catering plus - spring 2012

THE COMPREHENSIVE MAGAZINE FOR CONTRACT CATERERS, FOODSERVICE MANAGERS & INSTITUTIONAL BUYERS

Volume 15 No.3 SPRING 2012

‘The Big Little City’– a taste of something special

Pg7

Visit our website for recipes and our product range at www.groenz.co.nz

Or call fOr mOre infOrmatiOn

New Zealand 04 568 2687 Australia 07 3393 5562

Chicken and Rice Cake Stack with Bacon and Smokey Barbecue Sauce• 400 gm chicken mince• 1 tbsp French Maid lemon pepper seasoning• 1 tsp salt• 1/4 cup cream• 1 cup cooked rice

• 1 egg• Seasoning

• Oil• Lettuce• Streaky bacon• French Maid smokey barbecue sauce Combine the chicken mince with the lemon pepper seasoning, salt and cream, form into patties.

In a small bowl beat the egg and mix in the cooked rice, season with salt and pepper and form into patties.Heat a f lat BBQ plate or a heavy based fry pan, add a little oil and fry the chicken patties as well as the rice patties.Stack the chicken and rice patties with lettuce in betweenF inish with grilled bacon and drizzle with smokey barbecue sauce

Makes two light meal portions

French Maid True to taste

Sauces for any occasion

Prawn and cucumber brochettes with

garlic aioli

• Cucumber

• Prawn cutlets

• Olive oil

• French Maid crushed garlic in oil

• French Maid garlic aioli

• Lettuce and cucumber garnish

Quarter the cucumber lengthwise and deseed. Cut into small

pieces and place inside the prawn cutlets on skewers.

Brush with oil and garlic. Quickly grill

and serve with garlic aioli, cucumber

and lettuce.

Serving suggestion – Serve with

French Maid

Sweet Thai Chilli Sauce or

French Maid tartare sauce

Visit our website for recipe ideas and a huge range of our products at www.groenz.co.nz

Recipes courtesy of Stephan BaumbergerStephan’s Restaurant & Gasthof

Visit our website for recipes and our product range at www.groenz.co.nz

Or call fOr mOre infOrmatiOn

New Zealand 04 568 2687 Australia 07 3393 5562

Chicken and Rice Cake Stack with Bacon and Smokey Barbecue Sauce• 400 gm chicken mince• 1 tbsp French Maid lemon pepper seasoning• 1 tsp salt• 1/4 cup cream• 1 cup cooked rice

• 1 egg• Seasoning

• Oil• Lettuce• Streaky bacon• French Maid smokey barbecue sauce Combine the chicken mince with the lemon pepper seasoning, salt and cream, form into patties.

In a small bowl beat the egg and mix in the cooked rice, season with salt and pepper and form into patties.Heat a f lat BBQ plate or a heavy based fry pan, add a little oil and fry the chicken patties as well as the rice patties.Stack the chicken and rice patties with lettuce in betweenF inish with grilled bacon and drizzle with smokey barbecue sauce

Makes two light meal portions

French Maid True to taste

Sauces for any occasion

Prawn and cucumber brochettes with

garlic aioli

• Cucumber

• Prawn cutlets

• Olive oil

• French Maid crushed garlic in oil

• French Maid garlic aioli

• Lettuce and cucumber garnish

Quarter the cucumber lengthwise and deseed. Cut into small

pieces and place inside the prawn cutlets on skewers.

Brush with oil and garlic. Quickly grill

and serve with garlic aioli, cucumber

and lettuce.

Serving suggestion – Serve with

French Maid

Sweet Thai Chilli Sauce or

French Maid tartare sauce

Visit our website for recipe ideas and a huge range of our products at www.groenz.co.nz

Recipes courtesy of Stephan BaumbergerStephan’s Restaurant & Gasthof

www.cateringplus.co.nzCatering Plus SPRING 20122

7 12

Cotents

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Symbols of Integrity in Publishing

3 Editorial

4 CateringNews

7 COVERSTORY-Coverimagecredit:BrandEventsandfestivals

‘TheBigLittleCity’–atasteofsomethingspecial

ThepublicperceptionthatAucklandissomethingofaculinary

wildernessischanging.

10 Internationalcateringtrends

Celebratingtherootsandtraditionsofbasicgoodandhonestcooking

12 Naturalglow

Leadingchefstalkabouttheirmust-havesforagreatkitchen

16 Holidaycatering–socool

ThecasualflavourofNewZealandsummer

19 FeedingtheStreet

It’sgettingtougheronthestreets–cateringtoNewZealand'sunderclass

22 Cateringtothehealthsector

Privatecontractorsofferpotentialforimprovedhospitalfood

24 GardenofEden

InthecentreofNewZealand’sbiggestcitythereisasurprisingvenue–

EdenGarden

19

3Catering Plus SPRING 2012www.cateringplus.co.nz

WanakaWineandFoodFest22OctoberWanakaNationalNutDay201223OctoberNationwideGlutenFreeFood&AllergyShow27-28OctoberChristchurchOishiiJapan(JapaneseF&BinfoforAustralasia)1-3NovemberSingaporeFood&WineExpo10-11NovemberAuckland(NorthShore)TasteofAucklandFestival201215-18NovemberAucklandTasteofMelbourne15-18NovemberMelbourneToTheTable22-25NovemberSingaporeTasteofChristmas7-9DecemberLondonHokitikaWIldfoodFestival20139-11MarchHokitika

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It’seitherafeastorafamineinthecateringtradeandweareabouttohittheidiotseasonagain.Firstlyit’sthedrunkenand/orreallyboringpre-Christmasfunctionsandof ficepar ties.

Wethenmovestraightintotheweddings;butwhyisitthateverybodyseemstowanttheirreceptiononthesameday?Takealookatthenewssectionofthismagazine–‘Storiesfromtheworldofcatering’.Thislittlegemgotusthinkingperhapsitwouldberathercoolforourreaderstosharesomeoftheirstorieswithothercaterers.Justforabitoffunyouunderstand;andwiththelittleincentiveofhalfadozenbottlesofpremiumwinetothepersonthatsubmitsthelittlestorythatresonatesbestwiththesector.

Butitwillnotbeallhappy,happy–joy,joyingodzonethissillyseason–see‘FeedingtheStreet’onpage19–andspareathoughtforthepeopleofthestreetsandthosewhodotheirbesttocatertothisgrowingunderclass.

AlsopushingmybuttonsinthenewssectionaretheresultsfromtheannualsurveyofTheNationalRestaurantAssociationofAmericamembersonthehottestculinary

trendsof2012.Wehavelistedthetop20fromatotalof220oddtrends.Takealookandyoumightnoticethatthebulkofthehottestfadsarevariationsaroundlocal/artisan,sustainableandhealthykids.Allthat’sleftinthetop20aretheallergything,andthefactthatnearlyeverycaterer/restaurateurinNorthAmericawantstoopensomesortofpopuporfoodtruck.

Inreality,itisformetheleastpopulartrendsthatarethemostinterestingaspectofthissurvey;thoseitemswhichrespondentsinthetradefeltwere‘yesterday’snews’.Thesewere–energydrinks,sliders(yay),andfoams/froths/air(doubleyay).Surpris-ingly(not)thebiggestdropfromneartoptonearbottomofthelist,(downto211)isthemaca-roon,(tripleyay).

