Issue 3June 2011

“HTN: Workforce Solutions for the Hospitality and Food Related Industries”

The 2011 HTN Apprentice Chef Culinary Competition is officially open for competitor registration.

The series continues to grow each year with a staggering thirteen (13) regional heats now scheduled for 2011, one of which will be held for the first time in Victoria.

In closing I would like to acknowledge the recent sudden passing of industry icon Mr Hans Schings. Hans was a past Director and great supporter of HTN who gave his time and friendship to HTN and all of industry so freely. He will be sadly missed. On behalf of all at HTN our best wishes and deepest sympathies go to his wife Brigitte and daughters Ingrid and Renate at this difficult time.

Michael BennettChief Executive Officer

We do sincerely thank our 2011 corporate sponsors for once again ensuring that we are able to coordinate this major competition as well as many other initiatives which are designed to highlight careers in the hospitality industry. I do hope that you will afford these excellent companies your custom when making your next purchasing decision:

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) Boundary Bend OlivesMARS Foodservices Australia Fraser and Hughes (The Cooks Shop)Krio KrushGWF FoodservicesFutura GroupHennessy Coffee Sandhurst Fine Foods

If you would like to register, or if you want to know more about the 2011 HTN Apprentice Chefs Culinary Competition series please visit www.htn.com.au

Don’t forget that our latest service “HTN Recruit” is now available to assist and serve our Host Trainer clients as well as to support our graduating apprentices into the next stage of their career. If you would like to know more about this service please contact the Team at HTN on toll free 1300 139 108 or by emailing your enquiry to recruitment@htn.com.au

Entries NOW Open for 2011 Barista Challenge

Following the success in 2010 of the inaugural HotClub Cup Barista Challenge, entries are now officially open for the heats of HotClub Cup 2011 which promises to be even bigger and better than last year. As the only specialty coffee competition in Australia aimed at the Hotels, Clubs and Pubs sector, the HotClub Cup will provide Baristas from this niche market with the opportunity to showcase their skills, lift their standards, and be in the running for some really great prizes.

Devised by Hennessy Coffee, and run in conjunction with the HTN Apprentice Chef Culinary Competition, last year’s HotClub Cup attracted Baristas from Hotels, Clubs and Pubs mainly from the Sydney metropolitan area. This year entries are expected from around the state, from venues as far reaching as Orange and Bateman’s Bay.

“We are aiming to inspire the sector using this innovative and exciting challenge to benchmark and raise the standards of specialty coffee making in Hotels, Clubs and Pubs,” said John Hennessy founder of Hennessy Coffee. “We also want to be able to recognise and reward enthusiastic, passionate and committed professionals.”

“We had some great feedback from the Clubs, Hotels and Pubs that entered competitors in the 2010 competition,” he continued. “The general consensus was that the competition aided in lifting their standards; helped motivate staff and was an excellent trainingopportunity.”

For those who might be interested in entering, the competition format includes the preparation of six coffees, including the barista’s own designer ‘specialty coffee’ – which can include alcohol, and should be innovative, creative and tasty! Competitors are marked on all aspects of their performance, including presentation, technique, cleanliness, ‘service’ engagement, creativity, and fluid-ness of operation.

Registrations close on 1 June 2011. For more information or details on how to enter contact Kim Sutcliffe on0417 479 512 or 1300 78 222 9 email hotclubcup@yahoo.com or find us on facebook at hotclubcup

HOTCLUB CUP 2011 – IMPORTANT DATES:

REGISTER BY 1 June Registrations are open now and close on 1 June 2011.HEATS 10 May Westport Club, Port Macquarie, NSW

7 June Kingswood TAFE, Kingswood, NSW21 June Hamilton TAFE, Newcastle, NSW28 June Ryde TAFE, Ryde, NSW6 July Blacktown Workers Club, Blacktown, NSW7 July Hennessy Coffee, Chipping Norton, NSW10 Aug Bega TAFE

FINALS SEPT Location and Date – To be announced

QA

Featured host – Belle Saveur Patisserie Cafe

Interview with Kymeeka McPhail-Thompson – HTN 1st Year Apprentice (Food Processing – retail baking) and Justin Baker, Director and Pastry Chef

You are straight out of school so how did you end up here at Belle Saveur?

