RC November 2015

Restaurant Catering

Blond Catering’s innovative approach to food makes Jesper Hansen a most worthy

Caterer of the Year + Quay wins (again!)

See all the winners,

starting page 17

Official Journal of

Restaurant & Catering

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Contents

In this issue ...Up-front4 From the Association

John Hart reports on the association’s #savoursunday campaign, and Matteo Pignatelli raises his glass to the Awards for Excellence winners.

6 News & eventsNew York’s Michelin stars, Noma’s Sydney pop-up, diners going mobile, and much more.

Industry

30 The hunger gameCustomers are increasingly ordering food online. We explore what it means for you business, and show the best way to get on board.

34 What I’ve learntCarlo Tosolini reflects on a nearly 30-year career full of highlights.

36 Grand plansThinking of expanding? We speak to the restaurateurs that have successfully managed the tricky growth period.

On the table

41 Back-of-house technologyRestaurant & Catering magazine’s guide to the best back-of-house technology and systems.

46 Waste not, want notBillions of dollars of food goes to waste each year, despite plenty of avenues through which to maintain a lean, green business.

48 Fizz and festivityIt’s the silly season, which means champagne is set to increase in popularity, but a menu shouldn’t be limited solely to the French variety.

50 DetailsAs part of Jupiters Hotel & Casino’s refurbishment, Cucina Vivo sets a new standard for design.

November 2015 $6.95 GST incl.

RESTAURANT & CATERING 3

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2015 Savour Australia™ Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS Awards

for Excellence

19 Best in showThe 2014 Savour Australia™ Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS Awards for Excellence saw the country’s best and most innovative honoured before their peers.

22 Restaurant of the Year John Fink and the team behind Quay took home the top prize for the second year running.

26 Caterer of the Year Bringing Danish cuisine Down Under, Jesper Hansen’s business Blond Catering raises the bar for corporate events.

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Restaurant & Catering magazine is published under licence on behalf of Restaurant & Catering by Engage Custom Media, Suite 4.17 55 Miller Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009 www.engagemedia.com.au

Editor: Mitchell Oakley Smith Art Director: Lucy Glover Associate Editor: Kate BalazsContributors: Ben Canaider, Sarah Norris, Tracey Porter, Kerryn Ramsey, Sam Twyford-Moore, Sales Director: Adam Cosgrove

Direct: (02) 9660 6995 ext 505Fax: (02) 9518 5600 Mob: 0404 351 543 Email: [email protected]

Editorial Director: Rob Johnson Commercial Director: Mark Brown

For all editorial, subscription and advertising enquiries, ph: 1300 722 878Print Post approved PP: 2255003/06505, ISSN 1442-9942

©2014 Engage Custom Media. Views expressed in Restaurant & Catering magazine are not necessarily those of Restaurant & Catering or that of the publisher, editor or Engage Custom Media.Printed by Webstar

Best day of the weekHighlighting the joy of Sunday with a new digital media initiative.

From the Association

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

Contact details

8,557 - CAB Audited as at March, 2015

Restaurant & Catering AustraliaAddress: Level 3, 154 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2064Tel: 1300 722 878Fax: 1300 722 396Email: [email protected]: www.restaurantcater.asn.au

President: Matteo Pignatelli (VIC)Senior Vice President: Mark Scanlan (NSW)Junior Vice President: Michael Sfera (SA)Treasurer: Richard Harper (VIC)Chief Executive Officer: John Hart

The National Awards night saw the launch of our #savoursunday program, highlighting the great dining experiences that we have on Sundays.

Like all social media driven campaigns, #savoursunday will need to go viral to succeed and that’s where we need your help. The idea is

to convince your customers to tag #savoursunday when they photograph their dining experiences in your business. Whether it’s a food photo or your customers enjoying the atmosphere in your restaurant, encourage them to join the campaign.

One lucky poster will win a trip for two to Tokyo with dinner for two at Luke Mangan’s Salt Restaurant.

#Savoursunday is a great way to promote wonderful Sunday dining experiences that are being lost because of the increased closures of restaurants due to penalty rates.

Whilst we will not be talking about penalty rates in the #savoursunday campaign, it will focus public attention on Sunday dining. Everyone loses when restaurants don’t open for normal trading hours on a Sunday. The operator loses takings, the staff lose hours and customers lose some great dining options.

Ask your customers to #savoursunday.John Hart

CEO, Restaurant & Catering

RestaurantCatering

4 RESTAURANT & CATERING

Join the conversation on theSavour Australia Restaurant &Catering HOSTPLUS Awards forExcellence with #savourawards

/savouraustralia@savouraus

/savour-australia

Discover Hospitality is here to help your career take off—and stay on track. Discover the career possibilities or find suitable staff with #discoverhospitality

#discoverhospitality/discover-hospitality

Keep up to date with Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) news, events, products and programs, and ‘like’ and ‘follow’ the association on social media with #restcatering

/restaurantandcatering@restcatering

restaurant-&-catering-industry-association

Toasting to success Celebrating the best in the restaurant and catering business and all that the industry has to offer.

The 2015 awards season came together in fine style at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Monday the 26th October, with the Restaurant of the Year Award going to Quay, and the Caterer of the year to Blond Catering—both very deserving winners. They exemplify the great

food and service that our businesses offer.The Fink Group, operators of Quay, have had an outstanding year, topped off

with the opening of Bennelong in the Sydney Opera House earlier in 2015. This is an amazing addition to Sydney’s dinning scene. Executive chef Peter Gilmore has put together a food offering at Bennelong to rival Quay, and that says something!

Blond Catering has built a business of great distinction in a relatively short time. Its Austral Bricks venue is a great facility that is brought to life by what the Blond team prepare and serve. Congratulations to Jesper on his achievements.

It was also a pleasure to have the recently appointed Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Richard Colbeck, attend the awards this year. The Minister has a real commitment to building tourism to Australia.

The awards event also marks the beginning of the end of the year. As the silly season kicks in, I hope you all have a profitable last couple of months of 2015.

Matteo PignatelliPresident, Restaurant & Catering


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News& events

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [ACCC] has created a new set

of guidelines for Australia’s egg producers, aiming to clarify which eggs can be advertised as free-range. The Federal Government has also released a consultation paper which may lead to firmer regulations than the ACCC currently promotes.

The new ACCC guidelines are designed to illuminate their existing stance on the labelling of free range eggs rather than change it amid claims that consumers are being mislead by unregulated packaging.

“The Australian Consumer Law requires that any statement or representation a business makes when advertising or selling free range eggs must not be misleading or deceptive, or likely to mislead or deceive,” says the ACCC’s chairman Rod Sims.

Yet which types of egg farming are considered free-range are still

considered to be unclear.Sims draws the line along common

sense rather than legal strictures. “If it is not normal for most of the hens to leave the barn and to move about freely on an open range on most days, making a free-range claim is likely to be misleading,” he says. “This approach accords with common sense. The ACCC acknowledges that laying hens may spend periods indoors and we do not expect to always see hens on the range or expect every hen to be

outside every day.”Whilst federal consultation is

underway, animal activists are vying for stricter rules that will more closely define what makes an egg free-range. Many are also hoping to see a clearer set of standards in labelling to assist consumers with egg purchases.

The ACCC is still investigating and prosecuting over a number of previous cases in which the ACCC asserts egg suppliers have falsely been labelling their products as free-range.


What makes an egg free-range?

New York stars

At the time of writing, Michelin had begun to award its starred guides to restaurants in various cities around the world. Most

interesting was the shift in the restaurants featured in the 2016 Michelin Guide to New York, with Brooklyn beginning to catch up to Manhattan in terms of the number of featured restaurants. 76 restaurants in New York (all five boroughs) made the 2016 guide, up from, 73 in 2015.

According to the guide’s international director Michael Ellis, the energy and the constant evolution of the city’s dining scene is what makes it feature so prominently. “It confirms New York’s position as one of the world’s most exciting dining destinations.” The same six restaurants have retained their three-star ratings, including French-led restaurants Jean-Georges, Le Bernardin and Per Se. Growing in prominence in the rest of the list are Asian restaurants, particularly Japanese and Thai, while French continues to be popular.

News& events


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A trial of food safety rating star certificates in South Australia has been deemed a success. “The pilot has proven very successful and we have decided to

expand the scheme to all councils which want to participate and involve their local businesses,” SA Health’s director of food safety and nutrition, Dr Fay Jenkins, told Health Professional Radio.

The program seeks to minimise food safety risks. Businesses are voluntarily inspected by local council and receive a star rating to display their food safety compliance. The program will continue into 2016 after the trial’s success.

During the trial “3, 4, and 5-star certificates have been awarded to more than 800 local restaurants, cafes and pubs based on how well they did in their regular council inspection, which is a great result,” explains Jenkins. “The better a business does during their inspection, the higher the star rating.

“If a business does not meet the national food safety standards they will not be awarded a star rating and appropriate actions will be taken to ensure the business

rectifies any problems.”Customers will be able to make informed choices based

on the health and safety ratings in the star program. “Encouraging businesses to display their star rating aims to improve standards in the food service industry and will also help to improve public health by reducing the risk of food poisoning,” says Jenkins. “The rating will inform customers of how well a food business complies with food safety standards, including how they store and handle food.