Sothetrickthisseasonis–ifyouwanttograballthebusi-nessjustmakesurethedishesonyourmenuoptionsuseonlysustainable,localartisan,hypo-allergenicproductsinhealthykids-sizedportionsthatareservedwithgreensgrownontheroofofyournewfoodtruck.

Goodluck.

JohnClarkeEditor

Calendarofevents

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News

Thechallenge-basedcookingshowphenomenonhastakentheworldbystormandanewseriescomingsoontoMaoriTelevisionissettodelightfoodieandnon-foodieaudiencesalike.Thecompetitivecookingshowwillseemaraeteamsfromalloverthecountrycompeteagainsteachother.

“Thenewshowblendssomeofthebestchallenge-basedcookingshowsintoafreshnewformatwithadistinctlyMaoriflavour,”saysassociateproducerandpresenterNevakRogers.

TumanakoProductions, theproductioncompanymakingthenewseries,isnowcallingforapplicationsfrommaraearoundthecountry.

Eightsuccessfulmaraeteamswillbattleitoutinthekitchen,showcasingtheirlocaldelicaciesalongsidetheir

culinaryskillsandcouldtakeawaytensofthousandsofdollars’worthofprizes.

“Iftheringawera[chefs]fromyourmaraeareworld-famousforservingupgreatkai,wewanttohearfromyou,”saysRogers.

“We’relookingforringaweragunsfromacrossthemotutogohead-to-headinaseriesofchallengesthatwilltestarangeofskillsfromkaiprepandfundraisingtocookingbudgetmealsandcreatingsignaturedishes.”

ApplicationscloseNovember1,2012.Maraeteamsinterestedinapplyingshouldemail

[email protected].

NewindustrytrainingorganisationtobeknownastheServiceSkillsInstituteAftersixyearsofworkingcloselytogetherincludingcollaborationonsomekeyprojects,theAviation,TourismandTravelTrainingOrganisation(ATTTO),HospitalityStandardsInstitute(HSI)andRetailInstitutesignedaDeedofMergerlastmonth.

Theactionmeansthethreeorganisationsarecommit-tingtoformanewindustrytrainingorganisationtobeknownastheServiceSkillsInstituteanditcomesafterformaldiscussionsthathavebeentakingplacesinceMarchthisyear.

However,HISchiefexecutiveKenHarris,speakingonbehalfofthethreeITOchairssaidtheagreementwasstillsubjecttocertainconditions.

EachITOmustobtainthenecessarysupportforthemergerfromtheirrespectiveindustrytrainingsectorsandthepartiesneedtoobtainrecognitionandextensionofcoveragefromtheTertiaryEducationCommissionandapprovalasthestandardsettingbodyfromtheNewZealandQualificationsAuthority.Satisfactorycomple-tionoffinancial,legalandotherdiligenceprocessesarealsorequired.

Itisexpectedthelikelytransitionperiodwilltakeseveralmonthsasthethreeorganisationscompletetheintegrationprocess,howevertheplannedcommence-mentdateisJanuary1,2013.Itisanimportantcondi-tionofthemergertoretainthekeycapabilityincludingthetechnicalskills,knowledgeandexpertiseofeachpartytoensurethatthenewITO,ServiceSkillsInsti-tute,willbeabletoeffectivelyserviceandsupportitsindustrysectors.

TheroleofthethreeexistingITOBoardswillbe

pickedupintheIndustryAdvisoryGroupswithinSSI, representing the interestsof their industrysector.EachIndustryAdvisoryGroupwillalsonominatetwoDirectorstotheBoard,takingupsixboardpositions,withanadditionalthreeexternalindependentboardmembers,oneofwhomwillbearepresentativeofemployees,appointedthroughaboardselectionprocess.

Duringthetransitionperiod,thefrontlineoperationsofthethreecurrentITOswillcontinuetofunctiononthecurrentbusinessmodels,providingthesameservice.Integrationwilldevelopbestpracticesystemsandprocesses,andprovideimprovedservicestolearners,employersandkeystakeholders.

Theproposedmergerisdependentonthesupportofindustry.AllthreeITOsarenowformallyseekingsupport for the merger from their respectiveindustrysectors.

FurtherinfofromKenHarris.TelephoneDDI(04)[email protected]

Threebecomeone

Topmaraechefssoughtfornewcompetitivetvseries

The Deed of Merger signing: seated from left, Philip Shewell, Retail Institute Chairman and Carol Stigley, HSI Chair with (standing from left) Jill Hatchwell, ATTTO Board Director, John Albertson, Retail Institute Board Director, Kathy Wolfe, CEO of ATTTO, and Bruce Robertson, HSI Deputy Chair.


News

Austral ia ’s leadingconsumeradvocacygroupCHOICEhasdiscoveredthatdespitecommitmentstosalt-reduction,arecentsurvey it conducted of195‘salt-reduced’cerealsfoundthatsaltlevelswerestillhighinalltheprod-ucts.CHOICEreportedthatKelloggs,SanitariumandAldibrandbreakfastcereal versions of ‘cornflakes’and‘ricebubbles’still had significant saltcontent, despite reduc-tionsofatleast20percentsincethelastsurvey.

The CHOICE investi-gation was initiated bythe release of a reportby the George Instituteof Global Health thathadtheAustralianHeartFoundationwarningthatsalt levels in Australianfoodhaverisentoa‘deeplyalarming’ level – up 9percentinthreeyears–despite pressure fromAustralianhealthauthori-tiesforsalt-reductioninfoods.

THE WINNING WAY TO WELCOME YOUR GUESTS

First impressions count. Creating the right atmosphere by dressing like a professional will help your venue succeed. Dress for success. Inspire your guests with confidence by how you and your staff appear.

Call 050 Uniform (0508 643 676) now for your FREE Arrow Uniforms catalogue. Or download a copy - www.arrowuniforms.co.nz

CP11

02-Q

R

It’snotNewZealandorevenAustralia–it’sontheothersideoftheworldbutitalltricklesdowneventually.TheNationalRestaurantAssociationofAmericahasreleasedtheresultsofitssurveyintothehottesttrendsof2012,askingnearly2000chefshowtheyratedalistof223culinaryitems:weretheitemsahottrend,yesterday’snewsoraperennialfavourite?Theresultsreflectedthemacro-trendsthathavebeenseentobegrowingoverthelastseveralyears,saystheAssociation’sdirectorofnutritionandhealthyliving,JoyDubost.Shesaidnutrition–especiallywhenitcomestochildren–wasbecomingamajorfocusaswellastheconsumers’increasinginterestinhealthfuleating.Sourcinglocallywasanothertrend.Itmakesinterestingreading:TheTop20Trendsof20121. Locally sourced meats and

seafood2. Locallygrownproduce3. Healthfulkids’meals4. Hyper-localsourcing(egrestau-

rantgardens)5. Sustainability6. Children’snutrition

7. Gluten-free/food allergyconscious

8. Locally-producedwineandbeer9. Sustainableseafood10. Wholegrainitemsinkids’meals11. Newlyfabricatedcutsofmeat(eg

Denversteak,porkflatiron,PetiteTender)

