provider offers sufficient post-sales training and support. “When you’re buying a system, everyone wants to be your best friend, but afterwards the real colours come out,” says Satish. “Whilst the company selling might have promised everything with the best of intentions, unless they have the right amount of resources to deliver the promise, it’s only going to be an empty promise.” Ultimately, the operational and financial impact of you back-of-house solution is limited only by the extent to which you use it and, as increased automation takes care of the past and present, you will be free to focus on the future.

“The cost of a $10,000 system might work out at around $10 a day so you only need to catch two glasses of wine on a table for it to pay for itself.”Spiro Vournazos, national sales manager, RedCat

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licensed premises’ drinks list can all too often be a window to the soul. Is it worn down or innovative, dodgy or pretentious, or just plain lazy? To keep your drinks list active and fresh you need to work at it, but you needn’t do this alone. Just as there are more and more wine

brands born every day, so too are there more and more liquor wholesalers—all looking for niche markets.

This explosion of brands, and the subsequent competition for what is arguably the same number of drinkers’ throats, coupled with distributors operating to a very lean and service-oriented strategy… well, now’s the time to use this combined leverage to spruce up your drinks list. Look to imported wine inventories. There are three reasons for this: the Australian dollar is strong, so it is a good time to buy imported wines at very good prices—particularly when these wines come from South America; the ever-evolving Australian drinking palate thinks it wants imported wine, because imported wine is posh; combine good LUC with imported cachet; and you create that truly wonderful thing known as ‘margin’. Here are two good operators:

Halle aux Vins: A recently created wine portfolio looking to bring boutique French wines into Australia’s increasingly international wine marketplace. This distribution company does all the hands-on sort of stuff you want; their French accents are unbelievably believable (by that I mean they make Gabriel Gaté sound off-tone); and they put as much effort into French coun-try wines and regions besides Bordeaux and Burgundy. There’s a small emphasis on biodynamic organic wine, and a real passion for France’s lesser known but flavourful grape varieties.

The Spanish Acquisition: Now in its second decade of distri-bution life, this wonderful importer and educator of all things Iberian has helped so many of Australia’s bars and restaurants turn the tapas revolution into a sustainable industry. Creating a portfolio of Spanish (and now Portuguese) table wines that helps set new standards of not just wine quality, but also wine drinkability, it has succeeded on an underpinning notion that all wines have a history and significance beyond the glass in front of you. No wonder that Spanish Acquisition wines are wines that your customers want to drink even before you’ve stocked them.

Don’t discount very flexible and hard-working local wine dis-tributors, however. The best ones combine all the social-media

How do you keep your drinks list interesting? Throw in some hidden gems from here and overseas which offer good value with individuality. By Ben Canaider


Drinks

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Wine drinkers today want wines that fit the moment, not wines that demand a three-hour masterclass.

savvy with back-of-house support, good on-premise relations, active trade days and promotional events, and some clever key-media activity to bring their customers’ wines to a bigger and better audience. By stocking the wines, you get to cash in on all of this background work, as if for free.

The other consideration here is geo-locality: local wines for local people. By offering off-radar wines from well-known Australian regions, you get to create individuality on your list, but underscore it with the brand-power of such terms as Coon-awarra or yarra valley. The smaller, hungry distributors are also more likely to come to the party with you if you are keen on winemaker dinners and the like. with a small owner/operator wine distributor, you are also dealing, invariably, with a person, not merely a Subara Liberty driver with as many golf clubs in the back as trade samples.

A good example of the aforementioned is Vino Bambino. The creation of Mark and Michelle Singarella, this portfolio (which does include some imports, such as Biondi from Mt etna) concentrates on what they term avant-garde wine brands. From Margaret river to Heathcote, Lerida estate from the increasingly serious Canberra District, and some handy wines from victoria’s Pyrenees region. They’ve also got some very well-suited by-the-glass gear, such as Little vespa Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese, from the King valley.

