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Published since 1976 V 39 Ma 2014

h K sAR hK$50ca RMb50sapr s$15Maaa RM30Taa bt300Rt Aa us$10

LEAP OF FAITH

Salmon takes off in Asia

THE DEATH OF SAUVIGNON PLONK?

Asia wakes up to Aussie wines

KEEP IT CLEAN

Trends in housekeepingmanagement

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Authentic f lavor. Inspired.

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3/56www.asianhotelandcateringtimes.com

AsiAn Hotel & CAtering timesis publis Hed montHly by

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The opinions expressed in Asian Hotel & Catering Times do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher or thepublication. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this publication, noresponsibility can be accepted by the publisher, editors and staff, agents and contributors for omissions, typographical orprinters errors, inaccuracies or changes howsoever caused. The editors reserve the right to edit any material submittedat their discretion. All materials published remain the property of TPHK. Reproduction without permission by any meansis strictly prohibited. Correspondence should be addressed to The Editor, Asian Hotel & Catering Times, Room 1205,12/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2815 9111 Fax: (852) 2851 1933.Fantasy Printing Ltd. 1/F, Tin Fung Industial Mansion, 63 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong.

All rights reserved (c) 2014Thomson Press Hong Kong Ltd

Welcome to the May issue of

AHCT, the most trusted source ofinformation on what is happening

in Asia-Pacifics hospitality industry.

Our industry has always been a place

where cooperation flourishes. Mergers and

acquisitions, business relationships, deal

making, back scratching call it what you will,

at every level, mutually beneficial transactionshave always gone on and always will.

One particular trend were picking up

on, for example, is for partnerships between

upscale hospitality groups and airlines. As

we report in this issue, Regent aipei and

China Airlines are working together to offer

hong Kong hoTels

AssociATion

hong Kong

chefs AssociATion

fedeRATion of hong Kong

ResTAuRAnT owneRs

The fedeRATion

of hong Kong

hoTel owneRs

AssociATion

of ThAilAnd

bAKing indusTRy

TRAining cenTRe

AssociATion of

inTeRnATionAl

hoTelieRs shAnghAi

singAPoRe

chefs AssociATion

hong Kong

bAKeRy & confecTioneRy

AssociATion

singAPoRe

hoTel AssociATion

hong Kong

bARTendeRs AssociATion

hong Kong

MAiTRe dhoTel AssociATion

shAnghAi

chefs AssociATion

MyAnMAR chefs

AssociATion

MAlAysiAn AssociATion

of hoTels

MAcAu hoTel

AssociATion

club MAnAgeRs AssociATion

hong Kong

HONG KONG

Thomson Press Hong Kong Limited/

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Contact: Mr Daniel Creffield

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THAILAND

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UNITED KINGDOM

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Contact: Mr Chris Morgan

USA

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Contact: Ms Christina Eccleston

Marston Webb International

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New York, NY 10010, USA

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Telex: (023) 420773 BRANINT

Contact: Ms Madlene Olson

ITALY

Ediconsult Internazionale s.r.l.

Piazza Fontane Marose, 3-16123 Genova

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JAPAN

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Contact: Mr Ted Asoshina

MALAYSIA

Publicitas International Sdn Bhd.

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Contact: Ms Audrey Cheong

gourmet in-flight meals to the carriers first

class passengers. Meanwhile Hugos, the fine-

dining restaurant at Hyatt Regency Hong

Kong, has partnered with Dragonair to offer

its classic European dishes to first and business

class passengers.

Al so in th is iss ue we hig hl ig ht a

collaboration between Mira Moon Hotel in

Hong Kong, part of the Mira brand portfolio,and Grey Goose vodka, in the shape of a

bespoke in-room cocktail chest. Again on the

drinks theme, Veuve Clicquot and Branex

Design have partnered to produce a limited

edition Champagne ice bucket in the form

of the iconic am am stool from the 1960s.

EDITORDaniel Creffield

DESIGN BYKoon Ming Tang

CONTRIBUTORSMichelle Cheng

Zara Horner

Donald Gasper

Gerrie LimRebecca Lo

Michael Taylor

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERSharon Knowler

[email protected]

CIRCULATION EXECUTIVEBecky Chau

[email protected]

CHAIRMANJS Uberoi

DIRECTORGaurav Kumar

endoRseMenTs

Check out these and other fascinating

stories in the magazine and also on our website,

at www.asianhotelandcateringtimes.com

We ne ed to he ar fr om ho sp it al it y

professionals about the constant developments

in the industry, good or bad, so please

send your comments and suggestions in to

[email protected]

E D I T O R S M E S S A G E

AHCTMa 2014 3

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MANAGEMENT12 Keeping a clean house trends

in housekeeping

MARKET REPORT20 The sun still rising on Japan

NEWS INDUSTRY6 Asia driving global travel; tie-up for

in-flight meals; pulling your own beer

PRODUCT42 POS terminals from Epson; zero-sink

dishwash vision; wedge LED TVs

from Sony

CULINARY

44 Old stout new package; Green Pot Teagoes West; delectable collectibles

CONTENTSV o l u m e 3 9 M a y 2 0 1 4

TECHNOLOGY22 Relationship counselling

DESIGN24 Building for the bottom line

FOOD28 Think pink

New-look Asian Hotel &

Catering Times website!

www.asianhotelandcateringtimes.com

24

Cover picture: Mandarin Oriental

Guangzhou Tian He room

4 AHCTMa 2014

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June

Investment opportunities India POS Hotel design Truffles

Flavourings / syrups Buffets Gyms

DRINK32 Grape expectations Down Under

EQUIPMENT36 Convenience stores

38 Looking the part

Advertisers Index

ADA 25

Alaska Seafood 29

Alpha International IBC

Angliss HK Foodservice Ltd 35

Athena Tableware 17

Bartech 37

Beech Ovens OBC

Chef Works 41

FCS Computer Systems Ltd 15

Global Chef 39

Global Search International 9

Hosfair 52

Hotel Expo Macau 53

Lamb Weston IFC

OPTii Solutions Pty Ltd 13

Pevonia 18 & 19Scottish Enterprise 31

SIAL Asean 51

Thaifex 50

Vinexpo 49

Zieher 27

46 Events calendar

47 Food & Hotel Myanmar 2014

previewed

48 VINEXPO Asia-Pacific 2014

previewed

APPOINTMENTS

53 Whos moving where

28

July Integrated resorts / MICE Philippines Cloud computing / SaaS Swimming pool design Cheese

Fruit juice In-room amenities Knives

Hail the king

Designs on restaurants

AHCTMa 2014 5

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I N D U S T R Y N E W S

6 AHCTMa 2014

Asia drivingglobal travelThe global travel industry is poised for a

period of sustained growth over the next

decade, driven in part by Chinas share of

global outbound travel reaching as much

as 20% by 2023, a new report on global

travel trends reveals.

Shaping the Future of Travel: Macro

trends driving industry growth over

the next decade predicts an optimistic

macro-economic outlook for global travel

over the next 10 years, with the industry

projected to outstrip global GDP by some

2%, growing 5.4% per annum. Moreover,

global travel is now set to grow at a

signicantly faster rate than during the

nancial crisis, where growth was just4.1% per annum.

At the same time, Chinas growth in

outbound travel, which as recently as

2005 stood at just 1%, will enable it to

overtake the US to become the worlds

largest outbound travel market this year,

with the number of Chinese households

able to afford overseas travel set to more

than double in the next 10 years.

China will also become the biggest

domestic travel market by 2017, driven

largely by rapidly increasing GDP, risingemployment levels and higher consumer

spending.

However, the report indicates that

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and

IL&FS Skills have announced the launch

of the 15th IHG Academy programme

in India, joining over 300 IHG Academy

programmes globally. The partnership willsee IL&FS Institute of Skills (IIS) providing

IHG approved vocational hospitality

training across the country as part of the

programme.

Following the three-month course,

participants will be able to apply for roles

at IHG hotels in India and across the globe.