Jenkins anticipates an increase in businesses taking part in the scheme due to customer request. “The scheme is voluntary so not all businesses will display a star rating, but we expect that take up will continue to increase as consumers demand more information about where they choose to eat,”

South Australian Local Government Association chief executive officer Matt Pinnegar was happy to see the program continued. “This is welcome news for councils and businesses across the state and we hope its use will expand rapidly once it is released statewide,” he said.

Food safety stars


Sydney Fish Market launches Seafood Quality Index app

The Sydney Fish Market and Sokyo executive chef Chase Kojima have together launched the Australian Seafood Quality Index app. The digital

app will put a guide to the shelf life of seafood at chefs’ fingertips.

Kojima showed his support by demonstrating the app at last week’s launch. “The Quality Index app is a convenient tool for chefs and other seafood buyers, enabling them to gain a better understanding of the expected shelf life of chilled seafood to ensure produce is of an optimum standard”.

The app, developed in collaboration with The University of Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, will set new standards for quality control, and can be used to check the quality of ten different seafood species. The app has an easy-to-use checklist function, to which users will provide a series of information about the fish “including appearance, odour and texture.”

The checklist allows the app to add the scores from each category and apply an overall Quality Index Score. The score will indicate the current and remaining quality of the fish. The app’s options to archive files and upload images to Dropbox allow for exciting new pathways in operational assessment requirements.

“This app was designed to incorporate established industry practices and present them in a user friendly, modernised way,” said Sydney Fish Market’s general manager, Bryan Skepper. “It incorporates best practice seafood shelf life assessment and record keeping in one simple place.” The app is now available from both iTunes and Android app stores.

Contact your local foodservice distributorwww.TIP-TOPFOODSERVICE.COM.AU/ 1800 086 926

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Nothing is so seductive as that which is exclusive. That our desire for the latest handbag or

car is intensified once it sells out is demonstrative of our collective appetite for an experience or product that few others have access to. In hospitality, this takes the form of pop-up restaurants and bars, offering residents and visitors of a given city a teaser of an interstate or international venue, or the unique experience of a temporary venture.

When Heston Blumenthal set up his famed Fat Duck restaurant in Melbourne for six months of this year (helping to ensure cashflow while his permanent London digs were renovated), he set in place a randomised application process that welcomed 15,000 diners of a reported 250,000—a significant level of interest

despite the price tag in excess of $500 per person.

Sydney will get its own taste of one of the world’s best this coming January when the four times world best restaurant, Noma, opens for 10 weeks at the new CBD site of Barangaroo. The Danish restaurant (last receiving the honours in 2014) is known for its assimilation of culinary cultures and the experimentation of techniques, such as fermenting and pickling. Spots at the Sydney pop-up begin at $485 [food only].

An email to the restaurant’s subscribers (a vast database no doubt, given it reportedly receives 100,000 reservation requests per month) said, “René and the team have been busy exploring Australia

and working on the menu development recently.

“Between our sommeliers and kitchen staff, our team has been on six research trips to Australia in the past ten months. In that time, they’ve visited as many regions as possible, getting a good perspective on the great and diverse produce that is available in Australia. Later on, in December, the entire creative team will move to Sydney to focus their energy on creating a menu that will showcase the best of what we’ve found on these trips.”

Noma to pop up in Sydney


News& events

Contact your local foodservice distributorwww.TIP-TOPFOODSERVICE.COM.AU/ 1800 086 926

FROZEN BAKERY RANGE✓ 4 months shelf life ✓ Small cartons of 6 ✓ Available nationally✓ Freezer to table convenience

UNFREEZEYOURCREATIVITY.

ABBott’s village bakery®

country grains 9036

Rustic white 9037 FARMHOUSE wholemeal 9039

light rye 9038

© Registered trade marks of George Weston Foods Limited. All rights reserved.

The recently released Dimmi Australian Dining Index showcases the ups and downs in dining

trends occurring over the last 12 months, with the most significant numbers coming from the mobile sector. Diners are booking their dinners like they do everything else—on the go, with computer bookings dropping below mobile, which accounts for 52 per cent of web-based bookings. The trend isn’t new, of course. “We saw it happen with airlines and hotels, and now we’re seeing it with restaurants, too,” said Dimmi’s chief executive officer, Stevan Premutico.

Dimmi’s Dining Index shows that whilst the industry is, on the whole, down from last year [by 2.4 per cent year-on-year] people are spending more on their meals [by +0.37 per cent]. But that spending spread hasn’t been even across the market. The smallest amount of growth has been at the low end of the market, with a gain of only one per cent. The middle ground

saw a healthy rise with a five per cent increase. However, the biggest growth arrived at the premium end of the market, with an impressive swell of 17 per cent.

Mobile bookings aren’t the only trend highlighted in the Dimmi Index. There’s been a strong move towards two sittings. The 7-9pm time slot is fading away as bookings for this time have dropped by eight per cent. Popular restaurants have been keeping up with demand by booking a 5-7pm sitting [up six per cent] and doubling their diners by following it with an 8-9pm sitting

[up five per cent]. The Index also indicates that

now is the time to foster corporate relationships, with big business back in the dining room. Online reservations from the top ten corporates has increased by 41 per cent. The financial sector in particular has ramped up its corporate dining reservations.

The gender gap still exists in the dining world, with men spending more than women. Yet, whilst men spend an average of $61 and women only $53, men are more likely to leave harsher reviews and book at the last minute.

Dimmi Australian Dining Index shows diners going mobile

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News& events

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The summer season is shaping up to a big one for Australian hospitality group Merivale, with no less than

seven venues set to open by Feburary 2016, marking the fastest growth period in the company’s history.

The star, of course, is Merivale’s acquirement and revitalisation of the iconic

Newport Arms Hotel on Sydney’s northern beaches, a sprawling, multi-venue establishment that will present, come January, a new food and drink concept led by executive chef Sebastien Lastud with a curated range of food stalls and the addition of a new cocktail bar. Further development of the establishment will be unveiled later

in 2016. Another highlight is the launch of The

Paddington [formerly The Paddington Arms] at the eastern end of Oxford Street, Paddington, opening in November. Ben Greenco, formerly of Momofuku Seiobo, is leading the culinary charge with a focus on rotisserie dishes designed to be shared, such as roast chicken, whole stuffed fish and lamb rump. An experience-led cocktail bar, led by Palmer & Co’s Sam Egerton, will complete the venue, while a street-facing takeaway chicken shop will help breathe life into the formerly popular Paddington strip.

Other developments slated for early 2016 include the re-opening of the Queen Victoria Hotel, Merivale’s first foray into the inner west area; Fred’s, a restaurant by former Chez Panisse chef Danielle Alvarez, with a focus on old-world techniques, such as the use of wood-fired hearths; Sussex 1854, a prohibition-style bar in the basement of the aforementioned restaurant; and a wine bar [yet to be named] on King Street, Newtown.


Merivale kicks off expansion

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Birch & Waite Professional has released three new pre-portioned sauces for the summer season. Individually packaged, the 50g “dippers” are made with no added colours or preservatives and offer a hygienic solution for takeaway foods or eat-in meals. Its suite of flavours comprises creamy tartare, with crushed garlic and fresh capers, seafood cocktail, with a twist of Tabasco, and garlic aioli mayonnaise, made from pasteurised whole eggs.

To arrange a free tasting, request a catalogue, or to place an order, contact Birch & Waite on 02 8668 8000 or visit birchandwaiteprofessional.com.au

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DECEMBER

NOVEMBER

Tue 8Take part in DineSmart to help the homeless during the festive season, running from Nov 9-Dec 31. streetsmartaustralia.org Thu 10Embrace the slow food movement by celebrating Terra Madre Day, which promotes sustainable local food, at your restaurant. slowfood.com Sat 12At Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival in WA, watch out for roving street theatre at the Genuinely Southern Forests Food Avenue. Sun 13Keen to export your original food products? Contact Export Solutions to promote your range at Gulfood in Dubai next February. exportsolutions.com.au Mon 14Escape the rat race this summer by jetting over to Saint Lucia’s Spices of the Caribbean festival on December 11-15. jademountain.com

Fri 20Radio broadcaster and foodie Amanda Blair hosts the South Australian Food Industry Awards night at Adelaide Convention Centre. safoodawards.com.au Sat 21Über-chefs Mark Best, Poh Ling Yeow, Guillaume Brahmin and more are all at Margaret River Gourmet Escape on Nov 20-22. gourmetescape.com.au Mon 23Draw inspiration from the Progressive Avant-Garde Dinner at the International Gourmet Festival in Puerto Vallerta, Mexico, on Nov 16-22. festivalgourmet.com Tue 24 Man up—it’s time for waitstaff and chefs to toss out their razors this month to support Movember and raise awareness for men’s health. au.movember.com

Sun 15Get the inside info on Central America’s coffee market during the Sintercafé conference in Costa Rica on Nov 12-15. sintercafe.com Mon 16R&CA’s CEO John Hart is one of the speakers at The Drinks Industry Show seminars on Nov 16-17 in Sydney. drinksindustryshow.com.au Tue 17Good luck to R&C members whose venues are nominated for the Eat Drink Design Awards in Melbourne. eat-drink-design.com Wed 18Wrest Point Royal Hobart International Wine Show is judged today, with awards announced on Nov 20. hobartshowground.com.au Thu 19Time to revitalise your wine list? Check out all the tasty winners at the National Wine Show of Australia awards on Nov 9-20. rncas.org.au