Help from good distributors doesn’t always have to focus on wine, however. Spirits—fine spirits—can give you an edge, too. responsive to the demands of smaller liquor licence holders and their oft fickle customer sentiment, look no further than Cerbaco. Armagnac, Cognac, and some fantastic rhum Agricoles feature—perhaps the Paul Giruad Cognac the standout. There are also smaller format bottlings so you can stock a range of spir-its without locking up too much money in your inventory.

Both local and imported wine has more bargains and drinking pleasure nowadays than disappointment. Part of the reason is cultural change: wine drinkers today want a wine that fits into their moment, not a wine that demands a destination venue and a three-hour masterclass. Thank goodness for that, too. These smaller, quiet brands all have a beverage quality and the ability to be enjoyed in a… well, how should I put it? They are fast wines. Their balance and weight and their poise and effortless flavours make them all too easy to moderately consume.

Soumah: yarra valley pedigree, elegantly weighted and well structured, and an LUC that does all the talking—under $12. The chardonnay is like flavoursome Chablis for Australians, and the cabernet is like a ripe Bordeaux made without old socks. [email protected]

Alamos: This brand from Bodega Catena Zapata in Argentina makes fantastic malbec. The 2011 is a steal at $11.83; available from Negociants Australia.

John Duval: John Duval made Grange for a decade and a half, from the 1986 vintage. He now runs his own Barossa label, mak-ing shiraz and rhone blends that scream structure and purity. Look out for the entity Shiraz, from Negociants, at $25. Did I mention “Grange”? If you can’t sell Duval wines to real estate agents then you need your head read.

Crawford River: Australia’s most hidden gem? Stunning riesling of a world standard and cabernet that tastes like the grape should. Contact [email protected] for pricing information. And the prices are reasonable.


AAA_Revised.indd 1 2/10/12 1:53 PM

Official Journal of Restaurant & Catering

2013 Product Guide



Product Guide

Lunch is one of the busiest times of day for many foodservice outlets, making it important to deliver customers quality great tasting products that are also easy for busy kitchens to prepare.

Baking over one million products every day, Tip Top Foodservice is Australia’s bakery and the perfect lunch partner for foodservice outlets. Whether you need fresh sliced everyday or premium bread to make wholesome sandwiches for event catering, or you need classic batards or baguettes to make gourmet rolls at a café – Tip Top Foodser-vice has your lunch needs taken care of.

Tip Top Foodservice’s range offers both fresh and frozen formats and also includes gourmet pizza bases, soft tortilla wraps, and an extensive range of par-baked loaves and rolls. So whether you are a fine dining restaurant or a quick service canteen, Tip Top Foodservice has your lunch needs covered when it comes to delivering quality baked goods across Aus-tralia.

When the lunch rush hits, why not impress your customers with these delicious recipes.

Tomato and Pesto Pizza 1 Bazaar Pizza Base (medium)2 heaped tbsp. basil pesto1/4 cup mozzarella 1/4 cup parmesan grated2 roma tomatoes, sliced

6 balls boconccini, slicedRocket leaves to servePreheat oven to 220CPlace the pizza base onto a baking tray, lined with baking

paper or foil. Spread over the pesto then sprinkle with com-bined mozzarella and parmesan. Top with sliced tomato and bocconcini.

Bake for 10–12 minutes until heated through and the cheese is golden.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with rocket or spinach leaves. Serve immediately.

Steak Sandwich 4 slices of Burgen Soy Lin bread2 beef rump steaks 90g beetroot (canned) 1 tbsp canola oilSliced tomatoes1/2 red onion –slicedWholegrain mustardBaby spinachLightly season steaks to taste and grill until cooked to

desired level. Remove from oven and cover to keep warm and rest meat.

Toast Burgen Soy Lin. Place two pieces on a board and top with wholegrain mustard, spinach leaves, steak, tomato and red onions.