The programme aims to provide people

with skills development and employment

opportunities and create a sustainable

talent pipeline for IHG. The partnership with

IIS is IHGs rst vocational programme inthat country. The programme was ofcially

inaugurated by IHGs CEO, Richard

Solomons.

growth will not be exclusive to China,

with forecasts showing that other large

emerging markets such as Russia, Brazil,

India, Indonesia and Turkey will each also

average more than 5% annual growth

over the next 10 years. This will be driven

largely by rising wealth and changingconsumer habits.

Written by Oxford Economics, a

world leader in global forecasting and

quantitative analysis for business and

government, and commissioned by

Amadeus, the study draws on detailed

macro-economic modelling as well

as qualitative interviews with industry

experts, to forecast a wide range of

future trends, including pockets of growth

and opportunity that will shape the next

decade of travel.Forecasts predict a new golden era

for travel, which will be welcome news

for many segments of the industry that

are only just beginning to emerge from

recession said Holger Taubmann, SVP

Distribution, Amadeus. However, as the

complexities in the business travel market

clearly demonstrate, growth will be far from

evenly distributed and there are likely to be

both winners and losers.Some of the reports key ndings

include:

Asia-Pacic will be the fastest growing

region over the next decade, with visitor

ows for Asia forecast to grow at an annual

average rate of 15.1%, nearly double the

prior ten-year period (2002 2012).

Asia-Pacic will also overtake Europe

to dominate global outbound travel spend

by 2023, with travel spend in the region

forecast to increase at an annual rate of

18% over the next ten years. By 2023,Asia-Pacic outbound travel spend will

reach US$752.8 billion, making up 40% of

the worlds total.

IHG annouces India talent development deal

Anantara Bangkok Resort and Spa

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AHCTMa 2014 7

Tie-up forin-flight mealsTaiwans FIH Regent Group will be

cooperating with China Airlines to bring

gourmet menus to China Airlines rst

class passengers, featuring dishes

inspired by renowned chefs.

Available until March 2015, the

Bespoke Gourmet in-ight meals will be

offered to passengers ying from Taiwan

to Europe and the Americas, and will

include cuisines from four executive chefs

at Regent hotels worldwide. New menus

will be served every three months, with

four different seasonal menus in total.

The in-ight menus have been

inspired by Michelin three-star chef Marc

Haeberlin, Australia three-hat chef Mark

Best, Michelin one-star chef Ivan Vautier,

French chef Stphane Gaborieau, and

French confectionary master Bruno Le

Derf, as well as four executive chefs fromRegent hotels around the world.

In 2010, the Regent brand returned

to its Asian roots with its acquisition

Enoteca hitslucky sevenHong Kong upscale IFC Mall has yet

another food and wine outlet, this

time Enotecas seventh food and wine

matching enterprise, also a concept barthat organises tasting events. The chain

was established in 1988 in Hiroo, Tokyo,

with the rst Hong Kong branch opening

in 2008.

Enotecas exclusive wine maker, Sileni

Estate from Hawks Bay New Zealand,

which has the top market share of

Japans New Zealand wine market, ew

in especially for the opening event.

Courtyard in eastern ChinaThe Courtyard by Marriott Hangzhou Qianjiang lies within walking distance of the

Qian Tang River. The 364-room hotel is the latest addition to the Courtyard brand in

Asia making it the 11th Courtyard hotel in China and the 67th Marriott International

property to open in China. Rooms feature a functional work area and internet, while

the lobby is designed to welcome guests and to encourage them out of their rooms

for work, relaxation and socializing. F&B includes Hangzhou Caf, serving a buffet of

Western and Chinese cuisine, and the hotels signature Laurel Chinese restaurant.

Accommodating up to 370 people, the 394-square metre pillar-less ballroom is fully

equipped and suitable for a wide range of events.

Business andpleasureHilton Bangalore Residences is a full-

service hotel located within the Embassy

Golf Links Business Park, the hub of several

Fortune 500 companies. Rooms meet

a wide range of guests purposes, from

transient business travellers to long-stays,

with dedicated living, dining and work areas

and a fully-equipped kitchenette.

The kitchenettes are furnished with

appliances while suites feature separate

living rooms, washers/dryers and

dishwashers. Hilton Bangalore Residences

offers four dining venues with the Ministryof Food as the all-day global cuisine

restaurant and The Salt Grill poolside al-

fresco bar and grill.

by Taipei-based FIH Regent Group.

Regent Hotels & Resorts currently

operates hotels in Bali, Beijing, Berlin,

Phuket, Singapore, Taipei, and Turks and

Caicos, with hotels and resorts under

development in Montenegro.

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8 AHCTMa 2014

Luxury amidnaturesbounty

Hansar Pranburi is a 17-room luxurybeachfront villa, nestled against the 300

peaks of Thailands Sam Roi Yot National

Park. This secluded property provides luxury

amid natural beauty and potential adventure.

Sunrise walks on a deserted beach, local

seafood prepared the same day it was

caught and panoramic views of the Gulf of

Thailand as well as the Nam Soa islands

all of this within a mornings drive from the

capital Bangkok and 45 minutes from Hua

Hin. The entire property can be booked for

events and weddings to give exclusive use.

All-villa resortin SichuanDusit Thani Resort Panzhihua, Sichuan,

featuring 200 villas, will be the rst

internationally-branded hotel in the city.

The property is located within the citys

eco-tourism development zone, currently

being developed into a new leisure and

golf destination in West China. The hotel

is directly opposite the high-speed train

station and about ten minutes by car fromthe citys central business district and

Baoanying Airport. The city of Panzhihua

is located at the south of Sichuan

Province, adjacent to Yunnan Province.

Hong Kong-based Black Sheep

Restaurants Boqueria restaurant and

tapas bar has started offering a brunch

menu to diners. The menu is inspired

by El Mercat del la Boqueria and tapas

bars in Barcelona, and includes a largeselection of classic tapas and signature

dishes. The agship Boqueria opened

in New York Citys Flatiron district and

has since expanded to NYCs Soho

Wooloomooloo Group has introduced aback-to-basics grill restaurant, The Chop

House, situated in Hong Kong Causeway

Bay. The second branch of Wooloomooloo

Prime will also be launched in the same

location later this year.

From its debut in Singapore last year,

The Chop House extends its gastro-bar

experience to Hong Kong, introducing

international dishes with a contemporary

spin, alongside craft beers and speciality

burgers. Guests can enjoy the social

surroundings of large group tables, which

add to the urban and relaxed vibe.

Another attraction is the self-serve

beer tap, the rst motion-censored tap

available to Hong Kong beer lovers.

Pull your own beer

neighbourhood and Washington D.C.

Black Sheep Restaurants is a

progressive Hong Kong-based restaurant

and hospitality company founded in 2012

by Syed Asim Hussain and Christopher

Mark. Together, the founders bringdecades of restaurant experience, an

understanding of the local market and

passion for food and genuine hospitality

to their growing family of restaurants.

Saturday, it must be Spain

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44 (0) 1254 883300 [email protected]

WWW.BRITISHBUTLERSCHOOL.COM


AHCTMa 2014 9

Langhamresort DubaiLangham Hospitality Group has announced an

agreement with DAS Real Estate to manage The

Langham resort in Dubai, UAE. On the crescent of

Palm Jumeirah and scheduled to open in 2015, this

323-room resort marks double landmark rsts for the

Hong Kong-based hotel company: it is the groups

rst foray into the Middle East and the rst resort in its

global collection.

As the wholly-owned subsidiary of Great Eagle

Holdings, Langham Hospitality Group encompasses

a family of hospitality brands that include hotels,

residential serviced apartments and restaurants and

spas on four continents. The group currently owns and/

or manages 22 hotels under The Langham, Langham

Place, and Eaton brands with more than 30 hotelprojects currently either conrmed or in a developed

stage of negotiation from China through Asia and India

to the Middle East.

A distinctive feature of The Langham, Palm

Jumeirah is the dedicated travellers lounge, which will

provide facilities for early arrival or late departure yers.