At school I didn’t do anything to do with hospitality. I studied IT, History and French! I moved back down here to Penrith to be with my mum (high school was northern NSW) and really didn’t know what I wanted to do and started cooking at home. Mum suggested trying an apprenticeship and so I tried some other places without getting a response and then walked in here [Belle Saveur café] and asked the girl behind the counter if they had any jobs going. Her response was that they were looking for a Pastry Apprentice and so I had a chat with Justin [Justin Baker – Director] and next thing I am working here.

QA

So tell me about what you are going to be doing here?

Well it’s a pastry café so there are elements of retail as in stocking the displays and getting things ready early in the morning. Everything is made her on site so I am learning all sorts of things. I really like baking but want to become a pastry chef so that I can bake but not just be limited to bread etc. I love the decoration and creative side. The aim is to qualify and then travel as a pastry chef and learn as much as possible.

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Belle Saveur Patisserie Cafe551 High StreetPenrith, NSW 275002 4704 8601

Justin:I’ve been a pastry chef for twenty years including being head pastry chef for a lot of the five star hotels and recently decided that I really want to be closer to home (the Blue Mountains) and decided to open this as a real niche in Penrith. There is nothing else like this in Penrith, the kind of pastries we make and the idea evolved from a patisserie into a café.

So when you opened, you didn’t have in mind a café?

No, it was opened purely as a patisserie and we still encourage our customers to use us as a patisserie but it evolved into both. So everything is made on site with only two pre-mixes used which is really unusual today. We use a sponge pre-mix and a gluten free bread pre-mix only but everything else is made on site from scratch.

So Kymeeka is your first apprentice – why now?

All the procedures and recipes are sorted out now and one of my chefs left to move closer to home. So I realized I didn’t need another chef, with everything documented and ready to follow I have knowledge and experience to put some time into training now everything is up and running. So when Kymeeka walked in straight from school I gave her a short trial and then she started and she is going really well.

Finally do you have a piece of advice for someone like Kymeeka who is new to the industry?

Put in the hard yards now. You will move around from chef to chef and I would recommend three or four times through your apprenticeship. Learn from each of those chefs and especially their influences – in pastry different techniques and ideas are shared by different nationalities so try to work for some from other countries and backgrounds. When I was training, it just happened that each place had a pastry chef from a different nationality and I felt it gave me a great experience.

Ph: (02) 9360 4760Fraser and Hughes - The Cooks Shopwww.cooksshop.com.auwww.facebook.com/cooksshop

Fraser and Hughes - The Cooks Shop is offering massive saving in their CLOTHING DOWN SALE.Selected Products from Shun Knives, Global Knives, Fraser and Hughes Uniforms, Wusthof, Messermeister, Global Chef, Crocs and many others, have had their prices slashed for a limited time.

Premium F&H Australian Made All Cotton Chef De Cuisine Jacket have been slashed from $135 to just $99.Global Knives 20cm Cooks Knife has been slashed to $95.FDick Diamond Steel slashed to just $100.

Only available in store.

We are also proud to announce the arrival of the new F&H Classique Chef Jacket.The premium Classique range is made from 100% Cotton to keep you cool and comfortable.With the embroided arm gussets and the fabric covered sewn in buttons, the Classique is perfect for any chef, apprentice to executive.

Classique is available now in short/sleeve, stay tuned for the long/sleeve arriving soon.Check it out in store at both Darlinghurst or Parramatta.

Apple and buttermilk pannacotta

70g castor sugar50g pure cream50g pure cream soft whipped1 vanilla bean split300ml buttermilk1 leaf gelatine.

Bring the sugar, vanilla and pure cream to the boil. Add softened gelatine and whisk till dissolved. Add buttermilk, and then finally fold in soft whipped pure cream. Strain and pour into moulds to set.