Get ready for the lunch rush

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Product Guide

Electricity pricing in your area recently rose between 10% and 18% (depending on the area). Add the Carbon Tax to this, and further increases expected in January 2013. The news doesn’t get

any better. As an experienced, well established National Energy Brokerage, we can contribute to reduction of your energy costs through smart energy purchasing and network tariff restructuring. We already successfully partner with a number of multi-site national organisations, (Restaurant and Catering Association (RCA), International Special Events So-ciety (ISES), Fernwood Women’s Health Clubs, Programmed Maintenance Services, Burson Automotive, Victorian Grow-ers Association to mention a few) all of whom have reaped measurable financial benefit, utilizing our close energy industry relationships. R&C recently appointed Commercial Energy Brokers Australia (CEBA) as their preferred Energy Broker. CEBA are offering FREE Energy Audits, so you have nothing to lose and every gain.

FAX US YOUR BILL NOW – Why? Energy bills tell us a great deal about your business, from the network tariff you are on, and the way and times you consume your power. This is very important to understand as a simple change could save your business a considerable amount of money. CEBA is offering every member a FREE energy audit of your energy bills. To get your FREE ENERGY AUDIT simply fax or email all pages of your energy bill(s), along with your contact details (so we can forward our findings). Our contact details are Ph: (03) 9872 4442, Fax: (03) 8677 1772, Email your bills to [email protected].

FREE ENERGY BILL AUDITS FOR RCA MEMBERS!“It might not change the amount of power you consume,

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YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE AND EVERYTHING TO SAVE!!FAX US YOUR BILL NOW

Simply fax, email or mail all pages of your energy bills along with your contact details to:Ph (03) 9872 4442 or Fax (03) 8677 1772 or Email to [email protected]

You can also mail your Energy Bills to:Nigel Daviot Commercial Energy Brokers Australia Pty LtdSuite 4 / 542 Whitehorse RoadMitcham VIC 3132

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Product Guide

OAMPS Insurance Brokers are the sole officially endorsed Insurance Broker for the Restaurant and Catering Industry Association of Australia. Restaurant and café insurance cover is a specialised

business and OAMPS have the solution for you. Property cover may restore buildings, repairs to your kitchen

and replace tables & stock, but it does not meet the ongo-ing costs of wages, mortgages and general expenses. These outgoings are sending most restaurant proprietors, who suffer a disaster, out of business well before the premises are ready for re-opening, unless they have adequate insurance cover. In the end, lack of cash-flow defeats you. Paul Stavrou, an OAMPS Insurance Broker specialising in restaurant cover, says many insurance requirements specific to the restaurant industry are not standard in business insurance packages.

“These are risks OAMPS have identified that are particularly

relevant to restaurant and cafe owners. We have developed an insurance package that offers a solution to these risks, and we have used our bulk buying power to get it for you at the most competitive price.”

“OAMPS also believe in risk management and minimising the amount you need to spend on insurance to provide the maximum amount of security for your business. We take the guesswork out of insurance cover and provide one solution to cover your business. A few words of advice from experienced OAMPS Insurance Brokers can not only save you a few dol-lars, it could also save your business and everything you have worked hard for.”

Please call OAMPS Insurance Brokers to discuss our Restau-rant and Catering Insurance package or a tailored program cov-ering both personal and business cover. Call 1800 240 432 to be directed to your nearest OAMPS office or visit oamps.com.au.

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Product Guide

Harbottle On-Premise (Cellarbrations On-Premise - QLD) is a total liquor solution for the on-premise trade. Over 8,000 customers already choose Harbottle to provide and support their

business needs and being part of Australia’s largest liquor wholesaler (ALM) ensures consistent supply, distribution and service. Our dedicated customer service teams and Business Development Managers understand that not every business is the same, from fine dining restaurants to Pop-up Brasse-ries, Hotels, Clubs and National Buying Groups - we get to know our customers and their requirements and aim to find a solution that is tailor-made for them. Offering the broadest liquor range in Australia with over 4,500 domestic/imported beers, wines, spirits, liqueurs and soft drinks and with regular promotional deals for each state, we are far more than just another distribution company - best of all there are no joining or ongoing monthly fees. Why not see how Harbottle On-Premise can truly add value to your business today?