Neo hotels

ramping it upIndonesian hotel operator Archipelago International has

announced plans to expand its portfolio of Neo hotels in Jakarta,

adding four more hotels to the capital city by 2015. This year, the

group is set to open three new Neo hotels located in Bali Hotel

Neo Gatot Subroto in Denpasar, Hotel Neo Kuta in Tuban, and

Hotel Neo Seminyak in Petitenget. In 2015, Archipelago plans to

open four new Neo hotels in Jakarta: Hotel Neo Kelapa Gading,

100 rooms, located in the Kelapa Gading area; Hotel Neo

Simatupang, 140 rooms, located in the South Jakarta area; Hotel

Neo Hayam Wuruk, 107 rooms, located in the central business

district of Jakarta; Hotel Neo Kebayoran, 105 rooms, also locatedin South Jakarta. These new hotels are in line with the Neo

concept of offering a standard minimalist budget hotel.

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10 AHCTMa 2014

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is to

replace approximately two million

complimentary print newspapers

distributed annually to guests withenvironmentally-friendly digital

versions. The Hong Kong-based

luxury hotel group has partnered with

PressReader, a digital newspaper

and magazine service, to offer guests

and restaurant patrons unlimited,

complimentary access to more than

2,000 local, regional and international

publications from 100 countries in 60

languages. To use the service, guests

connect to the hotel wi- using their

laptops, tablets or smartphones and

Indonesias hotelsector to expand 10%A summit of over 200 leading Indonesian hospitality professionals says it foresees a

positive outlook for the local industry, stating that the hotel sector in the country will

grow its revenues by 10% over current levels by 2016. The Driving Hotel Revenue

Indonesia Summit, organised by IDeaS Revenue Solutions, drew together leading

hotel owners, general managers, revenue managers and sales directors from across

Indonesia for its key educational sessions. These sessions focused on instilling a

mindset change among local hoteliers so that they are not only looking at occupancy,

but also how to price their hotels for success with new strategies and systems.According to the summits respondents, the overall positive growth predicted for the

Indonesian hotels sector would largely be driven through better operating processes

and newer technologies.

Insight intoglobal travel

trendsLuxperience 2014 opens August 31,

2014, with over 300 travel specialists

seeking inspiration for new products and

the high-end experiential travel show

has put together an overview of what

some of these buyers will be looking for

according to the trends prevailing in their

particular markets.

The hotel scene is developing fast

and it is very interesting to note how

it is evolving over time, said CEO of

Luxperience, Lindy Andrews.

At rst, all the big established

Western brands arrived in China. They

then rened their product for the China

market with China specic models

such as Hualux and Mei Jue. Now we

are seeing brands whose birthplace is

China Urban Resorts Concept, Naked

Retreats are just two examples and

they are catering for the Chinese market

rst and the international market second.

Another trend weve identied in

Asia at Luxperience is the luxury ofsimplicity, or Simple Luxury, a concept

that works really well in the market

where the focus is on location, good

food and an excellent product.

Michelle Papas, director of marketing

and buyer relations of Luxperience says,

There is no doubt that Asia-Pacic is

now the engine of growth in international

travel both within Asia and also the rest

of the world. The statistics speak for

themselves with organisations such as

PATA announcing a collective growth of7% across Asia Pacic. However, we

would never suggest that our clients put

all their eggs in one basket.

go to PressReader.com or download the

free PressReader app for Apple, Android,

BlackBerry or Windows Guests can then

choose the desired country, language

and publication from PressReader.

CEO of Luxperience, Lindy Andrews

Shangri-La gets PressReader

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AHCTMa 2014 11

Wedding

parties luredto BaliLuxury hotel management company

GHM has opened the doors on a

property in Nusa Dua that, for the rst

time, melds the groups boutique appeal

with purpose-built facilities for large-

scale conferences and weddings. The

Chedi Ballroom can be partitioned into

a maximum of six smaller rooms with

breakout space for light refreshment

and informal conversation. Two of thosespaces the Batur and Agung rooms,

named after Balis two highest peaks

More than 50 valuable lots from Domaine

de la Romane Conti, among a host of

other ne wines, were showcased in

Acker Merrall & Condits two-day sale

held recently at the Grand Hyatt Hong

Kong. Impressive prices were realised

for the six DRC assortments in their

original wooden cases, led by a veryrarely seen 1990 DRC assortment that

Kempinskimega

projectsChinaWhile Kempinski says it will strongly focus

on Africa, China, where the hospitality

group has had a joint venture with the

Beijing Tourism Group for more than

two decades, will also play a vital role

this year. This is seen with the opening

of the Yanqi Lake project, designed to

host big conferences and conventions on

the outskirts of Beijing, and due to open

over the summer. Only 45 kilometres

from Beijing International Airport, the

development is located by the Yanqi

Lake. It is comprised of Yanqi Lake Hotel

Kempinski, the Yanqi Lake State Guest

House, plus 12 boutique hotels on a

private island.

sold for HK$395,200 (US$50,667). Of

particular interest was an offering of 14

vintages of the rarest Burgundy of all,

Roumier Musigny, led by a bottle of 1993

HK$41,990 (US$5,383) and a bottle of

2005 HK$46,930 (US$6,017) Vintage.

Ackers next New York sale will be held

on April 5 and next Hong Kong sale willbe on May 30 and 31 at the Grand Hyatt.

each cover 147 square meters and

can hold up to 175 people, depending

on the seating plan. They can also be

combined to double the capacity. The

signature water wedding features a

transparent stage tted across the resorts

Olympic-size, oceanfront innity pool, giving

the sense of walking on water and enabling

the bride to make the most spectacular of

entrances.

Wines under the hammer

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Keeping aclean houseHousekeeping professionals discuss

innovation and developments in the industry

Improving and

enhancing qualityAkina Ho, VP of strategy & global businessdevelopment of FCS Computer Systems

We see a lot of opportunity to improve and enhance the qualityof housekeeping services by eliminating duplication and manual

paperwork. his would allow hotels to arrange their human

resources for more customer-oriented services rather than back-of-

house duties. All these impact a hotels bottom line and enhance

guest satisfaction. Sometimes we forget that hotels are created and

operated to provide hospitality to guests.

What will happen in the next 12 months and beyond is that

smart hotels will use e-housekeeping to reduce human involvement

in reporting and tracking, allowing staff to have more direct contact

with guests.

Another key area is mobile apps, which allow guests greater

interaction with the property and let the hotel expand their brand

recognition and drive other revenue generating services directly totheir guests via push messaging and proximity marketing.

Te FCS product range is comprehensive, taking in guest

services, engineering, concierge to duty management. As a software

development company

F CS c an c u s to m i s e

solutions to customers

based on 30 years of

hospitality experience,

i n c l u d i n g c r e a t i n g

solutions by integrating

with third part ie s to

streamline all business

operations.FCS e-Housekeeping

Solution is an automated

cleaning and inspection

assignment system for

guest rooms and public areas specially designed for housekeeping

operations. ogether with the FCS m-Housekeeping mobile app,

room attendants and supervisors can easily update room status for

room cleaning and room inspection with real-time, accurate room

status, as well as manage other daily duties such as amenity inventory

counts, lost and found recording and more.

Founded in 1982, FCS is a leading global provider of comprehensive

hospitality guest services applications and solution design services forindividual hotels, international chain hotels and integrated resorts.With three decades of experience, FCS has provided extensive solutionsto more than 5,000 hotels with over 8,000 installations in 32 countries.

Picture: VTC hospitality

M A N A G E M E N T

12 AHCTMa 2014

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As hotel guests, we allwant the same thing:A clean room - ready whenwe arrive

In fact, the latest study from Cornells Center for Hospitality

Research, shows that the arrival experience has a

tremendous impact on guest satisfaction.

minute wait to check-in resulted in a 47% decrease in overall

satisfaction with their stay.

So, we know what guests expect. What we might not

understand is the complexity that goes into that end result.

Heres how two industry veterans helped their hotels deliveron this fundamental guest requirement.