12. Farm/estate-brandedingredients13. Foodtrucks/streetfood14. Micro-distilled/artisanspirits15. Artisan/house-madeicecream16. Health/nutrition17. Non-traditionalfish(egbranzino,

Arcticchar,barramundi)18. Fruit/vegetablechildren’sside

items19. “Minimeals”(egsmallerversions

ofadultmenuitems)20. Culinarycocktails(egsavory,

freshingredients,herb-infused)

GLOSSARYDenverSteak–marbled steak cut from the upper portion on the chuckPorkFlatIron–pork blade steak – in beef it is called the chuck top bladePetiteTender–shoulder steakBranzino–sea bassArcticchar–small trout

NoDeclineinSalt

What’strendingin2012


News

Canadian Special Events.commagazineput togetheralistofthemostpopularandsuccessfulcatering ideasof2012. Food inspired appe-tizers(e.g.tempura,taquitos,kabobs,hummus)

1. Exotic fruits(e.g.ramb-utan,dragon fruit,pawpaw,guava)

2. Artisan/house-made icecream

3. Cubaninspiredcuisine4. BlackRice5. Artisanbacons6. Paneer7. On-sitebarrelageddrinks8. Asianflavoredcocktails

(e.g.lemongrass,lychee,Thaibasil)

9. Gamemeats10. Umami

11. Duck12. Wineontap13. Braising14. Hybridfruits/vegetables

(e.g. plumcot, grapple,broccoflower)

15. Wasabi16. Street Trucks & Indie

vendors17. Mac&cheese18. Polenta19. Olivebars

GLOSSARYTaquitos–small tortillaPaneer – fresh cheese from IndiaUmami–the fifth taste - foods with an inherent savouriness such as parmesan or miso Olivebar– like a salad bar but of fering only olives

Howmanycaterershavehadasimilarconversationtothis?

Customer:MayIspeaktotheowner?Me:Thisistheowner.HowmayIhelpyou?Customer:NO,Imeantheguywhoistheowner.Me:That’smyhusband.I’msorry;heisbusyatthemoment.IstheresomethingIcanhelpyouwith?Customer: I need a catering menuemailed.Me:Icancertainlydothatforyou.Whenisyourevent?Customer:Saturday.Me:ThisSaturday?Liketwodaysfromnow?Customer:Yes.Me: Well, I apologise but we arecompletelybookedforthisSaturday.Customer:That’swhyIwantedtotalktotheotherowner.Ispoketohimtwoweeksagoandhesaidyouwerenotbooked.Me:Weweren’tbookedtwoweeksago,butwearenow.Customer:Well,I’vealreadysentouttheinvitations,andIneedfoodformyparty.Me:I’msorry,butwearecompletelybooked.Wealreadyhavethree largeparties,andwejustcouldn’tpossiblytakeonafourth.Customer:Canyourecommendanothercaterer?Me:Notreally.I’veneverusedanothercaterer,soIcan’trecommendone.Customer:Haven’tyoueverbeentoapartycateredbyanothercaterer?Me: We’re caterers. We don’t go toparties.Weworkatotherpeople’sparties.Customer:IT’SONLY25PEOPLE!Me:Um,okay.Customer: You said you have threeparties.Couldn’tyoujustmakeenoughextrafoodfor25peopleandcomeoverandserveit?Me:Youmeancatertheparty?Customer:No,justmakesomefoodandbringitoverandserveit,andcleanupafterwards.It’sfairlyeasy,isn’tit?

From: notalwaysright.com, a website that debunks the adage that the customer is always right.

TheboominthecommercialcateringsectorinChinaisover.SuQiucheng,presidentoftheChinaCuisineAssociation,tolddelegatesattheChinaCateringIndustryLeadingEntrepreneurSummitinBeijingthatprofitgrowthfellto13.1%duringthefirsthalfoftheyear,lowerthantheMinistryofCommerce’sestimateof16%duringthe12thFive-YearPlan(2011-15).

Whilemuchofthedeclineisduetorampantfoodcostinflation,arecentreportbyinternationalfinancialserviceconsultancy,DeloitteToucheTohmatsuhasrecommendedthatChina’scommercialcateringsectorneedstoconsidermergersandacquisitions,aswellasjointventureswithforeigncompaniesinanefforttomeetthechallengeofarapidlydevelopingsector.

TheDeloittereporthighlightshugechallengesforChineseoperatorsinareasoffoodsafety,labourmanagementandbranddevelopment.AsChina’sindustryischanging,sotooarethecateringdemandsofinstitutionalclients,andasthedomesticfoodmarketbecomesmorekeenlyattunedtobrands,theneedforcompaniestodeveloptheirbrandsisbecomingcriticaltoongoingsuccess.

WhilethisisacknowledgedinWesternmarkets,wherecaterershavelongunderstoodtheneedforstrongbrands,itisrelativelynewinChina.Traditionallysecuringcontractswasmoreaboutwhohadthebestcontactsratherthanthestrongestreputation,butasthemarketchangessodoexpectationsfromclients.

Currently,China’sinstitutionalcateringsectorisestimatedtoservesome3.2billionmealsayear.

Chinaseekscateringpartners

Storiesfromtheworldofcatering


Cover story

Ourculinarylandscapeischanging.Demandforpremiumfoodanddrink

hasbeenrisingfordecades.Travellersreturnhomewithknowledgeandskillsgainedabroad,whilemediaandtheinternetexposeustoglobalinfluences,wideningourexpectations.Adventurousdreamersarelaunchingmorenewproductsandexperimentingwithdifferentmarketingtechniquesmoreandmorefrequently.Becauseofallthis,inNewZealandlikemanycountriesinthewesternworld,ourfoodcultureiscatchinguptosomeoftheworld’smostdevelopedmarketssuchasFrance,thehometoover400cheeses.Ofcourseaswedevelop,theinfluenceofourcultureandgeographicallocationshinesthrough.

However,somenewproductscanonlybeproducedwithalotofcareandskill,meaningthattheyareservedonlywithinourmostprestigiousrestaurants,orthey

ByRobEliott

‘TheBigLittleCity’–atasteofsomethingspecial

ThepublicperceptionthatAucklandissomethingofa

culinarywildernessischangingduetohigh-profilecateringevents

aimedatthegeneralpopulace.


commandahighpriceatretail.Theresultingpublicperceptionisfrequentlythatthemostexquisitefoodisoutofreach for many people. From thissituationanopportunityemerges.Totakethatspecialsomethingandshareitwithawideraudience.WelcometoTasteFestivals.

In 2011 New Zealand Trade andEnterpriseaskedustocreateandruntheofficialfoodandbeverageshowcaseovertheRugbyWorldCup.Theconceptwassimple–giveeveryvisitoratasteofsomethingdeliciousandunmistakablykiwitocommunicatejusthowgoodwehavebecomewithourfoodanddrink.WeranTasteattheCloudfor41daysservingup77,000tastingplates.Cateringforanywherebetween100and1000customersperdayinatemporarykitchenforsixweeksisnomeanfeat.Forthisyouneedacaterer.Luckyforus,Dawsons,armedwithnewkitchenfacilitiesandateamofresilientandsmilingchefswereabletoprepandservetothedailydemand.MinisterMcCully, the Minister for ForeignAffairsandRugbyWorldCup,calledthis:“ThemostsignificantfoodandbeverageshowcaseNewZealandhaseverproduced.”