Harbottle On-Premise: your total Liquor solution

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Product Guide

Cambro is the leading global supplier in foodservice storage systems offering a complete array of products

that ensure food safety, improve labour savings, simplify inventory management and reduce food waste.

Cambro storage products are designed to support HACCP guidelines and offer operators a variety of storage options for every application from the point of receiving to storing, then to prepping, then to holding and serving.

Rust on kitchen shelving

immediately makes your kitchen non-compliant with health regulations. Cambro offer two great shelving solutions to eliminate this problem.

Steel core Camshelving or the revolutionary Elements shelving Series delivers an affordable easy to clean and rust proof solution. Shelf plates can also be easily assembled and even washed in a dishwasher.

Cambro food storage range can help operators run a more productive, efficient and safe operation. Not only do they hold and protect food, but they also

maximise the usable work space and improve the operator’s inventory management.

Great service begins with an organised kitchen - all Cambro products provide foodservice operators with the opportunity to customise and organise a complete storage system.

With HACCP compliance and a commitment to product innovation, Cambro is truly the only choice for the passionate food service operator.

For more information, please call 1800 035 327 or visit www.comcater.com.au/cambro.

Cambro Food Storage Solutions for HACCP compliant kitchens

AdvERToRIAl

• Warewashing & Storage Systems• Food Storage & Preparation• Trays• Table Service• Food Presentation• Shelving• Mobile Vending• Holding & Transportation



Product Guide

As Italy’s number one manufacturer of high performance commercial warewashing systems

and a market leader worldwide, the Comenda range is steeped in quality, right down to the smallest construc-tion detail.

The Comenda range is equipped with easy to use and intuitive control panels, making operation simple with the touch of a button. Comenda offers 3 ranges of warewashing solutions with a model to suit every application and budget.

The newly launched Platinum

line offers an extensive array of warewashers, ranging from small glass washers and dishwashers through to utensil washers and large flight type machines. The Platinum range offers the complete solution for restaurants, catering companies, function centres and large scale food service operations.

Packed with innovative features, the Platinum line guarantees high performance, providing thorough cleaning results even during the shortest cleaning cycles. Hygiene is top of mind, with deep-drawn tanks featuring rounded edges to prevent

soil accumulation and automatic self-cleaning cycles.

Comenda’s ECO2™ technology delivers remarkable savings in energy, water consumption, chemical and detergent usage. This innovative technology reduces daily running costs and lowers the amount of contaminants released into the environment while significantly reducing levels of noise, heat and steam for improved workplace conditions.

For more information, please call 1800 035 327 or visit www.comcater.com.au/comenda.

Comenda Platinum Range Warewashing–High Performance, energy efficient and Eco Friendly.

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Warewashing EquipmentAffordable & Eco Friendly

COMENDA OFFERS:

• Tailored solutions for any space and workload specications

• Reduction in water and chemical usage

• Affordable European design and engineering

• Maximum reliability, minimum maintenance

• Energy efciency

• Ease of cleaning and operation

• Environmentally friendly systems

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Utensil WasherRack ConveyorUndercounter Washer

Comenda’s remarkable eco2™ technology can deliver savings in energy and water consumption and

optimises chemical usage.

eco2 is a registered trademark of Comenda Ali S.p.A.

Product Guide

After taking the European market by storm, the multi-award winning FRIMA VarioCooking

Center MULTIFICIENCY® is now set to really revolutionise Australian commercial kitchens.

The FRIMA VarioCooking Center MULTIFICIENCY® was recently named Best New Hospitality Equipment at Fine Food Australia. This highly prestigious award recognises the most exciting and in-novative new products to hit Austra-lian shores and sets the benchmark for excellence.