As the only company focused exclusively on housekeeping

optimization, Optii Solutions understands that the depth

of the function deserves a depth in our response. That is

why it is all that we do. As a result, we offer unparalleled

levels of labor management, quality control, performance

measurement and analytics. We understand that

automating communications is just the tip of the iceberg.

results with Optii Keeper and how fast, easy, and affordable

it would be for you to achieve similar results at your hotel.

Technologyto TransformHousekeeping

70% reduction in check-in queues

20% increase in housekeeping productivity

10% decrease in housekeeping payroll

80% reduction in calls between front desk and

housekeeping

60% reduction in supervisor walk & talk time

In the past, a guest would arrive early wanting a certain

rooms. If a room was not ready, they would often randomly take

one of the other rooms that was due to be cleaned (not knowing the

cleaning schedule and who was where), allocate the room, then ring

the housekeeper asking for the room to be prioritized.

Theoretically, at our larger hotels, you could have six

receptionists all calling housekeeping giving six different priority

instructions to the housekeeping coordinator, resulting in a room

attendant having two rooms that were on priority at the same time.

Using Optii Keeper, we saw immediate improved coordination and

obviously impacted on our guest experience.

Over a few weeks, using the reports generated from the system,

we could also better assess the performance of each of the team

system offers valuable training opportunities and acts as a powerful

catalyst to improve overall quality of service for the department,

which is the epicentre of the guest experience.

two hotels in the same integrated development that share one

housekeeping team. In this tight labour market, the importance was

on having a leaner, more empowered team.

We also needed a view of productivity in real-time, both from a

customer and an operations standpoint.

Some of the housekeeping solutions out there are primarily

dispatch systems. We were interested in a system that tells you

the real-time status of the room. Compared to the competitors, the

solution we chose was the best in the marketplace.

With Optii Keeper, the room attendants receive information

that is pushed to them from front desk regarding room priorities. Inour case, the executive housekeeper can decide to deploy her team

to one hotel or the other as needed depending on check-in, check-

out rates, high occupancy rates, and, for example, if occupancy is

www.optiisolutions.com

Quality

management

reporting

AHCTMa 2014 13

S P O N S O R E D F E A T U R E

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The fork in the roadSoenke Weiss, chief executive officer withOptii Solutions Pty

Housekeeping can be underappreciated and management often

regards it purely as a cost centre. It has also long been plagued by

a reputation that it is slow to adapt to change and, in particular, to

embrace technology.

In our experience, we have found the opposite to be true,

with housekeeping staff and hotel management well aware of the

benefits that focused software can bring to their daily roles and guest

satisfaction. It is most often the hotel owners who are managing

different priorities that may not fully understand the impact that

streamlining housekeeping has on financial results, service advantage

and ultimately, competitiveness.

However, in the next twelve months, we will see a deeperawareness within the hospitality industry that the housekeeping

function has grown in complexity; and will continue to do so at a

rate that cannot be responded to purely with manual labour.

Tis shift is in large part being driven by the increasingly high

expectations of hotel guests expectations hotels ignore at their peril!

As the latest study from Cornells Center for Hospitality Research

shows, a guests arrival experience has a tremendous impact on

their overall satisfaction with a hotel. For some guests, exceeding

the breaking point of a five-minute wait to check-in resulted in a

47% decrease in satisfaction.

While hotels are embracing mobile technology to streamline

the check-in process, without a system to prioritise cleans, andturnaround rooms faster, the impact of mobile technology can

easily be lost.

It is therefore paramount to the success of all hotels to ensure

their housekeeping department is given the tools to optimise their

performance and best manage the core product of the hotel clean

rooms.

We predict it is no longer a decision whether to implement

software or not, as those who dont will simply be overwhelmed

managing the logistics of the task. Instead, it will be a decision

between solely automating communications or fully addressing the

complex challenges of housekeeping from the bottom up.

Tis is the fork in the road.

When Optii Solutions introduced its Optii Keeper software sixyears, ago, it flagged the importance of housekeeping as a business

critical function that needed the appropriate management tools to

be able to perform optimally. A new niche was created.

As a result, alternative systems vendors were keen to extend the

focus of their existing products, and created add-ons that bring the

traditional housekeeping processes to floor staff via a mobile device.

Te key value proposition is two-fold: improve communication

between floor staff and streamline the recording of maintenance

requests. Leveraging their existing client base, this was a quick win.

Historically, system selection has often been purely price driven

or based on an approach of integration with existing job dispatch

systems using an add-on from the incumbent vendor. While this canfulfil a short-term need to quickly automate communication, it fails

to deliver a transformation in guest service levels and a measurable

return on investment.

Optii Keeper is the result of years of dedicated research and

development from thought leaders in housekeeping. As the only

company that is exclusively focused on solving challenges at the core

of housekeeping, this comprehensive product has unrivalled depth

in the market and the new version released in April, developed on

a new platform, has introduced functionality that is unmatched.

However, the most exciting news is that this is just the first step

in the long-term vision for both Optii Keeper and how housekeeping

can be transformed. Watch this space!

Optii Solutions is an innovative and rapidly growing company focusedexclusively on optimising the housekeeping function in hotels

It is paramount to thesuccess of all hotels toensure their housekeepingdepartment is given thetools to optimise theirperformance and best

manage the core productof the hotel clean rooms

M A N A G E M E N T

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A perception ofprofessionalismAmos Leung, registered executive housekeeper/

chief instructor (housekeeping), HospitalityIndustry Training and DevelopmentCentre/Chinese Cuisine Training Institute/International Culinary Institute

Tere are a couple of I systems available on the market to enhance

the efficiency of housekeeping; some help to enhance standards of

services (for example equipped with a rating system to grade the

cleanliness of an area and performance of individual team member)

and some even help to arrange the duty roster of the housekeeping

team. And the wide use of computerised systems can help to do

effective guest profiling, which also helps to enhance the guests

experience.However, in my opinion, while these systems can perform pre-

set jobs they do not take human sentiment into consideration. For

example, the arrangement of manpower for guestroom cleaning

we have to consider different factors when we are planning duty

rosters, such as the personal needs of each individual team member.

In order to maintain fairness it is hard to rely on technology 100%.

In terms of what could be developed more via technology in

the area of housekeeping, I think its those innovative products

that contribute to a better environment, such as cleaning tools that

require no detergents and chemicals that help minimise pollutionof the environment.

At the end, I still believe that housekeeping is a highly people-

oriented industry; one has to enjoy customer services in order to

excel at his/her job. All technologies are just helping to facilitate

and increase efficiency, but without passion in serving our guests

better, technology doesnt help much.

Overall, I think we should increase professionalism in

housekeeping. People always have the perception that housekeeping

is only performing simple cleaning tasks. In fact, all these cleaning

tasks are supported by different technical skills, professional

knowledge about cleaning science and its principles.

Established in 1984, the Hospitality Industry Training andDevelopment Centre provides vocational training for secondary schoolleavers and operates the T Hotel for students to receive professionaltraining in an actual working environment

Picture: VTC hospitality

M A N A G E M E N T

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Cleaning withoutchemicalsBy Liz Lycette, Lycette & Associates

here have been several

developments in the world of

housekeeping in relation to

cleaning without chemicals.

Tese include exclusive use

of microfibre, combined use

of microfibre and steam and

advances in nanotechnology

for surfaces.

Mic ro f ib re on ly

Radisson Blu in Sydney

Australia is now in its sixth

year of using only microfibre

and water in the cleaning of

their guest rooms and public

areas. Maureen Jolowicz,

executive housekeeper and

also president of the Professional Housekeepers Association of

NSW has maintained the overall system she first started in 2008

with some modifications.

Housekeeping room attendants pick up their cleaning pack

every morning at the start of their shift, including a blue microfibre

cloth for each room, three scourers for the floors and shower tilesand their bucket with a water spray bottle and the only chemical

used a disinfectant spray for the toilet bowl.

Teir cleaning routine, incorporated in the sequence of service,

is to use one clean cloth to clean the bathroom glasses, then dust

in the room, wipe down all bathroom surfaces finishing off with

the toilet. One microfibre cloth is used per room. Separate cleaning

tools including extendable wand for high surfaces and fluffy duster

for bedroom walls are also part of their equipment.