What’s on

Event diary

Thu 26Blur’s bass player Alex James won a Super Gold Medal for his entry at World Cheese last year. Woo-hoo—see this year’s winners on Nov 26-29 in the UK. gff.co.uk Fri 27Improve your online presence by joining the ‘Facebook Marketing—Beyond the Basics’ session at Sydney’s Profitable Hospitality. profitablehospitality.com Sat 28

Rootstock Sydney explains how to produce organic, biodynamic and sustainable

food and wine. On Nov 28-29. rootstocksydney.com

Mon 30Culinary-themed tours of the island’s neighbourhoods is a highlight at the Hong Kong

Wine & Dine Month on Oct 22-Nov 30.

discoverhongkong.com

Tue 1Are your baubles looking shabby? Here are some tips to add festive cheer to your venue: restaurantcentral.ca/holidayChristmasdecor.aspx Wed 2Time to plan early for the World Chefs Congress & Expo on Sept 24-27, next year in Greece. See

the program at worldchefs2016.org Thu 3

Hear food scientists’ breakthroughs at the

Nutrition Society of

Australia and New Zealand annual meeting on Dec 1-4 in Wellington, NZ. nsa.asn.au Fri 4‘Lunching Ladies & Lads’ is one of the more creative cooking classes during the Christmas season at Pizzini Wines. pizzini.com.au Sat 5Red alert—it’s the National Cherry Festival in the town of Young, NSW on Dec 4-6. visityoung.com.au Sun 6Put together gourmet picnic hampers for Tropfest goers at Sydney’s Centennial Park and other venues around the country. tropfest.com/au/

Mon 7To improve your plating skills, check

out the food styling sessions at Salon Saveurs in Paris, France on Dec 4-7. salon-saveurs.com

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Grow your moustache for

Movember.

The Nutrition Society’s annual meeting is full of fascinating information.


hostplus.com.au

We are HostplusWe’re the industry super fund for those that live and love hospitality, tourism, recreation and sport. With a proven investment record*, low member fees and a range of options to suit your needs, it’s no wonder we’re also Selecting Super’s Superannuation Fund of the Year 2014

Visit hostplus.com.au/choose-hostplus

Issued by Host-Plus Pty. Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, RSEL No. L0000093, AFSL No. 244392 as trustee for the Hostplus Superannuation Fund ABN 68 657 495 890, RSE No. R1000054, MySuper No. 68657495890198, which includes the Hostplus Pension. This document does not and is not intended to contain any recommendations, statements of opinion or advice. The information is general in nature and does not consider any of your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider the appropriateness of this information having regard to your particular financial situation, objectives and needs. All reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the information contained in this document is accurate and complete. Hostplus reserves the right to correct any errors or omissions that may be contained in this document. *Top 10 investment performance over 1 3 5 and 10 years for the Hostplus Balanced - MySuper investment option according to SuperRatings SR50 June 2015 Fund Survey 0921/1016


Savour Australia™ Restaurant & Catering

HostPLUS 2015 Awards For Excellence

It was certainly an affair to remember, celebrating fresh faces and established leaders who have risen to top of

Australia’s restaurant and catering industry.

SPECIAL REPORT

hostplus.com.au

We are HostplusWe’re the industry super fund for those that live and love hospitality, tourism, recreation and sport. With a proven investment record*, low member fees and a range of options to suit your needs, it’s no wonder we’re also Selecting Super’s Superannuation Fund of the Year 2014

Visit hostplus.com.au/choose-hostplus

Issued by Host-Plus Pty. Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, RSEL No. L0000093, AFSL No. 244392 as trustee for the Hostplus Superannuation Fund ABN 68 657 495 890, RSE No. R1000054, MySuper No. 68657495890198, which includes the Hostplus Pension. This document does not and is not intended to contain any recommendations, statements of opinion or advice. The information is general in nature and does not consider any of your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider the appropriateness of this information having regard to your particular financial situation, objectives and needs. All reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the information contained in this document is accurate and complete. Hostplus reserves the right to correct any errors or omissions that may be contained in this document. *Top 10 investment performance over 1 3 5 and 10 years for the Hostplus Balanced - MySuper investment option according to SuperRatings SR50 June 2015 Fund Survey 0921/1016

From left: musician James Blundell, the Hon. Bob Baldwin MP—Federal Member for Paterson, R&CA deputy CEO Sally Neville, and R&CA president Matteo Pignatelli.

Make the most of your Restaurant & Catering Australia member benefits.

Commonwealth Bank provides Restaurant & Catering Australia members with a wide range of market leading business banking solutions. •Competitive rates: If you open a new merchant facility that settles into a Commonwealth Bank Business Transaction Account, Commonwealth Bank will waive the $10 monthly account fee and give you six months free terminal rental*.

•Business insights: With a simple iPad app, Daily IQ powered by CommBiz, you can get valuable free data from Commonwealth Bank issued credit and debit cards. Plus, for new CommBiz customers, the Bank will waive the establishment fee and give you your first two tokens free.

•Asset Finance: Equipment, car or technology finance helps you buy equipment or vehicles and offers a customised repayment plan, so you can manage your cash flow and improve your working capital.

•Commercial finance: Find a product that meets your financial needs, including bank guarantees, flexible loans, business lines of credit, business credit cards and overdraft facilities.

Important Information: Offers available to referrals made via Restaurant & Catering Australia between 01/01/2015 to 31/12/2015. *This offer is applicable to existing and eligible new merchant facilities excluding the Albert EFTPOS device. To maintain the fee waiver, you must retain the required products contained in this offer. (Offer includes settling your merchant facility to your linked Commonwealth Bank Business Transaction Account, with a monthly account maintenance fee of currently $10.) Otherwise the offer may be withdrawn. Establishment fee waiver and two free tokens are available to new CommBiz customers only. This offer may be extended beyond the specified end date at the discretion of the Commonwealth Bank. Applications for finance are subject to the Bank’s normal lending criteria. Fees and charges are payable. Restaurant & Catering Australia may receive a fee from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia for each successful referral. Referral Fees are not payable on referrals from existing relationship managed Commonwealth Bank customers. This has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, so you should consider its appropriateness to your circumstances before you act on it. Terms and conditions are available from commbank.com.au. Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124. Australian credit licence 234945.

To take advantage of our special rates and fees, please call Members Services at Restaurant & Catering Australia on 1300 722 878 and start saving today.


Commonwealth Bank provides Restaurant & Catering Australia members with a wide range of market leading business banking solutions.

•Competitive rates: If you open a new merchant facility that settles into a Commonwealth Bank Business Transaction Account, Commonwealth Bank will waive the $10 monthly account fee and give you six months free terminal rental*.

•Business insights: With a simple iPad app, Daily IQ powered by CommBiz, you can get valuable free data from Commonwealth Bank issued credit and debit cards. Plus, for new CommBiz customers, the Bank will waive the establishment fee and give you your first two tokens free.

•Asset Finance: Equipment, car or technology finance helps you buy equipment or vehicles and offers a customised repayment plan, so you can manage your cash flow and improve your working capital.

•Commercial finance: Find a product that meets your financial needs, including bank guarantees, flexible loans, business lines of credit, business credit cards and overdraft facilities.




Commonwealth Bank provides Restaurant & Catering Australia members with a wide range of market leading business banking solutions. • Competitive rates: If you open a new merchant facility that settles into a Commonwealth Bank Business Transaction Account, Commonwealth Bank will waive the $10 monthly account fee and give you six months free terminal rental*.

• Business insights: With a simple iPad app, Daily IQ powered by CommBiz, you can get valuable free data from Commonwealth Bank issued credit and debit cards. Plus, for new CommBiz customers, the Bank will waive the establishment fee and give you your first two tokens free .

• Asset Finance: Equipment, car or technology finance helps you buy equipment or vehicles and offers a customised repayment plan, so you can manage your cash flow and improve your working capital.

• Commercial finance: Find a product that meets your financial needs, including bank guarantees, flexible loans, business lines of credit, business credit cards and overdraft facilities.




Commonwealth Bank provides Restaurant & Catering Australia members with a wide range of market leading business banking solutions. • Competitive rates: If you open a new merchant facility that settles into a Commonwealth Bank Business Transaction Account, Commonwealth Bank will waive the $10 monthly account fee and give you six months free terminal rental*.

• Business insights: With a simple iPad app, Daily IQ powered by CommBiz, you can get valuable free data from Commonwealth Bank issued credit and debit cards. Plus, for new CommBiz customers, the Bank will waive the establishment fee and give you your first two tokens free .

• Asset Finance: Equipment, car or technology finance helps you buy equipment or vehicles and offers a customised repayment plan, so you can manage your cash flow and improve your working capital.

• Commercial finance: Find a product that meets your financial needs, including bank guarantees, flexible loans, business lines of credit, business credit cards and overdraft facilities.



They’re a funny thing, awards. Particularly so when the subject at hand —in this case, food—is such a subjective matter.

How can a mere few people decide? And, indeed, can there really be just one winner? It’s not a running race, after all. But as this year’s Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS Awards for Excellence ably demonstrated, an awards portfolio such as this is about much more than simply handing over a trophy.

Certainly, it’s nice to take one home to hang on the wall of your restaurant, but the spirit in the room at the Brisbane Convention Centre was one of a tightknit, supportive community. As the president of the Restaurant & Catering Association Matteo Pignatelli said in his speech, “I asked myself what was important to me, and what I wanted to be

doing every day, and I came back to this every time. To be making people happy each day is heart-warming.” And it’s not just about food. As Pignatelli pointed out, restaurants, cafes and caterers are businesses that actively contribute to community initiatives, environmental sustainability and continuing education on a regular basis.