TheBigEventOverthelastthreeyearsateamofpeoplehavebeenworkingtirelesslybehindthescenesofTasteofAucklandsearchingthecountryforgourmetproductsandthepeoplethatmakethem.Thiscollec-tionthengetspresentedtothousandsofpeopleattheeventwhomaynotyethavediscoveredthedelicaciesavail-abletothem.Forthefour-dayfestivalsomeofourmostpraisedrestaurantnamesalsocometogetherintheparktoleadthispromotion.Thisisanexperi-mentwithrestaurantstafftemporarilyplayingascaterers!Theypreparetheirsignaturedishesinhugequantitiesandofferthemtoanaudiencethatlastyearnumberedover23,000.Thepreparationtakesweeksandsometimesmonths.Fromanorganiser’spointofview,thereisnothingasfulfillingasthefinaldaywhenanexhaustedbuthappykitchenteamserveuptheir lastdishtoyetanotherdelightedcustomer.

TasteFestivalstakeplacein15citiesaroundtheworldfromLondontoDubai,CapeTowntoAuckland.InoneyearTastecatersforover340,000visitors,servingupcloseto1.4milliondishes.Thisisservedbyover220restaurants–that’sanamountofpreparationthatevenatournamentcatererwouldfindhardwork.

WetakeourhatsofftotheAucklandrestaurantstaffthatwillbeworkingtirelesslyovernextmonth’sbigevent:Clooney,TheCommons,Depot,Euro,FISH,KermadecFine,Mexico,PoderiCrisci,TotoandVivace.Cuisineisthedrawcardofthefestivalandthisyear’sdishesincludeWildDeerwithearthbakedKowiniwini,ferncurd,black-berry&maltsoil fromChefAntonLeylandatKermadecFine,andpecancrèmebruleewithPedroXeminezandearlgreyfromtheClooneyKitchenbyChefDesHarris.Eachdishfromamenuofover30willbeservedliterallythousandsoftimesoverthefourdays.

WhileTasteofAucklandisarestau-rant,foodanddrinkfestival,itisalsooneofthebiggestcateringfeatsoftheyear.ThisNovember’sinstallmentwillbethelargestyetandweanticipateover70,000disheswillbeservedoverthefourdays.Takingplacefrom15-18November,thisisahugepromotionwherefoodtakescentrestage.Assuch,welookforwardtoseeingmembersofthehospitalityindustrytherealongsidethethousandsoffoodieswhocomereligiouslyeveryyear.Makesureyougrabaticketandsupportyourindustrybybringinganemptystomach.

The Corporate Marquee at Taste of Auckland – The Grove's Valrhona chocolate pave, cookie crumbs & strawberry cream

Warren Turnbull of District Dining

www.cateringplus.co.nz

RestaurantMonth–Yes,inAuckland

9Catering Plus SPRING 2012

CanwepleasehavearoundofapplauseforHeartoftheCity–thecentralcitybusinessassociation.DuringthemonthofAugust,110

restaurantsintheAucklandCBDranspecialpromotionalmenusandbenefitedfromasubstantialmarketingcampaign.ThiswasHeartoftheCity’sinitiative,whichwasdesignedtocreateexcitingreasonsforconsumerstodineoutoveratraditionallyquietmonth.Researchshowsthatparticipatingrestaurantswere14.1%uponAugust2011.FinallyAucklandhasasubstantialcitywiderestaurantpromotion.BrandEvents&Festivalsrankeyeventstoattractthemediaspotlightandprovidestimulationthroughoutthemonth.Andwehadaballdoingit,thankyoutoeverybodywhogotinvolved.RollonAugust2013.

RobEliottBrandEvents&Festivals

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Catering Plus SPRING 201210 www.cateringplus.co.nz

Catering trends

Greatfoodinsmallpackages

Fingerfoodsandcanapésweretheorderofthedayforthehundreds

ofVIPguestsinvitedtothestunningpreviewnightattheSunwayPyramidConventioncentre,asprawlingmallbuiltinthestyleofancientEgypt.Infact, it lookedforall theworld likeaLasVegascasino,butwithbetterfood,as28ofMalaysia’sfinestchefsmanagedtoreducetheirsignaturemenustocanapé-sizedportionsforthehungryguests.

Thisyear’sthemeof“ClassicalChefs–ASymphonyofGreatCuisines”waschosentosymboliseandcelebratetherootsandtraditionsofbasicgoodandhonestcooking.

“Overtheyearswe’veseenallsortsofinnovativefoodtrendsmaketheirdebut – nouvelle cuisine, fusion,molecularcuisine, tonameafew–andyet through itall, theexpertsstillagreethatnothingbeats‘Mama’sCooking,’saidorganizingchairmanDatoSteveDay.

“Let’sfaceit,whateverthechoiceofcuisine,peoplesimplylovetheclas-sics,whetheritbeauthenticMalay-sianorauthenticJapanese,Italianoranyothercuisine.”

Dayoutlined the impor tanceofhonestflavoursandhealthyoptionsfor restaurants and caterers, asconsumers’ tastes shifted awayfromfinickyfoodstomorewhole-someoptions.

Thetradeshowpartofthefestivalwasafascinatingexperienceaswellasonethatcertainlyputtheaverage

NewZealand-styletradeshowintoperspective. Plenty of exhibitors,plentyof tradevisitors andplentyofpublicentrantsensuredthat theGourmetVillagesectionwaspacked.

TherewasalsoagoodshowingfromNewZealandproducers,withasolidselectionofKiwiwinesandfoodsonoffer,frombignameslikeVillaMariatosmalleroutfitslikeTeHoroFoods,whosejamsandrelisheswereliterallylappedupbylocalvisitors.

Ontheequipmentside,therewereplentyof innovative ideasonoffer,frompancakemakerstofullkitchenkit-outs.

But the most interesting aspectwastheinsightitgaveintowhattheMalaysian–andthegreaterSoutheastAsian–marketislookingforwhenitcomestobothfinediningandcateredevents.Smart,smallandsexyfingerfoodsweretheorderoftheday,fromminifishpiesbakedintotheshapeofchrysanthemumstogrilledfishmarinated incoconutandcilipadipasteandservedwithhoney-tamarind

Itwasallaboutthesmallthingswhen

theMalaysianInternationalGourmet

Festivalkickedoffwithgreatpompand

ceremonyinKualaLumpurlastmonth.


sauce,allontheendofaspoon.One chef in particular spoke to

CateringPlusmagazineabout theimportanceof thecateringendofhis business and said that he putas much care and attention intoprovidingnibblesandlightbitesforpre-functiongatheringsashedidwiththemostexpensiveiteminhisfine-diningrestaurantand,havingtriedhistwice-boiledguineafowl inChinesesoup,it’shardtodisagree.

Thefestivalisnowinits12thyearand the public tickets are keenlysought,withthree-coursemeals inanyofthefestivalrestaurantsamereNZ$40,whilesmallbitesareavailablefromNZ$2.

It’salongdayforexhibitors,gettingreadyforan11amstartandclosingat11pm,buttheexhibitorswereallgladtobethere,giventheongoingopportunityforsalesandnetworkingitprovides.