The VarioCooking Center® is a multi-purpose cooking system com-bining the functions of a tilting pan, boiler, oven and deep fryer in one compact and convenient unit. As fewer appliances are needed, you will experience space savings of up to 30 per cent.

The patented VarioBoost™ heat-ing system allows you to cook three times faster than conventional appli-ances, with a perfect cooking result achieved every time due to the uni-form heat distribution, thus prevent-ing any sticking or scorching.

You will also experience maximum

productivity, save 70 per cent water usage, 40 per cent energy consump-tion, gain 10 per cent extra yield in cooked products, not to mention time and labour savings.

Whether you run an a la carte restaurant or a large production kitchen, the VarioCooking Center MULTIFICIENCY can offer time and money savings for your entire kitchen operation.

To register for a free cooking dem-onstration of the FRIMA VarioCooking Center MULTIFICIENCY® or for more information, call 1800 035 327 or visit www.frima-australia.com.au.

FRIMA VarioCooking Center MULTIFICIENCY®Boiling, frying and deep frying all in one unit.

AdvERToRIAl



Product Guide

When preparing hundreds of meals per day, you need a cooking range that

is powerful and reliable. Garland is the perfect choice for Restaurants because it increases efficiency in the kitchen, saving you time and labour. And best of all, its modular so it can be designed to suit your menu and space.

Garland’s patented Starfire-Pro burners combines concentrated power with precise even heat and delivers it directly to the base of the pan to produce uniform cooking

results. The burners are made of cast-iron for better heat retention and lasting durability.

Whether you require a full power boil or a gentle simmer, accurate heat control is guaranteed. The protected individual burner pilots also eliminate spillover outages, whilst spilt ergonomic grates and two-piece burners make cleaning easy and safe.

At 692mm deep, the Garland heavy duty restaurant range has the largest usable cooking surface in the industry. The new grate design allows pots to slide easily across the surface

from burner to burner, fitting six 300mm pots with ease. In addition, the Garland’s extra large chef oven holds standard full size sheet pans in either direction.

All these clever features are designed to improve efficiency and provide significant energy, labour and time savings. With over 140 years of experience and three series available, you can count on a Garland to handle the busiest of food service with ease.

For more information, please call 1800 035 327 or visit www.comcater.com.au/garland.

Garland Restaurant Cooking Range–Built like a tank, with high performance and lasting durability.

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Product Guide

RATIONAL, inventors of the Combi Steamer brings us to yet another milestone in the development of

hot food preparation. RATIONAL have engineered the new SelfCookingCenter® whitefficiency® incorporating advanced technology designed to minimise kitchen management resources such as time, labour and energy.

The whitefficiency® promises 30 per cent greater load with guaran-teed food quality and 20 per cent reduction in the consumption of resources compared to previous

model. It also features an ultra modern touch screen control panel, with drag-and-drop graphic menu selection, making it as easy to use as a smart phone.

The whitefficiency® with its small footprint replaces 40-50 per cent of all conventional cooking appliances including ovens, hot air units, tilting pans, boilers, steamers or grills—it’s no wonder the word ‘efficiency’ is part of its name.

RATIONAL offer the SelfCooking-Center® whitefficiency® along with the CombiMaster® Plus, with six different sizes available in both elec-

tric and gas models and a range of special versions to meet the require-ments of any restaurant operation.

But we all know that seeing is believing, so in order to demonstrate the new and innovative features of the SelfCookingCenter® whitef-ficiency®, RATIONAL Australia hold regular demonstrations in all major cities around the country. Attend a free RATIONAL CookingLive event at a location near you.

To register for a free cooking dem-onstration or for more information, call 1800 035 327 or visit the website www.rationalaustralia.com.au.

Rational SelfCooking Center® Whitefficiency® Perfectly designed. Packed with benefits. Brilliantly simple.