The national awards, the largest consumer-led restaurant awards in Australia, celebrate the vibrant restaurant and catering industry around Australia, and as in previous years, the calibre of finalists was extremely high. Over hors d’oeuvres of Queensland seafood and racks of lamb from Darling Downs, more than 400 guests celebrated this year’s

event. Sydney’s Quay took home the coveted Restaurant of

the Year award for the second consecutive

year. Blond Catering, also from Sydney, was anointed Caterer of the Year. In addition to their major awards, Blond

Catering also won best Venue Caterer

and Quay took out the Fine Dining Restaurant category.

“Special congratulations must go to the team at Quay,” said John Hart, the R&CA’s chief executive officer. “It is a testament to their hard work in delivering exceptional dining experiences year after year, and it is quite fitting Quay is awarded this accolade in Brisbane, which will become the home of a flagship Fink Group restaurant in 2016. The Brisbane dining scene will be richer with the addition of this restaurateur’s passion and skill.”

Other key category winners included the National Wine Centre (Adelaide) for the George Mure Memorial Professional Development Award, Compass Group (Melbourne) for the Green Table Award for Excellence in Environmental Sustainability, and the Sofitel (Brisbane) for Innovative Workplace Training Award. “Your achievements in providing great food and great service are themselves a great contribution,” said Matteo. “These fine restaurants and caterers will now be the benchmark of industry excellence in Australia and will set a very high standard for next year’s program.”

Savour Australia™ Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS

2015 Awards For Excellence


With the announcement of this year’s award winners, we salute the country’s most innovative and hardworking restaurateurs.

Best in show

“Your achievements in providing great

food and great service are themselves a great

contribution.”Matteo Pignatelli,President,

Restaurant & Catering Association



ASIAN RESTAURANTSponsored by OpenTableMe Wah Restaurant, Sandy Bay, TAS

BAKERY PATISSERIESponsored by BullaRed Chocolate Tree, Sale, VIC

BEER CAFÉ/WINE BARSponsored by LionBavarian Bier Café, Broadbeach, QLD

BREAKFAST RESTAURANTSponsored by BullaThe Counter Espresso, Hawthorn, VIC

BURGER CAFÉSponsored by BidvestBurger Project Australia, Sydney, NSW

CAFÉ RESTAURANTSponsored by Di Bella CoffeeThe Pickled Sisters Café, Wahgunyah, VIC

CHINESE RESTAURANTSponsored by Commonwealth BankThe Century Restaurant, Pyrmont, NSW

COFFEE SHOP/TEA HOUSESponsored by Beloka WaterCoffee Klub, Kalamunda, WA

CONTEMPORARY AUSTRALIAN RESTAURANTSponsored by AlscoOmy Restaurant, Beaconsfield, VIC

EUROPEAN RESTAURANTSponsored by ComCater & RationalGeorge’s on Waymouth, Adelaide, SA

FAMILY DINING RESTAURANTSponsored by American ExpressCucina Nuova, Henley Beach, SA

FINE DINING RESTAURANTSponsored by AlscoQuay, The Rocks, NSWBrae, Birregurra, VIC

GREEK RESTAURANTSponsored by Commercial Energy Brokers AustraliaHellenic Republic, East Brunswick, VIC

INDIAN/SUB-CONTINENT RESTAURANTSponsored by HOSTPLUSIndian Empire on Runaway Bay, Runaway Bay, QLD

ITALIAN RESTAURANTSponsored by Entertainment

PublicationsChianti, Adelaide, SA

JAPANESE RESTAURANTSponsored by American ExpressSake Restaurant & Bar, Brisbane, QLD

NEW RESTAURANTSponsored by H&L AustraliaKiyomi, Jupiters Hotel & Casino, Broadbeach, QLD

PIZZA RESTAURANTSponsored by Tiger CorpTrattoria Amici, RACV Royal Pines Resort, Benowa, QLD

RESTAURANT IN A HOTEL/MOTEL/RESORTSponsored by Commonwealth BankBistro On3, Sofitel Gold Coast, Broadbeach, QLD

RESTAURANT IN A PUB/CLUB/TAVERNSponsored by LionMalt at the Brewery, Townsville, QLD

RESTAURANT IN A WINERYSponsored by HostplusWild Dog Winery Restaurant, Warragul, VIC

SEAFOOD RESTAURANTSponsored by Beloka WaterMosmans Restaurant, Mosman Park, WA

SMALL BARSponsored by LionBar Torino, Adelaide, SA

SPECIALTY RESTAURANTSponsored by APRA AMCOSMeeka Restaurant, Subiaco, WA

STEAK RESTAURANTSponsored by BidvestThe Cut Bar & Grill, The Rocks, NSW

SUSHI BARSponsored by Arthur J. GallagherSushi Train Unley Metro, Hyde Park, SA

TAPAS RESTAURANTSponsored by APRA AMCOSPostales Restaurant and Tapas Bar, Sydney, NSW

THAI RESTAURANTSponsored by Arthur J. GallagherGolden Boy, Adelaide, SA

PEOPLE, PRODUCT & PLACE TOURISM RESTAURANTSponsored by Tourism AustraliaJack Rabbit Vineyard Restaurant, Bellarine, VIC

Raise a glassAll the winners of the Savour Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS 2015 Awards for Excellence.

RESTAURANT AWARDS


John Fink of Quay, with a James Boag ambassador.

CORPORATE CATERERSponsored by American ExpressCommonwealth Bank of Australia, Sydney, NSW

EVENTS CATERERSponsored by Beloka WaterHyatt Hotel Canberra, Yarraluma, ACT

FUNCTION/CONVENTION CENTRE CATERERSponsored by ComCater & RationalFenix Events, Richmond, VIC

INDUSTRIAL/INSTITUTIONAL CATERERSponsored by HOSTPLUSAlliance Catering, Geelong Grammar School, Corio, VIC

NEW CATERERSponsored by H&L AustraliaBookplate Café, National Library of

Australia, Parkes, ACT

SITE-CONTRACT CATERERSponsored by Arthur J. GallagherTrippas White Group, Australian Institute of Sport, Bruce, ACT

SMALL CATERERSponsored by Commonwealth BankCreative Catering, Wangara, WA

VENUE CATERERSponsored by Commercial Energy Brokers AustraliaBlond Catering, Austral Bricks Design Studio, Marrickville, NSW

WEDDING CATERERSponsored by APRA AMCOSAtlantic Group, Docklands, VIC


MAJOR AWARDS

CATERER OF THE YEARSponsored by Arthur J. GallagherBlond Catering, Austral Bricks Design Studio, Marrickville, NSW

RESTAURANT OF THE YEARSponsored by HOSTPLUSQuay, The Rocks, NSW

GEORGE MURE MEMORIAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AWARDNational Wine Centre, Adelaide, SA

GREEN TABLE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITYSponsored by Green Table AustraliaCompass Group, Melbourne Zoo, VIC

INNOVATIVE WORKPLACE TRAINING AWARDSofitel, Brisbane, QLD

CATERING AWARDS

Tania O’Day of Arthur J. Gallagher, Jesper Hansen of Blond Catering (centre), and Shayne Mallard, flanked by James Boag ambassadors.

It might be a three-time winner of the Restaurant of the Year award, but as Sam Twyford-Moore discovers, Quay

is a most deserving institution.


TheQuaysuccessto their

Peter Gilmore [centre], Kylie Ball and John Fink sit around a new dessert. Gilmore, executive chef at Quay, wields a pair of long tweezers,

while Fink, the restaurant’s owner, and Ball, it’s general manager, marvel at their chef ’s creation.

“What is it?” Fink wonders. Developed for the menu at Quay

—one of four Australian restaurants to be included in the world’s Top 100 [alongside Attica, Rockpool and Tetsuya’s] and now the three-time winner of the Savour Australia Restaurant and Catering HOSTPLUS Restaurant of the Year award [2008 and 2014]—the dessert is seemingly cooked up to show off the restaurant’s latest invention.

Gilmore walks his business partners through the dessert. It is apparently a take on the classic chocolate and honeycomb bar, the Violet Crumble. Gilmore uses the tweezers to point out prunes and oloroso caramel. He informs them with great pride that the dessert uses liquid nitrogen. “You know how honeycomb normally sticks to your teeth? Putting it in the nitrogen, you stop the process really quickly, you stop the crystallisation.”

Ball wants it offered to repeat guests as a new option. “What’s it called exactly?” she asks.

Gilmore begins, “It’s called… it doesn’t have a name, just the list of ingredients.”

“Does it sell well?”“Yeah, it’s only been on the menu for

about three weeks.”The relationship between the three

seems instinctive and they use the photo shoot for this piece to talk a little business before sitting down for the interview. Gilmore suggests the secret to Quay’s success is a strong team at the top of the restaurant. “We’ve been working together for a lot of years now, and we were always on a very similar page to each other as to approach, style and what we want to achieve.”

Fink is of the namesake family

—a restaurant-owning dynasty. He is quick-witted and sharp, but clearly has an eye for numbers.