Apple topping165g apple puree1 leaf gelatine

Heat the apple puree, add the previously softened gelatine leaf and mix well.Strain through chinois or sieve and pour on top of pannacotta to set.

Cinnamon crumble100g plain flour50g diced butter50g castor sugar1 tsp cinnamon ground.

Add all ingredients to a bowl and massage gently with fingertips until incorporated and resembles sand. Spread out on a baking tray lined with baking paper and place in oven at 160C for approximately 10 -12 minutes or until slightly golden.Cool and break up if necessary.

Feature

Nontas Lingonis is a HTNgraduate and now headpastry chef at Aqua Dining.

Feature

Cruise Bar & Restaurant

Featured Host

Taking up the three floors of the end of theOverseas Passenger Terminal in CircularQuay, the Cruise Bar is a trendy bar on theground floor, a chic restaurant in the middleand an events centre with views across tothe Opera House, city and Harbour Bridgeon top.

HTN Quarterly online talks to head chefJason Lucas and HTN apprentice chef MuratEkinci.

QA

“Jason, Tell me a little about the Cruise Bar.”

“Cruise Bar is a bar, restaurant and events centre.Food wise, the bar caters for the tourist trade withgood basic fare – fish n’ chips etc. So good bistro food.Then on this [middle] level, we do modern Italiandining. We take lots of European dishes,predominantly Italian, and incorporate world fare intoit, so a bit of everything. We slide a little Japanese inthere too. A lot of the chefs working with us now haveworked with the likes of Martin Benn and Tetsuya’s sowe bring those techniques and elements into ourrecipes. “

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“So it sounds like everyone in the kitchen has a realinfluence on the menu?”

“Yes absolutely. Its my final say as the head chef butthe guys all put forward ideas. We all try things andeach others ideas and if it works it makes the menu.”

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“…and the events centre?”

“We basically do stand up canapé style events and cando up to about 270 upstairs.

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“…but its not open except for an event?”

“We’ll open it up for events and things like AustraliaDay or New Years Eve. With the view from the balconyup there it’s the hottest ticket in town for New Year’sEve.

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“Tell me about your background – how did you endup here?”

“I trained in Modern Italian under chef Danny Russowho in the last few years has been at the BeresfordHotel. I worked at a number of good restaurants inBalmain and apprenticed at a restaurant called DarlingMills who at the time were one of the first to havetheir own garden and grow their own veggies andherbs so I worked with Danny for 7 or 8 years in a fewdifferent restaurants. I then opened the QueenVictoria Tea Rooms before going up to Foster for a fewyears, so a real mix.

“I always want to go on to bigger and better things...”

QA

“So with the mix of experiences where do you get your influences for the menu?.”

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“Do you get to travel to research too?”

“I do. I like to get down to Melbourne a fair bit toresearch. My wife doesn’t mind a trip there either!Last time we were there we hit a couple of two hattedrestaurants just to compare and see what’s out there.”

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“How does Sydney compare against Melbourne for thefood scene?”

“I think Melbourne in miles ahead. I think on qualitywe are on a par but the restaurant, bar, café culture isjust totally different to we have in Sydney.”

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“Murat. Tell me your history so far.”

“I’m a second year HTN apprentice. I started here andhaven’t moved. I like it here because of theinnovativeness. You are continuously learningsomething different and never stop and here I amalways trying new things.”

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“…and do you have any influence on the menu yet?”

“I suppose I do a lot of research. I am always trying tosee what’s going on overseas so I guess I am influencedby a core group of restaurants that I keep my eye on –the innovative restaurants that showcase presentationideas and dishes. I am always reading and always havea magazine or a new cook book with me, and use thecomputer a lot. So lots of research.”

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“Yes. I get to put ideas forward like everyone else inthe kitchen and there is a quail dish on the menu that Idesigned.”

“So I understand you received an award recently fromCruise Bar?”

“Yes, it was employee of the year across all employees for Cruise Bar. There are just under sixty employees.”

QA

“What did you receive the award for?”