With an estimated saving of one million litres of water a year

(10 litres of water per room cleaned), a reduction of 95% in the

use of chemicals and a reduction in housekeeping health and safety

issues, its easy to see why this is the natural choice for housekeepingcleaning in the future.

Words of advice for those who want to install microfibre is that

it is best to trial it thoroughly for a minimum of three months on

one to two floors. Staff from the trial floors will become ambassadors

for the system because they realise it is so much easier.

Microfibre and steam not only eliminates the use of chemicals

and a reduction in water use by 90% but also reductions in the risk

of back injury, slips and falls along with reduction in risk of allergy/

chemical irritation.

Nanotechnology is the treatment of surfaces with a nano-

coating, such as Bacterlon liquid glass. A German product is

currently being tested in Hong Kong.

Lycette & Associates was established in 1999 and has since undertakenhospitality consulting assignments and training for many globalhospitality groups

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ensions between Japan and China over offshore islands

claimed by both countries have failed to dampen

Chinese enthusiasm for the Land of the Rising Sun as

a travel destination. Visitors from China were the main

source of inbound travel in 2013, with arrivals climbing 17% over

the year before. Significant increases were also reported from aiwan,South Korea and other neighbouring countries.

Tere were several reasons for the increase. Mount Fuji was

declared a Unesco World Heritage Site. Visas for nationals of

Tailand and other countries in the region have been waived. And

the relatively weak yen has made Japan usually considered an

expensive travel destination more affordable than ever.

As a result, many hotels in Japan have been experiencing the

highest room occupancy rates since the earthquake and tsunami

that rocked the country in March 2011, says eddy Hung ao Lee,

general manager, Rose Hotel Yokohama.

Japans total number of hotel guests (both domestic and

international) reached approximately 356.3 million in 2013,

representing a 5% increase over 2012, when the country was stillsuffering from the impact of the tragedies. Te global economic

downturn also played a significant roll in reducing the number of

inbound travellers.

Japans hospitality sector is ona roll as the country emerges

from the doldrums followingthe devastating earthquake andtsunami that rocked it in 2011,Michael Taylorwrites

The sunstill rising

Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo, is seeing increased demand

from the Middle East, South America and Australia

ANA InterContinental Tokyo

More coming from abroadTe past year has been a good one for the tourism industry with

an increase of visitors from abroad reaching 10 million for the year2013, Lee says. With the 2020 Olympics on track, Japan is facing

many challenges. It needs to add more international standard hotels

and hire more multi-lingual staff.

M A R K E T R E P O R T

20 AHCTMa 2014

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Tokyo building boom continues

Tk Tram h p r J 11,

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a vatv ra r prjt trat tra

Tk t t a ara, a 14-kmtr p

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Built in 1981, Rose Hotel

Yokohama has 178 rooms, two F&B

outlets and a ballroom that can

accommodate more than 600 people

for banquets. It is 30 kilometres from

okyo and 20 kilometres from the

okyo Haneda International Airport.

Our hotel is primarily targeted

at domestic guests, but we are

receiving an increasing percentage

of international visitors from Europe,

the US and Southeast Asia, adds Lee.

Jens Moesker, GM of Shangri-La Hotel, okyo, agrees the

industry is on a roll. He attributes this to more than okyos beingawarded the 2020 Olympics and the depreciation of the Japanese

yen. He also believes that the earthquake and tsunami resulted in

pent up demand. People who wanted to visit the country put their

plans on hold until they thought it was safer. Tis has resulted in

an upsurge of inbound visitors over the last two years.

New hotels have been and will continue to be added to the

supply, thus fulfilling the rising demand of the industry, Moesker

says. Overall, it is going in a positive direction. We welcome

these new hotels, which will help further promote okyo to the

international market.

Inbound travellers now account for the lions share of the hotels

guests.In 2012, 55% of our guests were Japanese but these numbers

were reversed in 2013. Incentive groups from abroad have increased

drastically. We also see an increased demand from the Middle East,

South America and Australia.

Built in 2009, Shangri-La Hotel, okyo is celebrating its fifth

anniversary this year. It has 200 rooms, three food and beverage

outlets, and a spa. argeting business and leisure travellers, it is the

only Shangri-La property in Japan.

Five key marketsHotelsCombined is a hotel price comparison site that allows

travellers to find the best price in one search. More than 300 million

people use the service each year to find the best rates for more than800,000 properties in 120,000 destinations across the world.

Based on bookings weve seen for Japanese accommodation

coming in through HotelsCombined, the key market for the past

Palace Hotel Tokyo

Rika Suenaga of

HotelsCombined says Taiwan,

Hong Kong, Australia, Japan (for

domestic travel) and South Korea

account for 75% of Japans total

hotel bookings

eight months has been aiwan, followed by Hong Kong, Australia,

Japan (for domestic travel) and South Korea, says Rika Suenaga,

Japanese marketing manager for the website. ogether, these five

markets account for 75% of Japans total hotel bookings. Weve seen

this to be a fairly consistent trend over the past few years.

Te earthquake that rocked Japan in 2011 had a dramatic

impact on the number of travellers visiting the country, and this

led to a sharp decline in demand for hotel rooms. But the countrys

hospitality industry appears to have turned the corner.

We have seen booking numbers increase throughout 2012 and2013, and we anticipate that the 2020 Summer Olympics in okyo

will help to boost the industry back to its pre-earthquake status in

the near future, says Suenaga.

M A R K E T R E P O R T

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T E C H N O L O G Y

22 AHCTMa 2014 www.asianhotelandcateringtimes.com

When hotels began rolling out

Customer Relationship

Management (CRM)

solutions in the 1990s,

they faced challenges with disparate data,

guest interaction channel consistency and

establishing loyalty programmes, says Bob

Dunfee, director of marketing management

solutions at US software company Infor. He

says hotel operators that owned multiple

properties also faced the challenge of

trying to keep guests within their propertyecosystem.

Over time, many of these challenges

were solved by technology and the guest

experience was greatly improved, as was the

bottom line. However, over the last nine-

plus years, social media use has exploded,

resulting in a new set of opportunities that

hotels need to be ready for.

Social media provides a CRM channel

that allows guests to learn, interact and share

information more quickly than ever before.

As social media channels are also accessible

via smartphone and tablet apps, it becomeseven more important for hotels to find an

effective way to manage these interactions

of their always connected guests.

Power and responsibilityMichael Schaeffner, director of sales and

marketing at Serenata Intraware, based in

Munich, Germany, says social media is a

huge opportunity for hoteliers. Would

it not be great to use all the valuable and

candid information from social media

channels to enrich your customer profile andbenefit from the information your guests are

sharing in the social web?

His says his own company believes

such an approach is essential for a state of

the art CRM. Hoteliers are getting more

sensitive to the accumulation of different

data sources and realising the potential of

the data out there. Ideally, this information

is captured and utilised in a comprehensive

CRM solution, which is becoming essential

for the hotelier of today.

Te question now, Schaeffner says,

is: do you have fully integrated customer

relationship management in place and does

your CRM solution allow you to integrateall touch points?

Te core values of a CRM suite have

not changed at all, he says. Hoteliers are

still seeking as many details as possible to

enrich the stay of their guests. Nowadays,

however, they have new ways to gain

valuable details about their clients.

Not too long ago, he says, property

management systems (PMS) and central

reservation systems (CRS) were the only

data sources really looked at.Te hoteliers

of the 21st century, on the other hand, have

a wider variety of options.It was never more challenging than

now, however, to create just one central

profile, especially when looking at all the

data sources spawned by mobile technology

and social media over the past three years.