Quay is well known for its incredible use of produce, and Gilmore thrills at his creative freedom, but even creative freedom costs need to be accounted for. “What you see on a plate here is also on a spreadsheet in head office at Fink Group,” says Fink. “So we’ll sit there and look at the food cost. If Pete’s going over on the food cost, we ride him. Or we ride Kylie to pull the front-of-house wages in line. We fight very hard to maintain that conversation throughout the year.”

“It’s a fine line between wanting to achieve something very special,” Gilmore says, “and keeping the business profitable.”

This largely comes down to Gilmore and Ball, who seem to have a very strong, intuitive relationship, and like all great restaurants, the front-of-house is informed and flavoured by the kitchen in the back. Wage costs are important to all three—to source and develop the best talent—and it is clear that they are proud of the talent that Quay has produced over the years. Coming up from under Gilmore includes Richard Ousby at Stokehouse, Jason Saxby at Osteria di Russo & Russo, and Sam Aisbett, whose high profile departure this year has been followed with a move to Singapore to open White Grass.

It’s easy to see why Quay’s continued story of success is so smoothly summed up in narrative form. Fink himself is a storyteller—he has worked in film, like his mother the film producer Margaret Fink—and when I ask him what he thinks the story Quay is attempting to tell, he is quick to reply: “I’ve got a saying that every good restaurateur worth their salt is a frustrated thespian. Because we are telling a different story every night. And it’s always evolving.

We’ve got plans in the pipeline in the next twelve months to reinvigorate this space.”

Fink sees the need to change as good business, but there is a sense of egalitarianism within his push for innovation. ‘To put it bluntly, this is a posh restaurant, but you’re not treated any differently if you earn $50,000 or $5 million a year. You’re given the same respect.’

To Gilmore, “the Quay signature style is professionalism but personable.”

The other signature style may be their keen sense of story. Gilmore is incredibly adept at telling his own story—the website of Quay, and Gilmore’s two austere publications (not quite cookbooks, more like weighty, never-ending food bibles), are very concerned with expressing

Gilmore’s driving fascination with expressing nature through

his food on the plate. “I think my approach to

food is quite a personal one that embraces nature, and has done for a long time. The story I tell on the

plate has to be in harmony with

the service and the attitude of the front-

of-house staff. It all has to work together as one.”

Gilmore, however, understands his responsibility to nature better than most chefs precisely because of this focus. It’s partly environmental. As nature is threatened from all angles, Gilmore is aware of his own culpability as someone who farms the land for rare ingredients.

“Sustainability is a responsibility of restaurants—especially at our level. We have to be aware if some particular species are under threat or if the farming method isn’t good for the environment. We need to look for the best possible practice, because that usually translates into flavour as well.”

All three—Bell, Gilmore and Fink




“Sustainability is a responsibility of restaurants —especially at

our level.”Peter Gilmore, Quay

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—ultimately put the restaurant’s success down to a commitment to travelling to share and gather knowledge within the international industry. For Gilmore, “Travelling is part of informing yourself about what the world has to offer, and it’s how you interpret that with Australian ingredients that I think is interesting.”

Gilmore has one day a week earmarked for research and development. In this time he visits local producers and travels Australia [sometimes supported by tourism funding]. On a trip last year funded by Restaurants Australia, Gilmore visited, a lychee farm up in Queensland, abolone divers in Tasmania and marron farmers in Western Australia. It’s these connections that are the most important to him as they form the basis for his creative work.

Gilmore wants to do more travelling to visit local suppliers and farmers, because that investment yields huge results. “For example,” he says, “working with an almond grower quite a few years

ago I discovered that the really young almonds have an even earlier stage, which is that jelly stage. And that was just fantastic, because it was a revelation: because you can poach them and they taste just like grapes. And I wouldn’t have known that if I hadn’t had been there at the farm at that time of year.”

While not every restaurant will have the resources of Quay, Gilmore says it is essential for every good chef to put some of their budget towards research and to experiment with new ideas, especially if you want to stand out.

Gilmore wants chefs thinking more about produce like him. “Devoting a bit of time to know where your produce comes from is important because it makes you care and respect that produce greater so you treat it with more reverence.”

Adds Ball: “This flows onto the floor, and flows onto the guests. A lot of guests who dine out at this level are really interested in the story behind it. It’s the story of the dishes.”

Later that night, I dined at Quay with my family for my birthday. I already had a booking on the same day that the interview took place—a strange but pleasant coincidence. Overlooking the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, we sit in the restaurant and drink up all the view has to offer.

The first dish of the night is listed as comprising marron, purple asparagus, pickled apple, cultured cream, bergamot jam, spring almonds. The almonds on the plate do indeed look like grapes —pale and translucent. The surprise when they burst in your mouth and deliver a sweet grape flavour is one of the many delights and surprises of the night.

Most people would thrill at the piece of marron on that plate, but Gilmore highlights a new way of looking at an all too familiar drupe. That young drupe, cooked with great care and creative flair, is just one of many reasons that he is considered by many to be the best of the best: a wonder and a man with vision to spare.


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If you were asked to describe Danish food, could you? Perhaps it’s the tyranny of distance, but Australians don’t tend to know very much about Nordic cultures, and what we do know is largely with thanks to Australian-born

Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark. But as Jesper Hansen says, Australians are willing to try just about anything. “It’s like a blank sheet of paper because Australians aren’t afraid to try something new,” says the founder and executive chef of Blond Catering. “The Danish are pretty set in their ways when it comes to food—they like their potatoes, meat, gravy—but that’s not the case here. At the events we cater, Australians aren’t scared to try dill-cured salmon, or marinated herrings, because it’s such a multicultural country with so many different food styles on offer.”

All that said, Nordic-style food is currently experiencing a moment of popularity. Noma, the world’s most famous restaurant, is opening a pop-up at the Barangaroo site in Sydney this coming January. And, as Hansen adds, it’s not all that different to modern Australian cooking. “My heritage is very similar to what Australians have started doing, which is going back to the basics and concentrating on really good produce, really good meats and seafood, and not doing too much with them. If you get high-end product, you don’t

need to throw in lots of chilli or spices or anything else.” With appearances on SBS television program Food Safari, and inclusion of his famous gravlax in the show’s namesake recipe book, he has helped to bring Danish cuisine to a broader audience.

It’s perhaps for this reason that since launching his business in 2008, Blond Catering has risen to become one of Sydney’s leading corporate caterers. Hansen first came to Australia in 2001 on a working holiday visa and, as he explains, “fell so much in love with the country and the people and the food and the weather and the atmosphere.” He subsequently emigrated here a year later. Back in Denmark, he’d worked as a chef in some of the country’s most famous restaurants, including at Tivoli Gardens, the celebrated Copenhagen amusement park, and ran his own summer restaurant in the coastal resort town of Hornbæk. Locally, he was responsible for the running of several high-profile catering companies before establishing Blond Catering following increasing demand from private clients, including the Royal Danish Consulate-General.

Running a catering business is, according to Hansen, incredibly different from a standalone restaurant, allowing for a greater planning process. “When you have a restaurant you have to be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days per week, and you have the rush period for each sitting,” he explains. “With catering, you can really concentrate on the one event and build up to it, to make sure that everything is perfect.” Hansen and his team spend time discussing in

great depth the details of each project with the client. “It’s

everything from the flower arrangement

to the waiters to the perfect dinnerware,” he says. “It’s like a love affair, a slow build-up that you nurture for weeks, and so

you have a little more time to get

it completely right.” It’s this level of

personalised service that Hansen believes is key to Blond

Catering’s success. “You can’t just say to a client, ‘This is my menu, take it or leave it.’ You need to spend time with them to find out what they really want, because each one is different. I think it’s important to tailor a menu for their specific event—whether they want

Personalised service and a commitment to quality are integral to the success of Blond Catering. Mitchell

Oakley Smith meets an excellent Danish export.

do it better

“I don’t want to be the biggest caterer in Sydney, I just want to

be the best.” Jesper Hansen, Blond Catering



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Danes



a classical sit-down lunch or casual canapes. Being flexible really is key, and I think that’s why we have gained so many clients that continue to book us. It’s about being small enough to care about the details and big enough to execute them.” That approach has seen Hansen serve a number of famous diners, from Princess Mary to every Australian Prime Minister since his business began.

It’s certainly a far cry from the humble beginnings of Blond Catering in 2008. “Back then it was just me, and so I picked up the phone, did the quotes, managed the finances, did the cooking, would drive to the event, serve the food, and come back and do the washing up.” Today, his team numbers around 15 and fluctuates with the changing of seasons and around larger events. But despite not personally managing each detail of the business anymore, he makes it his duty to be across all aspects of it, recognising the important link that exists between the administrative and

culinary sides of the business. Does he see more growth for Blond

Catering? Despite a move in 2010 to its current premises in the Austral Bricks Design Studio, Marrickville, Hansen foresees the business outgrowing the space in the new year. “We’re looking at a bigger kitchen, bigger cool rooms, more cars. I do want it to grow. That said, I don’t want to be the biggest caterer in Sydney, I just want to be the best.” In late October, Blond Catering earned that mantle for the nation, picking up the Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS Caterer of the Year award. But rather than taking a break to celebrate, Hansen believes the accolade comes with great responsibility. “I really have to step it up now and make sure everything is perfect,” he says. “When people book the winner, they expect a winning meal and a winning experience. I’m honoured to win the award, and it’s a pat on the back for my team and I, but for now it’s about getting straight back to work.”



Customers love it, but is it worth signing up your restaurant to one of the online food delivery companies? Kerryn Ramsey investigates.