Therewerealsoaseriesofseminarsand workshops, including variouscuisine topics,winematchinganddrinksappreciation.

For more information about theshowortoregisteran interest fornextyear,visitwww.migf.com


Kitchen fitouts and refits

Behindeverysuccessfulfoodserviceproviderbeitarestaurantorcateringenterprise,beitbigorsmall,isawell-

equippedkitchen.JesmaMagilltalkstoleadingsuppliersandchefsabouttheir

must-havesforagreatkitchen.

Supreme Winner of the MetroAudiRestaurantoftheYearfor

2012,theDepotEateryandOysterBarinAucklandhasbeendescribedasthebestlittleeateryinthecountry.

Probably the country’s mostpopulareateryaswell;theobviousquestionishowdoesasmallkitchencopewithbigcrowds,dayafterday?Therestaurantmeasures120squaremetres,thekitchen’s50sqmandthebustling,rusticjointtakes75peopleseated,35standingandhasfedmorethan400peopleinoneday.

Natural

Dep

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The main player at Depot – the wood-fired oven


Twomainapplianceplayerssupplythe‘firepower’fortherestaurant,saysheadchefKyleStreet.Thewood-firedovenwasmadebyAustraliancompanyBeech.It’scalledTheBeast,andmeasurestwometres,reachestotheceilingandwascustomisedspecificallyforDepot.

Beechhadthemouthwidenedtotakethe‘bigfood’Depotspecialisesin,suchaswholechickens,hockandsucklingpigs.WellingtonsteelworkartistAndrewMissendesignedthesteelcasing,withthebrief to“giveitattitude.”

The charcoal grill, also made byBeech,isliterallyapit.It’sfilledwithcoalseverymorning,stokedalldayandwellintothenight.“It’safullchargrill,there’snogas,andit’smagic,givingusthosesmoky,intenseflavoursthatwewant,”saysStreet.

SouthernHospitalityalsosuppliedequipmentatDepot:there’saWaldorfoven for braising and baking, aWaldorfsalamandergrill,aPacojeticecreammakerandSkopefridgeswithdrawers.Streetdescribesthesizeofthekitchenas“adequate”butaddsnokitcheniseverbigenoughand

Depot’sstaggeringpopularityhasputpressureontheeconomicalfootprint.Thewalk-infridgewasfoundwantingsoonafteropeningandfourmonthslateranextraonewasbuiltonstiltsattherearoftherestaurant.

OnStreet’sappliancewishlist–ifspaceallows–isanelectronicfan-forcedcombi-ovenforsteamingandbaking.

Depotcreatorand2012MetroRestau-rateuroftheYearAlBrownsayswhilethekitchenistight,that’snotabadthing.“Morespaceinakitchenmeansyoudothemileage;insmallerkitchenstherearefewermovementsandyoucanbemoreefficient.Smallisintimatetoo,andit’seasiertoseewhat’sgoingon.Ifyou’reorganisedandthekitchen’swelldesignedyoucandoit.

“Depot’sstyleisquickcookingsoasmallerspaceworkswellandwe’vesplitthekitchen–therawbarisupfrontandshortordercookingissegregatedtoo.”

Brownsaysthekitchen layout isfantastic.“It’s likerunninginacar,it justgetsbetter.We’reconstantlylooking at getting more out of thespace though– if youdon’t you’regoingbackwards.”

beech Wood Fire Oven - Chef Nikhil

beech ovens Oberoi Gurgaon 361 - 3 door stone hearth oven with char grill


Rational New Zealand in conjunc-tionwithsistercompany,BurnsandFerrall,ispleasedtoreleasethenewSelfCookingCenter-WhiteefficiencyinNewZealand.

RationalworksinconjunctionwithBurnsandFerralltosupplyrestaurants,supermarketsandproductionkitchensandaresupplierstoFoodstuffs,LSGSkyChefs,SkyCityandSimonGault’sNourishchain,whichhasEuroasitsflagshipstore.Rationalhasalsorecentlyentered into the Phoenix Group’sIguanaeateryinHamilton.

“Holisticsolutions–smart,conciseandefficient–aredoneinconjunctionwiththeenduserandmakeforcollabo-rativeproblemsolving,”saysRationalregionalheadMichaelTamati.“We

coverallsectorsforallneedswheredetailsmakethedifference.”• HighDensityControlThisisapatentedconceptuniquetoRational,whichregulatesthetimingbetweenpower,heatandhumiditywithinthe cooking cabinet. This increasesproduction,reducesconsumptionby30percent,uses20percentlessenergyandis30percentfaster.• EfficientLevelControlCookmixedloadsatthesametime,withouttastetransfer.Eachrackisindi-viduallymonitored,makingcheckingandrecalibratingathingofthepast.Theoperatorsavestime,moneyandspaceasotherappliancesarenotrequired.• SelfCookingControlData input cooking processes are

Sustainabilityandefficiencyarethe big factors influencing thepurchasesofcommercialcookingequipmenttoday,saysSouthernHospitality’sPhilLlewellyn.

“Chefsareincreasinglylookingatenergyplustheresourcesavingcapabilitiesofnewproducts,suchaswaterandpowerusageandmanu-facturersarerespondingtothesemarketdemands,”saysLlewellyn.“Andthemovementtowardsbuyinglocalandkeepingthingssimpleisbehindmostpopularcafeandrestaurantexperiences.”

Llewellyn and his team helpchefsplanefficientkitchensandasuccessfulkitchenisallaboutlayout,hesays.“Flow,workspaceandease-of-useinacommercialkitchenareparamountandthat’schallengingthesedayswhentypi-

cally,alotofspaceincommercialpropertiesisbecomingsqueezed.Spaceisexpensiveandmakinguseofitinthebestwayisvital.”

Whenworkingonnewlayouts,Llewellynstartswiththebasics:what’s on the menu, the targetmarketandwhatvolumeswillbeproduced.“Menuandmarketdeter-minethetypeofequipmentthat’srequiredandthevolumesdictatethesize.

“Ifcafeownersareconsideringbuyingasimplebakingoven,wemightsuggestaConvothermcombioveninstead,whichallowsthemgreaterflexibility,widercookingoptionsandthepossibilityofextrarevenuestreams.”

Modern combi ovens can beprogrammedtostartbeforeashiftarrivesinthekitchen;ajointoflamb

canbecookedovernightandtheovencangothroughthecleancycleduringdowntime.

“Ourclientsaremoreawareofmakingefficiencies,bylookingatwhattechnologycandofortheirbusiness,andthatcleverkitchenlayoutallowsmoreefficientworkflows.Withthemaincoststobusi-nessbeinglabour,foodandover-heads,ifyoucansavemoneyonlabour,that’sasignificantcontribu-tiontothebottomline.”

Llewellyn also sees potentialforefficiencieswiththecurrentpopularsousvidecookingbath.“Ifyou’rehavingafunction,youcanstartcookingwiththesousvideseveraldaysbeforehand.Byplan-ningahead,you’reincreasingtheyieldandminimisingrisk.That’sgoodforthebottomlinetoo.”