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“Murat, when you qualify, what do you want to do?”

[Jason] “Criteria wise we give an employee of themonth and these are awarded on all sorts of things inthe month but mostly for things that go above andbeyond normal work. The decision is made by uppermanagement each month and then at the end of theyear we sit down and ask who has been the mostconsistent over the year and Murak shone out.”

“I want to go an travel a bit. Go over to Turkey orEngland and learn new things. Then we will see. Ialways want to go on to bigger and better things.”

CruiseLevel 1-3 Overseas Passenger TerminalCircular Quay West The Rocks, Sydney NSW 2000Phone: 02 9251 1188Email: info@cruisebar.com.au

Murat’s “Pan fried Jurassic quail with blackfigs, asparagus & broad beans, seared foiegras & a carrot pannacotta”

There is nothing like the gorgeous smell of roasting lamb or the addictive taste of juicy lamb kebabs. Lamb is for everyday and for all people. It’s a core ingredient celebrated by many cuisines; it’s a food that brings people together. It can be used in a dish that is elegantly simple or in a riot of flavours where it definitely holds its own.Lamb is made up of more than backstrap and cutlets; and we want to shine a spotlight on these equally fantastic “other” cuts, cuts we call the masterpieces. In this edition, we’ve focused on the forequarters, ribs, rump and the great all rounder mince. We selected these cuts after reviewing a range of national and international cuisine styles and trends. We’ve researched preparation techniques and flavourcombinations and with the help of some of Australia’s leading chefs showcased a number of cuisine styles proven to transform these everyday cuts into menu Masterpieces.

From street food to fast food, finger food and pub meals, bistro fare or fine dining it’s your choice. Take a look at these cuts and techniques-there’s certain to be a concept that inspires you. Like the street art that inspired this creative, lamb Masterpieces are long over due for the recognition they deserve.

We’ve chosen urban street art as the creative genre for lamb as we know this style of art and this lifestyle resonates with a lot of chefs. It is edgy, raw and contemporary. It’s how many of them see themselves and it reflects the creativity and individuality of what they do in their restaurants. It’s is a style of art that is gaining a huge amount of credibility within the art world and we see the secondary cuts of lamb (the masterpieces) as also due for this same recognition.

Lamb can tend to be seen as an elite meat due to its price, but we are reminding chefs that lamb is for everybody if you use the cheaper non loin cuts. Just as street art is accessible to everybody, so too can lamb be accessible.

The red meat revolution continues:

We’ve taken our message to the streets. Literally. We’re debunking the myth that lamb is only for special occasions or big wallets. Lamb is special, there’s no doubt about that, but the occasion doesn’t have to be.

We love our lamb masterpieces and we hope you do too.Viva la masterpieces revolution!

Meat & Livestock Australia

20-22 Camden RdCampbelltown NSW 2560PO Box 133Campbelltown NSW 2560Phone: (02) 4625 0000Fax: (02) 4628 4086

An interview with Paul Rifkin –Executive Chef at Campbelltown Catholic Club

QA

So tell me about you, how did you start and end up here?

Oh I started about a hundred years ago [laughs] at a place called the music hall restaurant in Neutral Bay where I did the washing up for hundreds of people then progressing and cooking in a restaurant in Darlinghurst, ended up in Townsville cooking in a fine dining restaurant, although it wasn’t really fine dining in those days. Then I went to Dunk Island for a while before coming back to Sydney and making contact with someone I used to work for in Darlinghurst. They had just bought a restaurant in Kirribilli so I was made head chef there for a few years. I probably shouldn’t have been as I think I was only 21 or so at the time. Then I went to the Manor House in Balmain as the pastry chef then the sous chef and eventually the executive chef and was there ten years in total. I then thought I would give hotels a try. Anyway after a few more steps back through restaurants I had a contract for the Olympics as the night sous chef in the village which was exciting doing over 10,000 meals each night! I did a short stint teaching at [Ryde] TAFE before coming here.

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And how about this operation?