Thanks to the popularity of online food delivery and takeaway ordering services, restaurants and cafes need to be delivery-capable.

This revolution is a real game changer in the industry, but what are the pros and cons for your business?

First, it’s important to look at the current market before signing up. The three national players in the online ordering scene in Australia are Menulog, EatNow and Delivery Hero. Major changes took place this year, starting with the merge of Menulog—Australia’s largest ordering business—with its local rival EatNow, originally run by the James Packer-backed online retail organisation, Catch Group. However, that was just

The hunger game30 RESTAURANT & CATERING

Marketing


The options for ordering food online

are continually growing, creating

challenges for restaurants and cafes.

don’t pay extra rent or labour and only very little in general overheads and that means the balance goes straight to your bottom line.”

Despite this positive approach, other industry members are rather disgruntled about the commission, which ranges roughly from 10 to 15 per cent. “It’s easy for cafes and restaurants to pass it on to Menulog or the like, if takeaway and delivery are just a small part of the business,” says Fischer. “But if it’s the main focus of your business, you can’t afford that constant commission on every order.”

Menulog could not comment on business model enquiries made by Restaurant & Catering magazine at the time of press. According to James Eling, managing director of Marketing4Restaurants, the commissions are squeezing small business with profit margins as low as 2.5 per cent. “I always say, the restaurant owner takes out a lease, acquires the equipment, hires the staff, buys the food, cooks the food, does the marketing, balances the accounts, and all of the other things that

are involved in running a restaurant. Then you’ve got Menulog,

which takes an order, most of the time from

their customer, and they get a 10 or 12 per cent commission.”

He also says that customers typically don’t have brand

loyalty to any one of the online

platforms. “Do you remember the old days?

If you ordered takeaway,

a warm-up —a few months

later, the Menulog group was snapped up for $855 million by

UK’s Just Eat. Its chief executive, David Buttress, told the Australian Financial Review that Menulog was “growing like a train”, with 5500 unique restaurants and 1.4 million active customers. According to the Just Eat website, its orders were up 96 per cent in the March quarter.

Despite this fanfare, there are other powerful players in the market to consider. Back in 1985, Suppertime expanded its courier business into a restaurant delivery service, currently running in Sydney and Melbourne. German-based delivery intermediary, Delivery Hero, has been running in Australia since 2011, while Zomato, an Indian start-up that launched in 2008, has grown exponentially. By 2015, it had a database of more than 1.4 million restaurants globally, and entered the Australian market by taking over Urbanspoon for $60 million in June. While Zomato came under the radar as an online restaurant review service, it’s already expanded into an online ordering and delivery service.

As this slew of online takeaway and delivery services continue to sign up restaurant and cafe businesses, customers are attracted to the competitive prices. According to Menulog, “set-up and listing is completely

free—no contracts or joining fee”, and it recently launched its

Healthy+ initiative, identifying healthy options on takeaway menus. Overall, the appeal of these online

services to customers is that there is no misunderstanding when ordering—no more wrong dishes or the wrong address, and customers can double-check their order before paying.

“It saves a lot of time and, as everything is in writing, it minimises the mistakes made by customers and staff,” says Charlie Hoyek of Manoosh Lebanese Pizzeria in Sydney’s inner-west suburb of Enmore, who joined Menulog six years ago and EatNow four years ago. “It also minimises costs for the restaurant owner as they don’t need staff on the phone.”

Michael Fischer of Michael Fischer & Associates, a restaurant, cafe and hospitality brokerage and consultancy firm, points out that joining these services provides new revenue. He breaks down the cost, showing that being a member is a viable option.

“When putting together a takeaway or delivery dish, your labour is approximately 40 cents in the dollar,” he says. “Your rent is up to 10 cents in the dollar. The cost of goods is, say, 30 cents in the dollar, then all your other expenses —including profit—are 20 cents in the dollar. The only thing that Menulog is going to cost you is the 30 cents in the dollar—basically the cost of goods provided —plus a commission. You

“It saves a lot of time and, as everything

is in writing, it minimises the

mistakes made by customers and staff.”

Charlie Hoyek, Manoosh Lebanese Pizzeria


Marketing

there was a 10 per cent discount,” he says. “That has disappeared, partly because they have to pay for the delivery or they have to pay fees from online ordering services.”

Rather than dismissing the growth of the online delivery boom, he’s developed his own free widget, the Free Restaurant Online Ordering System [FROLO] which is currently being beta tested and will go live in November. Its point of difference is that there are no commissions.

“We’re building this for restaurant owners,” says Eling. “The costs of taking online orders have been too high for many restaurateurs to afford. Last week, we had a new record with a ‘tester’ bringing in $1800 in one night of orders.”

FROLO is aimed at restaurants looking to improve profitability without sharing their customer

database. “We want a cafe that might only do five orders a week. It’s not much but at least the restaurateur is building his database and at the end of the year, he’s going to have 250 orders, which is a start.”

According to Hoyek, whose restaurant won Menulog’s Most Popular Takeaway Restaurant award last year, the 10 per cent commission isn’t “unreasonable as it should be considered as part of advertisement”. He’s also found that the commissions are lower if ordered through the restaurant’s website.

“However, I think they should review their new sponsor bids tool which involves bidding on the highest commission to be on top of the list,” he says. “Some restaurants are creating several different listings and putting the highest bid on all to have more than one restaurant appearing on top of the list. This has to be looked at properly as I don’t think it’s reasonable.”

Despite his gripe, Hoyek sees online ordering as the future. “Diners are definitely starting to use it more frequently,” he says. “Online ordering is growing larger with each passing year. Imagine it in 10 years’ time?”

New technology is rapidly changing the way customers engage with their favourite restaurants.

Pizza bases

What I’ve learnt


In my world, you’re not just in a business, you’re

in my lounge room; everyone here has to

be well serviced.

After running his eponymous Canberra restaurant for 29 years, he shocked the industry—and dedicated customers—when he moved on.

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My parents came from the Italian Alps where slow-food was the favourite style of cooking. They migrated to Australia in the ’60s, and eventually settled in Canberra. As a young kid, I remember sitting on the bench, watching Mum

[‘Mama’ Valentina] make gnocchi and lasagna. That’s probably where my love of food originated.

When I was 20, I went to Italy for a holiday and was inspired by all the cool cafes and espresso bars. Soon after [in 1987], I opened the Corner Coffee Shop at Bailey’s Corner arcade in Civic, embracing the meeting place culture. There wasn’t enough room for a kitchen, so Mum would cook lasagna, carrot cake and her famous tiramisu at home. My brother, Danny, soon joined the business and we expanded by taking over a gelateria and a jewellery store. In 1991, we redeveloped and rebranded the business, changing the name to Tosolini’s. We also opened another cafe, Tosolini’s Manuka, as well as an espresso bar at Woden Plaza Centre.

At Tosolini’s, I took more of a role out the front. It’s important for every customer to be well looked after as soon as they walk through the door. That’s what I’m good at doing. The culture I’ve always embraced was one of comfort rather than exclusivity. In my world, you’re not just in a business, you’re in my lounge room; everyone here has to be well serviced.

It’s all about the initial experience of being greeted with a sincere happy smile—that’s what I do. I’m certainly not a celebrity chef. I just love to make you feel warm and welcome when entering my place.

We eventually sold Tosolini’s Manuka and the espresso bar after Danny moved to Sydney in the late ’90s. He worked for high-end restaurants, including Otto, Buon Ricardo and Pendolino, but he returned two years ago when our mum was very ill. Fortunately, she’s done a complete 180 and she’s back working two or three hours per day. All our chefs have embraced her passion for slow food.

Every day is different in hospitality. You have to keep your staff motivated, and you are always giving your best. You’ve got to listen and engage; this is the most important thing. We had 25 or 30 people under us, including our catering business.

When running the business, the engine room—the kitchen—is the key element. This filters down to your staff and your floor and what you’re trying to create. You can have a place that has a good vibe but the engine room needs to run efficiently.

Tosolini’s ran for 29 years. We had already developed a successful catering business so we were fortunate to continue that. Then we started thinking, “What’s the next move?” and before long, one door closed and another opened. We opened Tosolinis Pop-up Restaurant at the Italo Australian Club in Forrest. It was the right time for Danny as he was looking for a new project. I’ve been taking a bit of a backseat role, just helping him out with consulting. After being in the business for so many years, it was time for me to look after myself!

Nowadays, when you open a business, you have to look at your target market and do plenty of research. However,

if you give good old-fashioned service with a smile, the customer will always come back. It’s really

satisfying. The food is important but a genuine front-of-house feeling makes people feel

good and that’s what it’s all about.

Hospitality is a fantastic—but rather demanding—industry. At the moment, I’m talking to investors who have asked me to run a division of their side of the business, but I’m not moving

into anything too quickly. I know that there are always opportunities out there.

What’s around the corner? Wait and see!

TosoliniCarlo


Tosolini

Management


Why stop at just one venue? Sarah Norris gains some insider advice on growing your business from those who’ve tried and succeeded.

Much like the decision to have children, deciding to grow your restaurant business

requires some hard decisions. Is it the right time? Do I have enough cash? Can I find the right people to man the new operation? And does this mean I’ll never sleep again? For Ben Carroll and Hamish Watts of Applejack Hospitality Group, the decision to expand was always on the cards, just as long as their first restaurant took off. “We always had the vision of opening five venues,” says

Carroll, “and after the success of Bondi Hardware, and learning along the way, we opened our second venue a year later.”