Sustainableandefficient

simplified.Youstatethedesiredresult;theunitcalibratestoaffectthatresultandintuitivelyaccountsforthatprocessoverandoveragain.Thismitigatesoperational error in multi-operatorenvironments.• CareControlThisisanintelligentcleaningsugges-tion. The unit tells you how muchcleaningproducttouse,dependentontheamountofsoiling.Nomorewatersofteners, lime scale or overuse ofchemicals.

Selfcookingcentre

burns and Ferrall


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SweetCakesAucklandcakemakerJordanRondelstartedTheCakertwoyearsago,turningoutspecialtycakecreationsfromasmallcornerofalargecommer-cialkitchenindowntownAuckland.Itwasagreatopportunitybutitwasn’tlongbeforesheneededabasethatwasmorepersonalandmoreinlinewithherboutiquebusiness.

RondelfoundatinykitchenforleaseatthebackofEightThirtycafe,533KarangahapeRoad,andpurchasedherownoven–aMoffatTurbo-fandigitalelectriconefromSouthernHospitality.Theevenheatmakesitidealforbaking,itcookseightcakesinjust20minutesandRondelproducesonaverage40specialtycakeseveryweek.

Thespaceistinyandthere’snosuchthingaswalkingtheworktriangle,Rondelmerelyhastoturn.Ratherthanbeingrestrictivethough,shesaysthetightspacemakesherworkmoreefficiently.

Thatsaid,toppingRondel’swishlistareherowncafeandthetallestovenwithrackstotheceiling.Andforawomanwithasweettoothandacallingforbakinggorgeousmorsels,she’llbestickingtohercakes:“There’ssomethingtobesaidforstickingwithyourspecialty.”

Jordan Rondel, aka The Caker, moves her artisan business to the creative fringe of Karangahape Rd.

burns and Ferrall

www.cateringplus.co.nzCatering Plus June - July 201216

Holiday catering


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Itwastheultimatesummerhospi-talityevent,onethateverypoliti-

cian in the country begged to beinvitedto.TheViticulturalFieldDayLuncheonwasoncethehighlightofthesmall,colourfulwineindustry’scalendar,inthedaysbeforeexportsandSauvignonBlancweregiantsinournationaleconomy.Featuresoftheeventwerealargemarqueeinasunnyvineyardspot,usuallysomewhereinWestAuckland,somelivemusicwithadistinctCroatianflavour,amassofslowlyturningspitsroastinglambs

overhotcoals,andplentyofwine.The winemakers and their part-

nersturnedoutinshortsleevesandcolourfulfrocks,andeventhepoliti-cianswereinrelaxedgarb,notliketheblacktieanddiamondsthatarenowthestandarddressforwineindustryoccasions.However,thecasualflavourofNewZealandsummerstilldemandsacertainstylefromlocalcaterersthatismoreinkeepingwiththeoldFieldDaysandmaraecateringtraditionsthanit iswithcorporateslicknessinthecommercialcentre.

AmyHopeofAuckland’shotnewcateringoperation,CoolFoodsaysthisrelaxedstyleisexactlywhattheyarefocusingon,andsummeristhebestseasonforthem.

“CoolFood is ver ymuchaboutcatering in a relaxed way,” Amysays.“Theymightbespecialocca-sionsbutouraimistoengageourclients in things likeoutdoorhotsalmonsmokingthatisinterestingaswellasprovidingdeliciousfood.Barbeques are impor tant too.Anythinginteractive.”

CoolcallsforsummerBy Keith Stewart


Cool Food has also developed astrongsuitinpicnics,wherecorporatesarelookingforrelaxed,outdoorstaffeventsduringthesummer.OneoptionforthesethatCoolFoodprovidesislunchboxesforeachguest,withsmartsandwichesandafewtastingdelightstokeeptheminterested.

“Ourclientsarerespondingposi-tivelytoourrelaxedattitude,”saysAmy,whosecompanyisthehottestnewcatererinthebigcitythisseason.

LoavesandFishescateringinWestAucklandhasbeenaroundalotlongerthan Cool Food, and owner HelenMortonmakesthepointthatbeingrelaxedisnotanewidea.Summerdoesbringamorerelaxedattitudefromtheclienthowever.

“Outdoor catering becomes the

featureduring summer,” she says,bringingwithitparticulardemands.“Alotofpeopledon’twanttobebotheredwithcrockeryandglassware,sothereismuchmorecallfordisposables.Andforbarbeques.”

Her work also takes her to thewholerangeofpublicvenues,fromregionalparkstothezoo.Manywillorderpre-packedfoodinpicnicstylefor these, and Loaves and Fishesdomanagedeliverysotherearenoreturnsrequired.Anythingdeliveredwiththefoodisdisposable,andserviceismanagedbytheclients.Ultimatefingerfood,liketheoriginal ‘loavesandfishes’venue.

There isanother themeatworkhere,rather than therelaxedstyleofkiwisummerfoodevents,andthat

istheenvironmentalattractionwithdisposables.Yes, theydomake foramoreeasygoingfunction,but,asCatherineBellsays,disposablesaretoooftennotreallydisposableatall;theyhangaroundintheenvironmentandarejustplainugly.

Bell, founderofDishmagazineandoneof this countr y’s leadingfoodprofessionals,decidedtoputherenergyintobringingseriouslyrecyclable disposables into thecountry,whichwasthegenesisofEpicureTrading, a company thathandles a smart range of dispos-ablecateringware that isnot justenvironmentallysound.

“People are more ecologicallyaware,”shesays.“Butcaterersarealso looking forsomethingsmart,something that makes their foodlookgood.”

EpicureTradingofferstwolinesofdisposables,onemadefromplanta-tionwood,andanother fromsugarcane waste. Both are completelybiodegradable and have proven ahitwithlocalcaterers.

“Mostofourproductgoeswithtop foodser vice,”Catherine says.“It is light,easyandsmart,and itshows of f the food really nicely.Evencafesandhotelsareusingitforitsvisualappeal.”

Thatrelaxedkiwistylerunswaybeyondsummer,then.It’sanattitudethatmayhavestartedinourcateredfood sector under the ubiquitouscanvasofamarquee,butithasalsomadeitswayintoaparticularlySouthPacificversionofthecafé.Coolandsmart.Laidback,buttakingitssenseofstyleandqualityoffoodveryseri-ouslyindeed.

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It’s getting tougher on the streets, with thechallengeoffeedingNewZealand’sunderclass

becomingmoredemandingbytheday.LatestdatafromtheNewZealandGeneralSocialSurveyputs15%feelingtheyareunabletomeetbasicfinancialobligations,which,accordingtotheAucklandCityMissionisreflectedinunprecedenteddemandfortheirFoodlinkprogramme.

TheNewZealandCouncilofChristianSocialServicesVulnerabilityReportforJuly2012showsthat foodassistance fromChurchandcommu-nity foodbanksandsoupkitchenscontinues toincrease.PamWaughoftheSalvationArmysays:“Nomatterhowfrugalthesefamiliesare,parentsfacethetoughchoicesofpayingtherent–ofteneatingup70%ormoreofthehouseholdbudget–orfeedingthefamilyfortheweek,payschoolcostsorthepower...Iffoodwinsoverrent,thentheyfaceevictionandhomelessness,andthisiswhatweareseeingdaily.”