In addition to targeted and relevant

guest communication, today we have

multiple data sources to tap for information,

something that could only be dreamed of

just a few years ago, Schaeffner says. Tink

about the information a cashpoint (POS)

in a restaurant delivers. Connect yourrestaurant visitors, who are not staying in

your hotel, to your central profile and use

their food and beverage spending patterns

The all-pervasive power of socialmedia and mobile technology haspermanently altered the hospitalitylandscape. Donald Gasperasks howcustomer relationship managementtechnology can help hotel groupseffectively factor in these developments

Getting the

message

to include them in your promotions and

marketing activities.

Te same approach applies to a hotels

spa outlet, which often lives from out-of-

house traffic. Tese clients potential hotel

clients can now be included in the hotels

marketing strategy and communication

standards and be converted from spa visitors

to hotel guests.

Ignore at your peril

Shayne Paddock, CIO of ZDirect, Inc.,a provider of software solutions for the

hospitality and resort industry, based in

Miami, Florida, says it is obvious hoteliers

are paying more attention to the impact

mobile and social media is having on

their brand.

More and more hoteliers are coming

to us asking for new mobile solutions and

functionality in their customer survey

reports that include feedback from social

media including witter, Facebook and

ripAdvisor.

Te customer satisfaction survey thatused to only be seen by the GM is now being

broadcast on the entire internet for everyone

to see, including prospective guests, so it is

critical hoteliers take action and gather the

data from these sites to help improve the

guest experience, Paddock says.

He adds that it is hard to make sense

of all this data, so it is the job of CRM

providers to develop new tools or metrics

wi th predictive analys is to he lp them

understand what the information means.

Features such as sentiment analysis providea simple way to gain an overview of the

positive and negative content being shared

on social sites and on guest feedback

Sentiment

Analysis Reports

with Social Feeds

from ZDirect, Inc

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T E C H N O L O G Y

AHCTMa 2014 23www.asianhotelandcateringtimes.com

surveys. Hoteliers are benefiting fromanalysing this data to help improve customer

service, amenities at the hotel, budgeting

for improvements or staying ahead of the

competition.

His own firm, ZDirect, uses advanced

analytics disciplines, such as predictive

analysis and data mining to analyse

information coming in. It crunches all data,

looking for hidden patterns and unknown

correlations to help hoteliers make sense of

it. Tis gives them a competitive edge over

their rivals, more effective marketing and

ultimately increased revenue.

Serenata offers a similar service.

We have created a social media module

which synchronises soc ial media data,

such as shares, likes and comments from

Facebook and transforms this unfiltered,

raw information directly into the central

guest profile within Serenata NetHotel,

says Schaeffner. Tis gives hotels a new

angle on their guests and enables them to

fine-tune and redirect their communication

based on the newly gained information from

social networks.Serenatas latest Social Media Integration

study with Lindner Hotels & Resorts shows

that Lindner, a well known hotel chain with

more than 30 hotels in Central Europe,

has been able to tap social media to acquireconsiderable additional data regarding the

preferences of its guests, such as the kind

of music or sports they like and whether

they enjoy spas. Tis information is now

embedded in the hotel groups marketing

strategy.

e mobile channelMobile also presents an opportunity for

hoteliers to communicate easily with guests

before, after and during their stay through

various email communications designed

to engage consumers. Strategies from

upselling ancillary services such as spa, golf,

dining and others help increase incremental

revenue for hotels. Mobile also provides a

channel for immediate feedback from guests

that can be resolved quickly face-to-face

and decreases the likelihood they will post

negative content through social channels.

However, mobile technology requires

providers to develop more sophisticated

emails that adhere to responsive design

standards so that users on smartphones,

tablet and phablets can interact and reviewthe content on the appropriate screen size,

Paddock says.

Hotel guests expect more and more

personalised interactions from the propertiesImages: Infor

Hotel guests expect more and more personalised

interactions from the properties they decide to

stay at, says Bob Dunfee of Infor

Shayne Paddock, ZDirect, Inc The customer

satisfaction survey that used to only be seen by the

GM is now being broadcast on the entire internet for

everyone to see, including prospective guests, so it is

critical hoteliers take action and gather the data

they decide to stay at, says Dunfee of Infor.

While this may not be a new concept, it is

now becoming more important than ever.

Taking actionHotels are now actively monitoring social

conversations using any of the available toolsdesigned to do this, he explains. Tis enables

hotel marketing to better understand all the

things happening in a much more connected

way. Te next step most hotels are taking

is to put a plan in place to take action on

these conversations, allowing hotels to

engage their guests in a more direct, one-

to-one manner. Te end result is a more

personalised guest experience.

Imagine that an incoming guest tweets

that her airline flight was delayed, the airline

lost her luggage and she is just having a

bad travel day, says Dunfee. Tese kinds

of interactions are actually posted to social

media and can be leveraged to improve the

guest experience, no matter if it is the fault

of the hotel, airline or rental car agency.

Te hotel can really take advantage and

set itself apart from its competition. Te

guest arrives and during check-in the hotel

host sympathises with her about her stressful

travel and offers her a complimentary glass

of wine at the poolside bar. Later that

evening the guest tweets that her hotel

is great and she will definitely be back.Tink about the power of that kind of

advertising, all for the price of a glass of

wine, comments Dunfee. Tese types of

interactions are just the beginning as hotels

start to take advantage of the onslaught of

social media and mobile connectivity.

o sort and analyse all the data now

available from the new channels the

hospitality industry needs the help of

technology which can provide hoteliers

with the options to leverage maximum

benefit from this information. In otherwords, says Schaeffner, increased revenue,

increased average daily rates and, most

importantly, and often forgotten, increased

guest satisfaction.

8/12/2019 May 2014 Websize


Designs on dining

An Nam

D E S I G N

24 AHCTMa 2014

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Hong Kong architect and co-founderof 1957 & Co. Steve Leung, discusseshow a design-driven restaurant

can result in bottom-line rewards.By Rebecca Lo

Photography courtesy Steve Leung Designers

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teve Leung is the first to admit that he loves good food.

Born, educated and residing in Hong Kong, Leung grew

up with a civil servant father in a modest household. Yet

the family still splurged on Sunday high tea at the citys

posh hotels. He learned from an early age that a memorable diningexperience wasnt just about the food: the ambience, the service and

the dcor all help to enhance the meal.

After many successful years managing an architectural practice

with branch offices across Chinas major cities, Leung decided to

indulge his passions by combining dining with design. In 2010,

he formed 1957 & Co., named after his birth year, with lighting

designer ino Kwan and restaurateur Paul Kwok.

Te partnership seemed almost inevitable. Kwan, one of the

regions most renowned lighting experts, has collaborated on

numerous occasions with Leung, and the two have become close

friends over the years. Leung first met Kwok when he was invited

by the former chef to design Mango ree in Dubai.Paul saw my other restaurants Dong Lai Shun and Inagiku, and

knew that he wanted an Asian designer for his Asian restaurant,

recalls Leung. Te site was in the Burj Khalifa. Dubai was further

than any project we had ever taken on previously, but I thought:

why not? I needed a lighting consultant and invited ino to join us.

Tat was the first time the three of us all worked together.

After the success of Mango ree Dubai, and with additional

hospitality projects under his belt, Leung was encouraged to strike

out with his own restaurant management company. He got Kwan

on board and thought that Kwok would be ideal to oversee the

operations side.

We needed someone with Pauls expertise and I invited him

back to Hong Kong to become our partner. What sets 1957 & Co.

apart from its competitors is that it takes a design-driven approach

to dining.

An Nam

8/12/2019 May 2014 Websize


Ive designed a lot of restaurants, Leung explains, and many

of them are driven by owners who have backgrounds as chefs.

Tey worry a lot about the kitchen and how things operate in the

back of house, but they may not know much about simple things

such as place settings. Or the owner has an accounting or finance

background and may look too closely at the bottom line.

If they are from operations, they concentrate mostly on how

things run. We believe in going back to basics: how does it look?

We dont just design our restaurants interiors; we control the entire

experience. Tis includes the service: how does a host take a customer

to his table? What do the graphics look like and how are the tables

set? Even small details such as the chopstick stand, coasters anddishes all of these elements have to be designed.