Named after a hardware store they transformed in 2011 into a casual 90-seat eatery a stone’s throw from the golden sands of Bondi Beach, Bondi Hardware’s success allowed them to put in motion their grand plan. The Botanist in Sydney’s Kirribilli followed, as did SoCal in Neutral Bay and The Butler in Potts Point. Not before, says Carroll, they conducted a thorough health check of their business, starting first with their bank account. “At Applejack we live by the saying, ‘If we don’t have the cash, we don’t get it’. We have some equipment on finance but very little

plansGrand

Ben Carroll (left) and Hamish Watts

of Applejack Hospitality Group.


for me,” says Watts. “We did this by developing very clear training guidelines and service expectations to ensure that while growing we were not sacrificing on consistency. The same can be said for back-of-house procedures. Ensuring they were tight and fluid meant cash safety and clear reporting, and investing in a good stock control system and a bookkeeper means we could sleep comfortably at night knowing everything was in order.”

So if these elements are in place, is there ever a wrong or right time to grow the business? “I think it comes down to confidence,” says Savage. “We spent

“I’ve never witnessed anyone opening

a restaurant or cafe in the time they set

out to do it in.” Tim Keenan,

TK Restaurant Consulting

at the original establishment and you could lose patrons; fail to impress customers at your latest digs and they may never come back. In the age of social media, this is perhaps the most important maxim to follow. It’s how the Applejack crew operates. “All facets of our businesses need to be on-point, from food and beverage quality to staffing and service style, all the way through to fit-out and ambiance. Missing the mark on any one of these key points will leave you vulnerable,” says Watts. Savage echoes the sentiment: “You’re always going to be jumping into the deep end but it’s important to have a solid core team. This gives you the freedom to focus on new ventures.”

Cash flow and sufficient cash reserves are also vital to take the new business through the hurly-burly start-up phase, says May, as is understanding your cost controls and operating costs. Like any newborn, cost curve balls and delays should be expected. To counter the uncertainty, she suggests having in place well-developed systems that can be replicated at the new venture, allowing you to monitor business performance, adjust costs in real time and be responsive to demand.

“Having strong systems was key

“You’re always going to be jumping into

the deep end but it’s important to have a solid core team.”

Brent Savage, Bentley Restaurant & Bar

—we hate borrowing money or getting in debt.”

For Brent Savage, co-owner and executive chef of two-hatted Sydney venue Bentley Restaurant and Bar, taking the leap to open his second venue, Monopole, was almost a calling. “We always wanted to give our patrons another type of food and wine experience and felt we had more to offer. Expansion is always a risk but we had great staff who were ready for a new challenge.”

Staff is one of the biggest considerations if you’re thinking expansion, according to Sharyn May, a retail and hospitality consultant and director of The Maytrix Group (she’s also an accredited project manager and chef). “You must have stable and reliable staff who can continue to operate your existing business, and other staff you’re able to move into a management or supervisory role in your new operation. This is particularly important in the initial trading period where you need to establish good service and operating systems and make sure the team can duplicate the concept and culture of your business,” she says.

Building the right team you can depend on and trust is essential—the success of your old and new businesses relies upon it. Drop the level of service

The expansion planBefore taking the plunge to grow your business, Ben Carroll of the Applejack Hospitality Group says you should ask these questions:n Is your company as good as

you want it to be or that it could be? If not, focus on getting this right first.

n Are your procedures and systems fine-tuned so they can handle growth?

n Can you afford it?

n Have you surrounded yourself with the right team to assist with the growth?

n Do you have a mentor? Find one and don’t be afraid to ask for advice.

Grand

Chef and restaurateur Brent Savage of Bentley Restaurant & Bar.

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Management

eight years in one 50-seat restaurant refining our dining style before we decided that it was time to grow.” Issues considered ‘bad’ for business could even turn out to be a positive, says May. “External market conditions can be an opportunity rather than a threat to your business expansion strategy. A flat economic outlook, for example, can open up opportunities, particularly competitive leasing arrangements.”

Having a multi-outlet operation can also introduce some real positives. Covering staff shortages is easier, as is being able to offer career and growth prospects to your personnel. You should also expect the increased volume of purchasing to assist in negotiating and, in some instances, suppliers may be willing to provide display equipment, such as refrigeration, to support product sales.

And as every parent will affirm, a new progeny offers a whole world of

possibility. “For me, restaurants are a creative space,” says Savage. “Opening another is an opportunity to be inspired and do something different. The world would be a very boring place if chefs didn’t push themselves to produce something new.”

The Butler, a new venture by Applejack Hospitality

Group, is the third venue by co-owners Ben Carroll

and Hamish Watts.

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Peerless Foodservice unveils it’s new identity and website

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To tie in with this new identity, Peerless Foodservice has launched a newly designed website—peerlessfoodservice.com.au—that is specially designed for the foodservice industry, offering even greater relevance to foodservice professionals. It is designed to be both interactive and user friendly to assist all those using or selling Peerless oils and spreads.

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cent) of the food they buy for their business. The same researchers say the amount of greenhouse gas emissions created by food waste going to landfill is 5.25 million metric tonnes of CO2 every year in Australia—the precise amount produced by the iron and steel manufacturing industries combined.

Graeme McCormack, a director of the Food To Go Association, says Australian foodservice businesses face tremendous pressure to ensure they always have the right stock on hand to meet customer demands, while also trying to minimise food wastage.

“Foodservice businesses need to ensure the food they serve

their customers is of the utmost quality to

ensure customer satisfaction and return business. As a result, businesses lose money from the amount of surplus food they

waste because it is no longer of high enough

quality to serve.” McCormack, whose

membership is largely made up of convenience food operators,

says this places huge financial pressures on any business, especially foodservice

Finance


Of the countless accolades winemaker and restaurateur team Lisa and Andrew Margan have been awarded over the

years, there are two clear standouts.The first occurred when their

business, appropriately named Margan, became fully accredited with the Winemakers Federation of Australia’s Entwine Program for being a leader in environmental practice. The second was when their Hunter Valley establishment was awarded the Good Food Guide’s Sustainability Award in 2011 and again in 2014—the only restaurant to twice top the category in the award’s history.

Boasting a tagline of ‘Estate grown, estate made’, Margan Restaurant is, quite literally, the gift that keeps on giving. Producing up to 90 per cent of vegetables and fruit used in its menus on its own property, Margan has adopted a nose-to-tail philosophy and goes to great lengths to minimise its environmental impact through recycling, reducing waste and energy inputs.

On its grounds are free range chickens, Suffolk lambs, beehives for unfiltered honey and olive groves for table olives as well as a specialised dry-ageing room to hang and age its beef and cured and smoked small goods. All

Each year around 50 per cent of food is wasted globally. Aside from the environmental impacts, food wastage can also affect your bottom line.

Tracey Porter explores ways to better manage your inventory.

“Too many foodservice businesses in Australia are still throwing away

perfectly good food that could go to needy people.”

Colin Lear, Tasty Fresh Food Co

Waste not, want not

menu items are freshly prepared in its kitchens, including soft cheeses, butter, bread and small goods while menus are written based on what is being produced and harvested at the time.

But it appears Margan may be the exception rather than the rule when it comes to food wastage among Australia’s busy foodservice sector.

While exact figures vary depending on the method of measurement, it is believed around 4.2 million tonnes of food waste (including packaging) is disposed to landfill in Australia each year. Of this, around 1.5 million tonnes is attributed to the commercial and industrial sector, costing around $10.5 billion in waste disposal and lost product. The majority of food waste is created by spoilage of food, during preparation of food and as customer plate waste.

RMIT researchers, which earlier this year set up the Watch My Waste initiative to indentify the potential factors behind food waste creation, say restaurants and cafes in Australia throw away nearly a quarter (23 per


outlets operating with tight margins.However, the issue of food wastage is

not just impacting on the bottom line of foodservice businesses, but is also a wider community issue.

“Beyond the actual value of food, there are also considerable costs to businesses and the community associated with waste storage and removal. This is not only a financial burden, but also an environmental cost. And this is wastage that at the end of the day could be put to better use in the community,” McCormack says.

As part of its 2013 study into commercial and industrial waste and recycling in Australia, The Department of the Environment found unsold product was significant in the retail trade but noted the problem could be lessened if restaurants and cafes undertook more refined ordering of stock to suit requirements, if suppliers would consider taking back unsold stock and if alternative mechanisms for disposing of unused stock—such as food rescue charities—were found.

The same study found that in 2012/13, 32,372 tonnes of food was recovered and redistributed by food charity

operators including Fareshare, Foodbank, OzHarvest and SecondBite.

Despite this effort, food rescue currently only diverts a small proportion of food waste from manufacturing and an even smaller amount from businesses.

Colin Lear, the chief executive officer of Victorian-headquartered mobile food van company Tasty Fresh Food Co [TFFC], says food wastage is an “unfortunate fact of life” for any foodservice business in Australia. While many businesses rightly focus on what can be done to minimise wastage, thought must also be given to how excess stock can help the community, he says.

“Too many foodservice businesses in Australia are still throwing away perfectly good food that could go to needy people, when there are organisations that can help distribute goods to these people, while also creating a giving program that creates greater employee engagement and positive profile raising.”

TFFC puts it money where its mouth is by ensuring that at the end of each working day all excess stock is donated to the Vinnies Soup Van program.