AmongstthoseonthefrontlinesaretheSoupKitchen inWellingtonand theLifewiseMergeCaféonKarangahapeRoadincentralAuckland,bothwithadif ferentapproachonhow tomeettheneedsoftheburgeoningpoor.

Feedingthestreet

ByDavidStewart

Wetakeaseriouslookatcateringtothoseinneed:thepeople,

companies,supportersandorganisationsbehindthescenes.


AfewstreetsbackfromOriental

Bay,inTeAro,theSoupKitchenat

theSuzanneAubertCompassion

Centrehasbeenservinghotmeals

to Wellington’s homeless and

needysixdaysaweekforroughly

a century. The Soup Kitchen

sur vives through the ef for ts

of200volunteers,whowork in

bothkitchenandorganisational

roles,andfundingfromthelocal

community.As thedemand for

theirservicegrows, individuals’

supportintheformofmoneyand

labourneeds toexpandtomeet

thechallenge,whichcanbeas

personalasdonationsofhome-

grownvegetables.There is also substantive

support from localcompanies,

suchasArobake,ChaffersStreet

New World, Havana Cof fee

andFloriditas café,whomake

contributions to themenusand

tofunding.Centre manager Philippa

Meachensays that the levelof

communitysupporttheycurrently

enjoycanbetranslatedintoamore

ambitiousgoalthanjustfillinga

largenumberofbellieswithsoup.

“Weareextremelymindfulthat

foralargenumberofourguests,

thismaybe theonlyplace they

aregettingmealsandwetry to

ensure that the evening meals

arehealthy.Sowhilebudget is

important,itdoesnotover-ridethe

commitment toservenutritious

meals,”saysMeachen.“Forexample,wewillpurchase

seasonal fruitandvegetables if

wedon’thaveenoughdonated

producethatweek.We’veworked

with a dietician to ensure that

we’remeetingnutritionalrequire-

ments,andourchefs takea lot

ofprideinmakingsurethatour

mealsarenutritious,andalsovery

attractive.”Inadditiontothis,SoupKitchen

volunteers act as conduits for

the sorts of housing, welfare,

budgetingandmedicalservices

that their customers may not

otherwisebeawareof,getting

needypeopleintouchwithagen-

cies and professionals to give

themthebestchanceofmaking

moreindependentlivesforthem-

selves.Recently,asthefruitofa

collaborativeprojectbetweenthe

CompassionCentre,Wellington

ICTandRetaketheNet,internet

accesshasevenbeenmadeavail-

ableattheredubbed“SoupHub”,

completewithITtutorsforanyone

needinghelpwithdiscoveringthe

advantagesofgettingonline.

Another staunch community

institution,Auckland’svenerable

Airedale Street Soup Kitchen,

wascloseddownandreborn in

late2010as theLifewiseMerge

Café.Itwastime,theorganisers

believed,totakeafreshapproach

to thechallengeof feeding the

hungrystreets.Lifewiseseesabigpartoftheir

roleasaproviderofservices in

proffering advice as well. This

involvesaddressingtheproblems

thatoftenaccompanyhomeless-

ness,suchasmentalandphysical

health,addiction,andhelpingwith

Images credit: Antony Kitchener


access to services from other

agencies.Part of the new approach at

MergeCaféisasmallchargefor

hotmeals–typically$3.00or$3.50

fortakeaways–butalsotheoppor-

tunitytoacquiresomenewskills,

asthecooksaretraineesrecruited

fromthecafé’scustomers.“They’renotgoingtocomeaway

fromhereasgourmetchefs,but

Iwillshowthemthebasics,right

downfromknifeskills,basicprep-

aration,foodsafetyandhygiene,”

saysMergeCafé’sStephenClark.

“It’sachanceforanewlife that

hasseensomeofthecity’shome-

lesshelpingout.”Boosted by an injection of

funds from thewellpublicised

“BigSleepOut”eventsandmain-

tainedbypublicdonationsand

bypricingwhichusuallycovers

foodcosts,theCaféisacolourful,

comfortableandpopularspot,as

evidenced by the patronage of

somecustomerswhoworkonK

road,supplementingthemeagre

turnoverandcontributingtoareal

communityfeelabouttheplace.

Lifewisebelieves it isoffering

a degree of choice and civility

tocustomers in theirattractive

newenvironment,whichwasnot

possibleattheirformerpremises

throughtheserviceof free,but

much simpler, food. Today’s

optionofButterChickenonrice

orBeefNachoswithguacamole

andsaladwasanappealingone,

andMergehastheambianceofa

regularurbancafé,albeitonewith

aparticularlycolourfulclientele.

As Lifewise’s Corie Haddock

hasputit,“Oneofthethingsthat

comeswithhomelessnessisalack

ofchoiceanda lackofopportu-

nity.It’saboutgivingpeopleback

dignityandrespect.”Dignityandrespect,aswellas

nutrition,asenseofwell-being

andchoice,andnot leastsome

respect for foodwith taste,not

onlysustenance.Thesearechal-

lengingparametersatthetough

end of our catering industry,

wherecustomersdemandmore

thanfoodandservice;theyalso

needamomentarysurgeofreha-

bilitation.As Father Des Britten, now

Sir Des, says of his 17 years

workingfeedingthestreetsafter

acareerinhautecuisine,“Wehad

programmesthatweretailoredto

people’sneeds,weweren’tjusta

groupofpeoplehelpingoutpeople

bygivingthemmoneyorfood.”


Health

RecentdevelopmentsinthepublicsectorintheUnitedKingdom,

where the British Government isprogressingwith itsResponsibilityDeal toattractmoreprivatesectorinvolvementintheNationalHealthServicecouldprovideanexamplethatNewZealandgovernmentmayfollowunderitsprivatepartnershipinitiatives.

Foodserviceisoneofthelargestcostcentres inanyhospitalopera-tion, so the option of contractingout has appeal, both for potentialcontractors,andforresource-strappedhealthboards.Anumberofhospitalboardsinthiscountryhavealreadytakenthestep,butmostremainwithin-houseservicesmakingthisoneofthelargestareasforpotentialgrowth

intheinstitutionalcateringsectorforprivatebusinesses.

TheUnitedKingdomexperienceisprovidinganumberofinterestinginsightsintothechallengesofmeetinghealth sector expectations. Thereis initially theneed foradifferentperspectiveinfoodpreparationwithnutritionalvaluesandhealthdemandschangingthedynamicsofservice,evenforcompaniesthathaveexperi-encewithinstitutionalcateringonalargescale.

Aswellasthisaddedexpectationofcarefulnutritionalperformance,thereisalsothedemandofcustomerswhoareinstressfulsituationsandwhomayhavehadtheirtastescompromisedbymedication.Thischangestherelation-

InstitutionalCatering–HealthSectorPrivatecontractorsofferpotentialforimprovedhospitalfoodByKeithStewart


shipbetweenproviderandcustomersugnificantly,andprovidesasecondarycomplicationinmeetingthechallengeofconsumersatisfaction.

Anotherdifferenceisthepresenceof foodscienceprofessionals inthemix.Dietitiansandnutritionistsplayanactiverole inallhospitals,moreso than was the case historically,andtheir inputaswellasthatofadiversegroupofotherprofessionalsinvolvedmakesexpertiseamanage-mentpriorityforcontractors.