The club has 55,000 members and serves about 500,000 meals a year! We have a 600 seat function centre, 800 seat convention centre, 500 seat bistro and food court, 180 seat casual dining and grill then there is a sports bar. That’s without the other locations we service – Rydges Hotel Campbelltown with the fine dining restaurant, an award winning five star fitness centre with a café which we doubled the size of last year as it was turning into a regular restaurant too. We also picked up the Campbelltown Golf Club in November which has another bistro, a restaurant and a function room. So we are talking about a multiple location operation serving something like 2,500 seats! It can certainly get interesting on a day like mother’s day where there are bands playing, people everywhere and all the restaurants are full. From a chef’s point of view there is no better adrenaline rush than watching this all happen.

So on a day like that where everything is full, all the operations are working to maximum, where do you as executive chef base yourself?

I just look for problems! Each area is set up to run on its own and I can’t be hands on too much as they work well, but having said that if a major function happens then I can go and take over and just synchronize everything. I still get kicked if things go wrong but 99% of the time I have nothing to do with the cooking. I have set things up and empowered people and have a really great team of experienced chefs. I bring in people as apprentices and I would say that nearly every apprentice that comes in stays on to be a qualified chef, hence the team I have. Some of my senior chefs started with me as an apprentice nine or so years ago and just about all the senior roles I have brought in and promoted from their apprenticeship.

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Why do they stay?

There is diversity. I always challenge them and there is a career path here. I have an apprentice here who for the last year or so has been taught a la carte, functions, bistro and started in the hotel. She doesn’t know everything but has rotated around to lots of different styles.

So is that the biggest part of your job – driving your people?

Yeah. Getting them on the same pages as me, bring along my apprentices, trying to draw them along.

QAQAQAQA

So your operation has just received HACCP accreditation. How much work went into getting it?

We spent just on three years to apply the principles across all the staff and all the operations. Every member of staff had to know and understand the purpose of it and the reason behind it. Food safety is just as important for a waiter serving the food with their hair pulled back as someone cleaning up and a chef in the kitchen. Its making sure that everyone knows that there is a responsibility that goes with the logs they are signing and when there are as many staff over as many varying operations there are reams of logs. So it was adding a little something to all the job roles, a tiny bit at a time over three years!

And was there much resistance?

There is always resistance, absolutely, but it is reinforced form lots of angles and becomes part of the culture. Then they see auditors coming in and external forces saying the same things as we are training and it starts to hit home. They all know that getting it was probably the easiest part of it, keeping it is harder.

So what does it mean to you and what does it mean to the club?

To the club it means that every single customer is getting the safest food possible. I haven’t had a confirmed case of anyone getting ill from the club food so what we are getting is a rubber stamp recognizing that what we are doing is correct. To me its recognition of what I have working on for the last ten or so years. Being here has been what every chef wants, being able to not only cook but sit down with the architects and design all the kitchens too and then building the operations.

So whats next for you and for the club?

Always growing the business. Things are going into place now to take us to the next level.

And finally – a piece of advice for someone new to the industry.

Accept that you are not going to get where you want to be now. Everyone wants to reach their goals now! You need to get and keep a burn or a dream that on a daily basis pushes you through the day. You also need to find a mentor. Most apprentices take advice from someone who isn’t where they want to be. Find someone that is where you want to be and take their advice. Also remember what social media is. Its there for everyone to see. It gets back to me when one of my guys has had a bad service and they vent on Facebook.

PRESS RELEASE

GET WRAPPED ABOUT THE MINISTRY OF MUFFINS

FRIDAY 8 APRIL, 2011, AUSTRALIA - Introducing three new varieties from the Ministry of Muffins®, an exciting brand from GWF Foodservice, the foodservice specialist division of trusted supplier George Weston Foods. The range is available in three delicious varieties:

Double Chocolate - the chocolate lovers’ favourite. Decadent, velvety and moist, with rich chocolate chips.Blueberry – very moist and tasty. Made with real blueberries and bursting with natural sweet flavour.Banana & Oat – moist, fluffy and light. Topped with oats and made with real banana to ensure a lovely golden caramel colour.