“It represents over 250,000 meals each

year, so over Tasty’s 20-year relationship with Vinnies we have donated over $15 million worth of food, both hot and cold, to the homeless and marginalised. Considering this would have been wasted anyway, and we would have had to pay to dispose of it, we don’t consider it a financial burden on the business.”

Instead, Lear says having the partnership with Vinnie’s Soup Vans has helped drive sales and good rapport amongst customers. “Van drivers have commented on the goodwill it creates with customers, increasing repeat sales and customer satisfaction.

Lisa Margan says at the end of the day sustainability really just means adopting practices that enable your business to have a long life—a philosophy that should be a fundamental goal for all restaurants.

“We are an agricultural-based business so looking after the land is a core value as we need it to be productive for the long term. Further to that, we believe environmental sustainability to be a responsibility of every producer and reducing one’s carbon footprint as an individual or a business should be on everyone’s radar.”

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Drinks

Champagne is serious because champagne is dangerous. No wonder Bond likes the stuff. Eight atmospheres is the bottle’s internal pressure. When you

release the cork it comes out of the neck at 50km an hour. That’s faster than I’m allowed to drive past the local primary school. What’s more, whilst champagne contains only about 12.5% alcohol, thanks to the wonders of carbon dioxide, that alcohol enters your bloodstream quicker than, say, Vegemite, sauvignon blanc, or an organic blue corn and quinoa slider. Hence champagne and sparkling drinks of all descriptions make you feel a bit fizzy more quickly. It’s instant lift off.

Based on those facts it makes you wonder that if champagne were to be invented today whether the regulatory powers that be would allow it. It would probably make RTDs look health-giving. And that’s why customers like it. Champagne is indulgent, excessive, French, glamorous, and entirely of the moment. No one drinks champagne and contemplates their superannuation.

Yet like any drink, champagne does trend, and as a responsible liquor licensee it’s your job to make sure you’ve got the best champagne and champagne styles at the best range of prices on your wine list du jour. You might also need a stratified offering of other sparkling wines, such as prosecco, cava, and local Australian methode champenoise. Drinking the stuff, reading wine lists, writing wine lists, and looking at the data collected from such activities, this is how I’d go about selling and marketing sparkling wine on-premise.

Tried and testedThe known champagne houses in Australia are shorthand for drinking pleasure. Whilst we’ve had a powerful influx of new houses, the established brands continue to make a neat and easy connection between your wine list and a customer keen to celebrate or spend or impress, and with a confidence that might escape them when dealing with more

specialist champagne houses. And a handful of champagne houses have been represented in Australia for decades —some going back to the 1880s—to such a degree that you’re more or less bound to list them. Pol Roger, Billecart-Salmon, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, to name a few. Your battle here concerns off-premise retail discounting, but the need for your customers to have a champagne they can a) pronounce, and b) order with aplomb is worth the inventory logistics you’ll need to observe in order to keep these on the wine list at an attractive price.

Growers’ champagnesThese are the little-known but high quality champagnes that have come into Australia over the last decade, in part thanks to a growing interest in Champagne’s broader offerings, but also in part due to the Australian dollar, which, whilst high, made importation of these more specialist champagnes more affordable. Grower champagnes are smaller, hands-on sort of wines, made in a more artisanal way, attempting to express aspects of vineyard and place rather than year-in, year-out manufacture a reliable, never-changing “house” blend. The small print on their labels are prefixed by “RM”, meaning recoltant-manipulant. Brands such as Larmandier-Bernier, Pierre

Gimonnet et Fils and Egly-Ouriet have established a foothold here, but how they continue to survive given recent currency adjustments is another matter.

Rosé champagneThis is probably the most under-estimated area of attraction and growth in champagne consumption. What makes rosé champagne so good, both in terms of appreciation and profit, is its mystique. It’s still a champagne style mostly appreciated by the cognoscenti, so there’s real allure just around the corner for more “ordinary” drinkers keen to do what tomorrow’s WAGs are doing. Rosé champagne sets anyone drinking it apart because the colour is discernibly different. It is also a boon to the new vexation of food and wine matching—the pinot noir element in the wine contributes the colour, tannin and texture that make this style of champagne a much better fit with entrees and even some lighter main courses. The Champenois themselves maintain that one can drink this sort of wine throughout the dinner, forgoing table wines completely, but that’s crap. I’ve not met an Australian woman yet who doesn’t want a bottle of chardonnay with her steak or a man who doesn’t want a bottle of Barossa shiraz with his wild rice salad. But if you can get them to

Fizz and festivity

With the celebratory season having kicked off, Ben Canaider explores the enduring appeal of champagne and discovers some of its alternatives.

drink rosé champagne with the entree then you’ve upsold nicely.

ProseccoBoth imported and locally-made

prosecco—particularly the latter —is making a hit on-premise.

It’s Italian (even when it is made here), it’s therefore Euro; it’s not a champagne copy, and therefore it’s OK to order. It’s also very affordable. Carpene Malvolti continues to produce a Venetian standard

which lands at about $17, or you can look to the strikingly high

quality and freshness of a King Valley producer in Victoria’s High Country:

Dal Zotto. Its Pucino Prosecco NV lands at about $15. Offer the latter, I reckon.

CavaSpanish cava is a style of sparkling wine that’s much underrated in Australia. Made from such autochthonous Spanish grapes as Macabeo, Xarello, and Parellada, it can

be wonderfully crisp and dry—the sort of sparkler that deals with chilli heat or finger food fattiness with great ease. Importer The Spanish Acquisition is a master of such supply, and their Vallformosa Brut MVSA cava ($14 landed) is a very clever way to get your customers thinking more laterally about champagne alternatives. Its also a no-brainer if you serve tapas, which I think most restaurants nowadays have to by law.

Australian sparkling winesAnd finally. The perennial bridesmaid. Given all proper sparkling wine production is expensive, Australian sparkling wine is probably going to cost more than most other countries’ versions. Tasmanian sparkler is the one to offer, as mainland producers buy vineyards there to make fizz. That said, any cool climate can do it well, which is why I’m impressed by Deviation Road’s incredibly champagne-like wines from Adelaide Hills. The Deviation Road Loftia Adelaide Hills Vintage Brut 2012 lands at $27, but if you want to be proud of the locally-made fizz, this is one you can bet on.


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When you release the cork it comes out of the neck at 50km

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primary school.Fizz and festivity

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M1511RC

“ Echo Entertainment Group, which owns and operates Jupiters, had been working on a property redevelopment with American architects Steelman

Partners. They hired us to interpret the design concept for the Australian market.

“I’d just come back from Europe, driving around the Amalfi Coast, so when we took on this project, we drew a lot of inspiration from that area. There was also a lot of inspiration from the [20th century] Italian architect, Carlo Scarpa. He’s renowned for his intricate detailing. We reinterpreted his style, particularly with the restaurant’s entry gates and the brass inlays in the back wall of the bar.

“During the redevelopment, the previous restaurants were gutted [Luchetti Krelle also designed the Japanese restaurant, Kiyomi]. Since it’s a working hotel, it was an accelerated project. The restaurants needed to be open before Christmas, the peak season. The whole project took 12 weeks, including demolition, which was pretty amazing. Guests were staying in the rooms above so the builders had to take care in how they worked.


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Part of Jupiters Hotel & Casino’s $345 million redevelopment, this Italian restaurant was designed by Rachel Luchetti, an architect who drew inspiration from clifftop restaurants along the Amalfi Coast.

“Cucina Vivo can seat 240 inside the restaurant and on the large outdoor terrace, which has a view of the redeveloped pool area. It was important to have adequate shading, particularly during summer, so there’s an operable pergola system. It has a weatherproof roof system with gutters connected to down pipes; this makes it secure even during wild winds and driving rain.

“However, we actually decided to pull back the extent of the pergola to add striped umbrellas in yellow and white. We realised that the seating capacity wasn’t the big driver; it was about creating the right environment. We decided that even in inclement weather, it’s fine to lose a few tables to get the lovely Mediterranean-style effect.

Inside, semi-circle banquettes, upholstered in aqua, are ideal for large gatherings. We printed a checked tablecloth design onto the tabletops, and each area is softly lit by ‘Bluff City’ pendant lights by Jonah Takagi for Roll & Hill.

“Since the ceiling in the restaurant is quite low, it provides real intimacy, even in such a large space. We added

oversized pendant lights with pleated shades for mood lighting and to demarcate different areas. There are large trestle tables adjacent to the open kitchen, where a two-metre-long wood-fired oven works as a centrepiece. We also introduced a selection of marble for the front of the large bar.

“Before the fit-out, we had to order all the furniture really early so it was up and running in time for Christmas, particularly the Andreu World ‘Smart’ dining chair, which came from Spain.

“The timing was also crucial on my side as I was pregnant. I’m based in Sydney, so after 36 weeks I wasn’t allowed to fly anymore. In late October, Stuart Krelle, my business partner, took over the remaining site visits. We’d both been working on the project but this was right in the middle of construction so it was a bit frustrating.

“Fortunately, the restaurants were both completed on time, opening last December and January, respectively. Cucina Vivo has a refined Italian aesthetic, although it has a casual ambience—it’s a mix of Mediterranean style and a Gold Coast beach feel.”

Cucina Vivo

VIC/TAS/SA [email protected], NSW [email protected], QLD [email protected], WA [email protected]

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RC November 2015