“...this is an area that can be debated but at the end of the day it will be driven by the menu, the budget and the ‘perception’ of others that will provide the best value for money and meet the needs of the client, the nurses, the dieticians, the speech patholo-gists, the cooks, the accountant, the legislation, etc. I think you can see where I am coming from. How can this many stakeholders all agree, have their specific requirements met, and be happy?.”writesWendyLewisBaida,chieffoodservicesmanagerfortheRoyalAdelaideHospitalandtertiarylectureronfoodservice.

Differencesinservicecultureaside,theBritishexperienceshowsthatinde-pendentoperatorsbringinnovationandgreaterflexibilitytothesector.Theyalsobringamorecreative,posi-tiveattitudetocustomersatisfaction,whichiskeyindeliveringhighhealthfoodservicestandards.

AccordingtoRogerd’EliaaseniormanagerwithMedirest,partoftheCompassGroupwhichhold14%of

NHScontracts,thechangefromoneculturetoanotherisoftenanimportantfactorinbothdeliveryandmeetingbudgetdemands.

“I think that traditional hospitalcateringwasbasedonarathermili-tary model of delivering food – itwasservedataspecifictime,”d’EliatoldBritain’sGuardiannewspaper.“Yougotwhatyougotandyouwereluckytohaveanychoiceatallandtherewasnocontrolofportionsize.I think that mindset still exists insomehospitals.”Theintroductionofanindependentfoodserviceoperatorimprovedcustomermealexperienceandreducedfoodcosts,hepointedout.

“Ourfoodwastebeforehadbeenbetween20and25%,butitwentdownto just 0.5% because people wereeatingthefood.Mealtimesbecamea pleasant event. When things arepleasantpatientsgetbetter.Fromanacutehospitalperspective, ifpeopleeatwelltheirtissueregenerationisexcellent,theirwoundshealbetterandtheycanfightoffinfection.”

The prospects for commercialcatering operators are consider-able,with112hospitalsaroundthecountryofferingsevendaysaweek,52weeksayearfoodserviceto25,000patients.Thelevelofprivatisationoftheservicewillultimatelydependongovernmentattitudesandthepotentialforcostsaving,buttherearepositivesignsfromtheexperiencethatprivatecontractorscouldofferasignificantimprovementinthequalityandcostofhospitalfoodserviceinthefuture.


Venue of the month

ComeintothegardenIt’s hard to believe you’re in the

centreofNewZealand’sbiggestcity.Atuisingsinanearbytree,fantailsdanceandfatwoodpigeonslumberaroundthebranches.Thegardenisinbloomandyoucanhearthetumbleofthewaterfall.ClimbuptoWilkiesLookoutandyouareremindedthatyouareinametropolisbecausethesplendidviewlooksoutoverthecityandontotheharbour.

Eden Garden in Epsom is awonderful surprise as a venue. Ittickssomanyboxes– it iscentralandaccessible, it isflexibleand itcanbeusednotonlyasameetingplace but also as a team-buildingvenue,especiallyforcompaniesthatencouragetheirstafftoparticipateincommunity-basedinitiatives.

EdenGardenwasonceaquarryuntil,45yearsago,ateamofvolunteerscommittedtoturningitintoagarden.Ateamof15undertheleadershipofJackClark,arespectedandfarsightedhorti-culturalist,cleanedouttherubbishoftheabandonedstoneworkswhichhad

suppliedrockfortheearlybuildingsofAuckland.Itwasreportedtobeback-breakingworkandthegrouppulledoutoldvehiclesincludingtrucksandyearsandyearsandyearsofrubbish,bothdomesticandcommercial.Thentheyhadtheequallyoneroustaskofbringingintonsofsoiltofillthegaptherubbishremovalhadmadeandbeginningthehugejobofturningitintoagarden.

Thesite,eventuallygifted to thepeopleofAuckland,nowhaswhatit believes is the largest and mostvariedcollectionofcamelliasinNewZealand,vireyaortropicalrhododen-drons(someofwhicharealwaysinbloom),rhododendronsandazaleas,lotsofbromeliads,hibiscusthathavebeendescribedasmagnificentandanextensivecollectionofNewZealandnatives.Thelayoutisinformalwithwidesweepingpathsthathavenarrowwindingsidetrailsthattakevisitorsdeepintothegarden.Thosewhoknowaboutsuchthingssayitisanextremelyskillfulcreationwithlandscapingthatshowsthedisplayasagardenratherthanacollection.Thoseofuswhoknownothingaboutgardensandthewaytheyshouldbeplanted,canstill

tellitisabeautifulspace.Theupkeepisdonebyvolunteers

and this is where businesses withcommunity-basedandteambuildingprogrammesinplacemightfindanidea. Eden Garden says corporategroupsareavitalpartofitsvolunteerforce.Groupsthathavetakenparthavealastingsenseofachievementbecausetheworktheydoissotangible.Pastgroupmembersoftenbringtheirfami-liestothegardentoshowthemtheresultsoftheirwork.

Thesite’sBloomCaféhasproventobeanexcellentvenueforsmallgroupsuptoaround50persons.Threeprivateroomsareavailable–thecosyStudio,theGalleryandthelargeGardenRoom.

Everything is homemade on thepremiseswithanemphasisonseasonal,freerangeandorganicproduce.Teaisloose-leafandcoffeeisfairtrade.

The venue is open 9am-4.30pmfrom01Sept-30Aprand9am-4pm01May-31August.

Furtherdetails(Ph:[email protected])

EdenGarden24OmanaAveEpsomAuckland

ByJaneWarwick


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No Added Sugar or Water • No PreservativesNo Artificial Colouring, Flavours or Sweeteners

Call 0800 556 200 or visit www.pomegranatejuice.co.nz for more info on Pomegranate Juice or Fruit Compote Drinks.

Competitive rates for all fliers, businesscards, vouchers

+ all promo material.Mediaweb, publisher of Catering Plus

Ph 09-529 3000 www.mediaweb.co.nz

www.a1safetynpacking.co.nz*Carton prices valid till 30/09/12

SUPERSPRING SPECIALS

ONLY ONLINE!

CHECK OUT OUR AD ON PAGE 13check us out!

Sandwiches, Rolls, Croissants,Breakfast Muffins, Wraps, Bagels, Paninis, Foldovers, Clubs, Toasties. WE DO IT ALLMade fresh, delivered daily, great value!Ph: (09) 443 4847 E: [email protected]: www.lunchbites.co.nz

For all your filled bread requirements

Healthy snack options for your customers.

Convenient individual serve packs perfect for snacking away from home

Natural cheese with no additives, no artificial colours, no sweeteners, low sugar, no flavouring, no MSG

Good source of protein and calcium

4 month shelf life (at launch) means less risk for you. Store chilled.

Two new snacks offer your customers a healthy alternative.

Go to www.fonterrafoodservices.co.nz for nutritional information

Mainland Cheese & Crackers—50g 5 natural cheese slices & 5 crisp crackers. Available in Edam & Tasty.Mainland Cheese Sticks—20g Natural cheese in a fun stick. Available in Edam, Tasty & Colby.

Order from

22 October

2012

catering plus - spring 2012

Documents

chicken patties

rice patties

little oil

cup cooked rice

cucumber brochettes

cucumber garnishquarter

gm chicken mince

rice cake stack