The Ministry of Muffins® muffin range is made with premium ingredients like fruit and chocolate and features an in-house baked look. It’s available in two different sizes – regular, 100g each at 72 muffins per carton (24x3) or individually wrapped with 36 muffins to a carton (12 x 3), and Mini, 25g each at 96 muffins per carton (24x4). Our 100g individually wrapped format (which your customers will be wrapped about) makes it even more convenient and easy to enjoy for those on the go.

Once baked, they’re snap-frozen to lock in the freshness and to ensure consistent quality. “The delicious Ministry of Muffins range provides the convenience of portion control and the improved economy of reduced preparation time,” says Adam Moore, Executive Chef at GWF Foodservice.

“You’ll always have stock on hand when you need it, and you can minimise wastage by thawing to serve when required. Best of all, they have a freshly baked presentation, aroma and taste your customers will love. Individually wrapped varieties provide another option of convenience for you and your customers.”

Made in Australia by GWF from local and imported ingredients, The Ministry of Muffins range is backed by the George Weston Foodscommitment to quality. For many years George Weston Foods has been providing Australians and New Zealanders with superior bakeryproducts under such trusted names as Speedibake®, Tip Top® and Weston Milling®.

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About GWF FoodserviceGWF Foodservice was established in 2010 and brings together the Bakery; Smallgoods; Cake, Flour & Premix; and Hygiene & Food Safety divisions of George Weston Foods to provide foodservice professionals with a dedicated single point of contact and an unrivalled selection of products and brands, that are cost effective, convenient and versatile. We are passionate about our products and many have been specifically developed to meet the demanding requirements of the foodservice market. Our brands include Tip Top®, Speedibake®, Top Taste™, Cereform®, Weston Milling, Jasol®, Don® and KR Castlemaine®. For more information please visit: www.gwf-foodservice.com.au

About George Weston Foods George Weston Foods (GWF) has been providing superior quality products, through iconic brands, known and trusted, for over 50 years. As one of Australasia’s largest food manufacturers, GWF has a proud history of growth fuelled by an entrepreneurial spirit.

We are a company of strong brands and exciting innovations with a commitment to wellness through advocating life’s simple, wholesome pleasures.

Contacts:Tim Lucas, GWF Foodservicetim.lucas@gwf.com.au02 8026 5162

PRESS RELEASE

New Products! New Range! New Look!

GWF Foodservice is pleased to announce the re-launch of Speedibake - the original par bake specialists. Introducing more products,including a new Artisan range, Speedibake now offers a range for all occasions.

With the introduction of new product lines, the selection of par baked breads has been extended to offer quality products which youcan serve your customers without the mess, fuss or labour time of baking from scratch. Speedibake now consists of threecomprehensive ranges:

Artisan – a new range of premium and rustic par bake bread products, brought to you by the original par bake experts.Classic – a comprehensive range of high quality par bake and full bake bread products, catering for all meal occasions.Express – with three different ways to serve, this quick to table bread product is ideal when speed is important.

Speedibake provides its extensive selection of par baked breads to a wide range of foodservice establishments from hotels andcatering companies to restaurants, health/aged care facilities and other institutions. Its products include sourdough rolls, heavilyseeded cobs, fruit viennas,.baguettes, dinner and sandwich rolls, and continental breads, all of which are baked around the clock atSpeedibake’s HACCP accredited plant.

Speedibake has been supplying par baked breads to Australia’s foodservice professionals since 1966 and is the market leader. Over theyears Speedibake has built a strong reputation for customer service.“Speedibake is the easy and economical way to produce fresh, hot bread throughout the day, so it’s always available to yourcustomers when they want it,” says Susie Ransome, Category Manager, Fresh & Frozen Baking at GWF Foodservice.“And with the introduction of our new Artisan range, customers now have a range to suit all occasions” explains Susie.GWF Foodservice works closely with foodservice professionals to help develop their businesses while at the same time offering agreat selection of quality foodservice products and application solutions that are cost-effective, convenient and versatile.

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