Self-contained experience1957 & Co. launched with two restaurants in Cubus in Hong

Kong, a newly constructed, mixed-use commercial building in

the bustling Causeway Bay district. Each restaurant takes up an

entire floor, making them self-contained venues targeting both the

neighbourhoods affluent residents and executives.

Bella Vita is a uscan restaurant styled with a pastoral landscape

fresco dominating a feature wall, antique cabinets and floor to

ceiling wooden shelves displaying imported Italian oils and pastas.

Sushi a-ke, on the other hand, is a Japanese restaurant with acontemporary aesthetic including a dramatic bamboo grove entry

corridor, wooden slat ceilings and central sushi bar.

When we were deciding on the cuisine, I thought about what

I would like to eat, notes Leung. Many people would share my

tastes. I didnt really think about our competition at the time, though

a lot of people told me that there were already too many Tai, Italian

and Japanese restaurants in the city. I believe that there is a niche

for us. And competition is healthy!

He feels that it is extremely important to get the right size venue

in the right location for the type of cuisine being served. For his

high-end restaurants, Causeway Bay is his preferred location due

to its proximity to luxury residential districts, good transportation

networks and lifestyle-oriented facilities such as shopping malls and

a large public park. We all really like Causeway Bay. Tere is a mix

of high and low-rise buildings with tree-lined streets.Both Bella Vita and Sushi a-ke each have a self-contained

reception, kitchen, washrooms and terrace.

oo small a venue is difficult to operate since tables cant be

booked, Leung explains. Tere is an economy of scale. I believe

the optimal size is 500 square metres for a fine dining experience.

In addition, to cater to Chinese dining habits, the venues include

at least one flexible private dining space for group entertainment.

Smell of successLeung continued the success of 1957 & Co. with Mango ree in the

high-end mall Elements, launched in 2012. Late last year two more

restaurants followed on the top floor of Lee Gardens in CausewayBay. An Nam is an upscale Vietnamese restaurant inspired by the

French colonial culture of the country, featuring antiques and

salvaged wooden doors handpicked by Leung.

Steve Leung

Mango Tree at ElementsGonpach barbeque bar

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www.zieher.com www.facebook.com/ZieherGermany

Podia

G E R M A N Y

Solid Podia

Plat de Luxe

Gonpachi is an established Japanese restaurant brand with an

open Izakaya bar, extensive use of raw wood in furnishings and a

series of semi-private dining rooms separated by shoji screened doors.

ogether, the restaurants take up the fourth floor of Lee Gardens

and each boasts a large terrace.

One of the main reasons 1957 & Co. opened another two

restaurants in Causeway Bay is to better manage Kwoks time: he candrop by all four venues easily during the course of a business day to

make sure that things are running smoothly. Despite a challenging

site, which is essentially a doughnut attached to a triangle, Leung

was confident he could make them work in his favour.

Te layout was difficult: there is an open atrium that can see and

be seen from the retail floors below, says Leung. We turned those

disadvantages into advantages. We used the curves and irregular

shapes to create a variety of different experiences.

Since An Nam has opened, it has quickly achieved success with

two seatings per evening. An Nam has exceeded all our expectations,

in terms of the quality of the ingredients and execution. Although

the price is higher than other Vietnamese restaurants in Hong Kong,

people here are willing to spend the money on quality.

After four years, developers are now knocking on Leungs door

offering space for additional 1957 & Co. restaurants. Leung is now

studying which of his existing brands will work in mainland Chinese

cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. Well

open An Nam and Mango ree first.

Sushi Ta-ke entrance

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Fresh, smoked, pate, and primarily as a sushi ingredient, the

region seemingly cannot get enough salmon.

Politics mean that China now sources salmon

from Scotland rather than Norway, but with demand

outweighing supply is rapid expansion needed to meet requirements?

Certainly the industry seems to agree changes are necessary.

But ideas about what exactly these should be seem more blurred.

Chief executive of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation

(SSPO), Scott Landsburgh says, Scottish salmon is healthy and

delicious, and widely renowned for its provenance and quality.

Set up in 2006, the SSPO encompasses over 95% of the tonnage

of Scottish salmon production and all members participate in theCode of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture.

Te organisation plays a central role in representing the industry

on political, regulatory, media and technical issues in Scotland, the

UK, EU and internationally.

Scottish salmon is enjoyed in over 64 countries throughout

the world, Landsburgh points out. It offers endless possibilities to

the most discerning chefs, and is the ingredient of choice for many.

More and more people are demanding high quality, nutritious

food and Scotlands farmed salmon easily ticks all the boxes.

Raw, baked or grilled, smoked or fried, Scottish salmon offers an

appetising choice to even the most selective palates.Landsburgh also says that for the past 40 years, the popularity

of salmon has soared, first on homegrown soil, then Europe, and

then in the largest [Scottish] export market, the US.

Tat market was worth 200 million last year, Landsburgh

points out.

Asia is a relatively new market for Scottish farmed salmon, but

demand is progressively increasing, which is encouraging. Over

the past three years, China has consistently delivered good results

with exports growing from virtually nothing in 2010 to become the

third-largest export market in 2013.

Chefs have told us that Scottish salmon is ideal for sushi and

sashimi thanks to the firm texture and unique flavour it offers, and

as the popularity of Asian-style cuisine grows in major cities acrossthe world we anticipate demand will continue.

However, we intend to grow the business sustainably and

therefore we will only fulfill demand which matches our production.

Asia, led by China, is eating ever-increasing quantities of salmon.

Zara Hornernds out howregional chefs are sourcing and

serving the king of sh

Thinkpink

Picture: Alaska SeafoodF O O D

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Product of USA

www.alaskaseafood.org www.alaskaseafood-china.com

The cold, clear waters off Alaskas 34,000 mile coastline are theworlds greatest resource for natural, wild salmon. There, theve species of Alaska salmon (King or Chinook, Sockeye or Red,Coho or Silver, Chum or Keta, and Pink) mature in an unmatchednatural environment that provides them with superior avor,and texture. This makes Alaska salmon the salmon of choice offood-service operators throughout the world.

Wild, Natural & Sustainable

Nicer from northAnthony Fletcher likes salmon because, Its abundantly available,

there are large stocks worldwide so its an easy fish to buy sustainably,

fresh and at a great price.

Hong Kongs Shore Hospitality groups executive chef buys his

salmon from Norway.

Te waters are clean, very well stocked and the Norwegiangovernment have tight controls over the farmers, ensuring that fish

are looked after well, he says.

When it comes to preparation, for Fletcher its about simplicity.

We have a simple pan roasted salmon dish with caper and

parsley dumplings and butter sauce which is very popular.

Our guests often choose salmon and indeed we struggle to

actually get it off the menu when we want to change!

Across the water, Grahame Waddell, head chef at one of

Brisbanes most popular and well-established restaurants, Baguette,

stays closer to home and buys his salmon from Huon in asmania.

I find asmanian produce to be some of the best in the world,

especially seafood, due to the cold, unpolluted waters.For Waddell, salmon has become a go to fish because its

consistent and its farmed.

Salmon is a very popular dish here as entree or a main. We

poach it in butter at 45 degrees, which keeps its beautiful colour

and keeps it moist.

As an entree we pair it with oysters, white asparagus and

Champagne; for main my favourite is to grill it and serve it with

barnaise.

Picture: Scottish Enterprise

Hong Kongs Shore Hospitality group sources its salmon from Norway

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Salmon is being mismanaged in an effort to get it cheap and

frozen to fulfill the demand.

You can find really cheap salmon in China now, but if you

are an expert you will know the colour is artificial because of the

processing, and it has had salt water added to increase weight.

At the end of day the consumers are going to suffer.

Delicious by Nordic only buys from one supplier in Norway.

We have worked with this supplier for over two decades.

Our manufacturer has more than 20 years experience in smoking

salmon, and we have won several awards for quality and taste,

Awan points out.

While the company has had good results in China, Awan says

in order to deliver best quality product he needs his customers to

be educated.

In our experience not many consumers have really tasted thebest salmon from the Nordic countries.