AdvERToRIAl

Eff iciency meets culinary delightThese unique levels of efficiency and cooking performance are due to our new, patented HiDensityControl®. It ensures energy is channelled to exactly where the food needs it.

Using clever mixed loads with Efficient LevelControl® will make your food production up to 30% faster.

The revolutionary controls are simple, adaptable and learn all the time. You can simply remove functions you don’t need from the display.

That’s whitefficiency®!

Visit a RATIONAL CookingLive event. Book online at www.rationalaustralia.com.au ortel. 1800 035 327

*compared to previous model.

The patented HiDensityControl® - redefining cooking quality


from the old Sydney GPO at the south-ern end of the bar that we restored back to their former glory. All the chairs in the dining room are a mixture of three different types of Thonet bentwoods. They give the room a nice eclectic feel.

“The main dining hall can be screened off with a glass sliding wall. It can be used as a function space, or for a private room of 20 or 30 patrons. We also planned that if there was a quiet lunch day of 80 or 100 people, the wall could be slid across and everybody could be grouped together in one area. Not that they have ever had to do that—the place has gone nuts since it opened. I’ve certainly heard stories of people coming for lunch, staying right through the afternoon and end up having dinner there.”

“When Woollhara council put Pruniers restaurant out to tender, we were ap-proached by Matt Moran and Peter Sul-livan about pulling together a proposal. We created a strategy for the entire building covering financials, a design for the sort of restaurant it would be, and a plan of how that would work. A month

after our tender was lodged, we received the nod. There was a substantial amount of building work undertaken. On the ground-floor level, we retained three walls and about five metres of glass wall. All the floors came out, all the services were redone, the kitchen was expanded, and the base structure was completely rebuilt. At one stage we had about 180 Acrow props holding up the building.

“The concept and look of the restaurant was a consultative process. Matt and Peter had a vision for the food which included the idea of shared plates, the deformalisation of the menu and the way the place would operate. It would be very different to Aria and how it’s perceived. They talked about serving the sort of food they would cook at home and that idea pervaded some of the decor and the detailing.

“It was Pete Sullivan who came up with the idea of a kitchen garden. There were 150 square metres of space at the back of the building that we couldn’t use under the terms of the lease. The space wasn’t massive but it’s certainly big enough to grow some fresh greens and put them on the menu.

“When we knocked some holes in the old plasterboard ceiling above the bar, we found the remnants of a fantastic old ceiling structure. Then we discovered a remnant of original French doors in the main dining hall. Once again, we embraced that idea and expanded the room by adding another 100 square metres of building. It’s actually difficult for people to figure out where the old ends and the new begins.

“We designed and had built a big communal table in the bar and positioned a light above the southern end made from an old lobster pot. We also have a couple of tables

Chiswick


details

Chris Grinham, director of Humphrey + Edwards Architects + Interior DesignersT: 02 9357 2288W: www.h-e.com.au

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Architect Chris Grinham of Humphrey + Edwards gave a once-fashionable Sydney venue a new lease of life

4045 FSD Aioli Flyer V2ƒ.ai 1 24/08/12 3:47 PM

Your reputation and the success of your establishment are too important to trust to just any cooking oil.

For more than a decade we’ve built our reputation on the consistent frying quality of our oils, which is why Formula 40 is the preferred brand of oil for chefs who understand the value of a good reputation.

Formula 40’s thicker, cloudy, robust base guarantees longer fry life, superior drain-off and a neutral oil taste that retains natural food flavour. Why risk your reputation to anything else?

Formula 40 is part of the range of quality cooking oils from Peerless Foods, an Australian company. www.peerlessfoods.com.au

LET OUR REPUTATION BUILD YOURS.

PEER9765 Rest & Catering Ad FP Cal 297x210 FA/R.indd 1 5/07/12 3:40 PM

RC December 2012

Documents

Transcript of RC December 2012