Consumers must do more investigation on salmon. For

example, find out which country it comes from, which sea, the

processing, etc. But if you want the best then the price will also

be very high.

With some in the industry calling for rapid expansion to meet

demand, Awan agrees major changes are needed.

First of all the law should be stricter on the species itself and

how it is processed in China and imported to China. If the raw

product is not of a high quality or the salmon is not processed in

the right manner, the taste will be affected.

odays high demand could push manufacturers to the limit.o ensure the right quality is maintained governments must ensure

processing procedures are kept high.

Its a viewpoint echoed throughout the industry.

Its true the industry is trying to meet growing demand, says

We also love to use salmon roe when in season. But I have

noticed a dramatic rise in popularity corresponds to one in price.

He serves the roe as you would caviar, with warm blinis, crme

fraiche and chopped egg.

Waddell is from Scotland, which he notes is famous for its wild

salmon, but he says, It is dwindling in numbers due to overfishing,

and Im a strong believer in sustainably produced fish.

I believe a lot of people are careful nowadays about which

species of fish they eat so salmon [can be] a great choice.

Taste and versatilityFirst of all it is a very healthy fish, it contains Omega 3 oil, and

its delicious and versatile, says Amir Awan, CEO of Delicious by

Nordic.

Established in 2013, and based in Denmark with sales officesin Asia, Delicious by Nordic sells award winning smoked salmon

and more than 8,000 other luxury products.

Salmon is a great choice for diners and chefs alike, Awan

says. Primarily because it can be prepared in so many ways. It can

be served raw, smoked with a highly delicate taste, served as hot

smoked, and it can be cooked.

All these variations have a unique taste and thats the reason

its also high on the list for consumers.

For Awan, China is a divided market. He says a large number

of wholesalers go for the price rather than focusing on quality.

In China, up to now, salmon has come from Norway and Chile.

But huge demand can have devastating consequences for business.And we could be seeing this in the salmon industry.

Te salmon being imported to China today is of different

qualities and buyers seem to find it difficult to separate the good

from the bad, Awan says.

Salmon six ways at FINDS Hong Kong

Picture: Alaskan Seafood

Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation

Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation

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Robin Wang, China in-market representative for the Alaska Seafood

Marketing Institute a public/private marketing organisation

committed to increasing the economic value of Alaskan seafood

resources through collaboration, planning, technical industry

analysis, education, and research, among other things, according

to the organisation.

Some global strategies include a spike in salmon farms, Wang

explains. But these have been outlawed in Alaska, which instead

emphasises sustainable fishing for wild salmon to ensure our Alaskan

wild salmon remains environmentally sustainable and yet a premium

quality product.

We cant expect a steady or increased supply, as every fishing

season fluctuates.

If our supply of wild Alaskan salmon remains steady, prices may

rise if demand increases. Yet if pricing becomes too high, demandwill lessen. ruly, the market dictates!

Wang agrees its the versatility of the fish, its nutritional value,

and unique taste which has contributed to its growing popularity

in Asia.

And the popularity is across the board, including as it does both

chefs and consumers.

Chefs prefer fish that offers unique tastes and are from the

deep sea. Salmon is convenient for them as its a fish thats readily

available with many known applications.

In these few years, weve seen consumers become more health

conscious and demand more wild fish not farmed.

Tis drives the demand for our Alaskan wild salmon. Te publicis also increasingly demanding more organic food, without chemical

additives, and consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about

the difference between farmed and our wild salmon.

Double let of salmon from Delicious by Nordic

Scotland is blessed with a fantastic larder of some of the

best naturally healthy produce in the world.

Food and drink is Scotlands top export industry we sell

our produce to over 200 markets worldwide. And that figure

is growing all the time.

Whether youre a wholesaler, retailer, foodservice operator, importer

or an agent and wherever you are in the world if youre interested in

buying the very best Scottish food and drink products, Scottish

Development International is here to help you.

To find out more about what makes Scotland the worlds land of food and

drink, please visit www.sdi.co.uk/foodanddrink

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here was once a time when the notion of Australian

wine conjured familiar visions of cheap and cheerful

fruit bombs (Ill have another Aussie Sauvignon Plonk,

please, as some bar patrons have been known to ask),

yet more producers have gradually eschewed this penchant for the

big and bold in favour of more smoother, streamlined fare. And why

not, since some evidence already implies that the demand is there?

While Australia has had its share of exporting issues led by

a strong dollar that made its products much too expensive for

importers in Asia, coupled with a huge wine surplus following years

of severe drought there are encouraging figures such as those from

the new Vinexpo/IWSR Survey, reported in April 2014.

As a wine exporting nation, Australia ranks fifth in the world

(behind Italy, Spain, France and Chile), but as a wine consuming

country, it ranks tenth (after the US, France, Italy, Germany, China

including Hong Kong, the UK, Argentina, Russia and Spain).

Te study encompassed the years from 2008 to 2012, which

saw Australias domestic wine consumption grow by only 9.8%

in those four years, compared to 11.4% for the US and of no

small importance an almost ridiculous 134.3% growth in China,

including Hong Kong (from 75.94 million cases in 2008 to 175.85

million cases in 2012).

Arguably then, with Australian domestic wine consumption

almost stalling but wine exports still up, its no surprise that Asian

markets are responding positively. In the Hong Kong market alone,

Australia ranks fifth among countries supplying wine (after Italy,the US, Spain and France) and within this competitive framework,

as Drinks Businessmagazine reported as recently as February 2013,there has been much consolidation within the Australian wine

Australias winemakers aremoving away from fruit-driven, palate-pleasing

styles towards moreelegant, structured andcomplex wines, writes

Gerrie Lim

GrapeexpectationsDown Under

Picture: Deep Woods

Vasse Felix Heytesbury

Deep Woods Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2010

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www.asianhotelandcateringtimes.com

industry and a change in direction away from Europe and towardsChina and Southeast Asia.

Limited varietals; versatile winemakersWhile its almost impossible to compete with the Italians, who have

a winemaking history founded on the availability of some 3,000

wine varietals, Australias fifth place as an exporter owes greatly to

the versatility of its winemakers who, in general, have essentially only

eight varietals to work with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz

and Pinot Noir for the reds and Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon

Blanc and Riesling for the whites (though minor varietals such as

Grenache and Malbec do persist).

Certain states have stood out for producing wines of real elegance

and finesse, such as the previously overlooked asmania, now home

to excellent Pinot Noir producers such as Stefano Lubiana and

Moores Hill.

People are now tending to choose more elegantly structured

wines over fruit-forward wines, said Walter Koo, marketing and

sales executive at 80s & Co. Wine Merchant, the Hong Kong

importer of both estates. asmania caught our attention because

of its moderate maritime climate, with mild summers and long

autumn days, resulting in maximum varietal flavour development

for elegant, cool climate wines.

We visited Stefano Lubiana and Moores Hill in 2012 and were

attracted by the way they produce wine both are family-owned

boutiques that manage both vineyard and winery, and the ownersthemselves are grape growers as well as winemakers. Steve Lubiana,

in particular, is himself a fifth-generation Italian winemaker living

in asmania, and he makes wines in the traditional European style

Virginia Willcock, chief winemaker at Vasse

Felix for consistency in Australian Cabernet,

look to Coonawarra or Margaret River

Picture: Moores Hill

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of elegant, structured and complex wines rather than the usual

fruit-driven, palate-pleasing style.

Another example of this lies in the sometimes rarified realm

of Cabernet Sauvignon, the king of grapes often linked with

Bordeaux yet finding fine expression now in two wine regions Coonawarra (in South Australia) and Margaret River (in Western

Australia) primarily because of the unique circumstances whereby

climate, soil and other characteristics all converge to create what

the French call terroir, producing wines of exceptional finesse andenduring quality.

Tere is certainly greater interest in wines ofterroirthan therewould have been say a decade ago, observed Sue Hodder, chief

winemaker at Wynns Coonawarra Estate. Our wines are medium

bodied, [can] be suitably paired with many cuisines and should

never dominate a meal.

We are a single-region label and

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