Sydney Commercial Kitchens

How to make sure your restaurant is full every night...

2009-10-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

Posted by: Neil Willis

Its easy, but not simple! Don't ever lose a customer!

Do whatever it takes to never lose a customer if they are expecting 90% give them 120%! I know you think I'm joking here, but what if?

Click here to read the full article...

Sydney Commercial Kitchens Blog

2009-09-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

Author: Neil Willis

Sydney Commercial Kitchens has a new blog. SCK Blog

The new Blog will be used to advise of new products added to the website, to show our monthly specials and to release our popular newsletter.

Within the next few weeks you will also be able to subscribe to our blog with a RSS feed.

Keeping you up-to-date with the hospitality industry.

Best wishes
Neil Willis

11 great tips for start-ups

2009-09-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

by JULIANNE DOWLING
http://www.theage.com.au

Getting your business plan and strategies into place is something that most would-be owners like the sound of, but don’t actually do

Find out why

Online resource aids small businesses with employment advice

2009-09-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

Story from http://www.insideretailing.com.au

Australia's small businesses now have access to a range of free online resources to help them better understand their rights when it comes to employing staff

Read more

The Coffee Club Scoop Top Industry Award

2009-09-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

by Bean Media Group

The Coffee Club Scoop Top Industry Award from Leading Industry Magazine Australia's Best Retail Published

Read the entire story

Business upbeat after smaller decline in services

2009-09-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

By Online business reporter Michael Janda
http://www.abc.net.au

The Australian service industry was closing in on a return to growth in August according to a private survey

Restaurants give support to homeless campaign

2009-09-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

by Rosemary Ryan
http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

StreetSmart Australia’s Dine Out to Help Out event last year generated $260,000 with the support of restaurants who took part in the campaign that asks diners to add and extra $2 to their bill

Click here to read the full story.

2009 Awards for caterers and resturants

2009-08-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

by Catering Melbourne Blog

Restaurant & Catering Victoria honour Victoria’s finest restaurateurs and caterers
See the list of winners

Sydney Cafes go Green!

2009-08-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

by Dana Nekich

Cafe owners and baristas in Sydney, Australia, are meeting at the Botanic Gardens Restaurant to discuss how to make urban cafes more sustainable.

See the full story

Melbourne barista named best in the business

2009-08-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

by Olivia Collings

Melbourne barista Jesse Hyde has been crowned the 2009 Danes Grand Barista Champion.

Read all about it!

Modern technology changing the restaurant kitchen

2009-08-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

by Catharine Munro

Traditional stovetop cooking is no longer an indispensable tool for chefs as they embrace other methods
Find out more

Club Food & Beverage Management Summit: 8 & 9 Sept 2009

2009-08-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

from Profitable Hospitality
Ideas, Insights, Inspiration, Information, Networking, this year's Summit is designed to inspire and challenge: Find out why!

Free coaching for small enterprises

2009-08-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

by Julia Talevski
The NSW Government will launch free online business coaching to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Small Business September this year. Learn more .....

Move to ban restaurant street heaters

2009-08-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

by ANNE MATHER

OUTDOOR heaters are becoming a common feature, but for how long?

The winners of the 2009 Electrolux Appetite for Excellence competition announced

2009-08-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

By Rebecca Harris

The winners of the 2009 Electrolux Appetite for Excellence competition were announced in a star-studded awards ceremony in Sydney on Monday night. Read more

Downturn doesn't dampen appetite

2009-08-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Article from: Australian Associated Press

Sydney and Melbourne diners have not abandoned restaurants according to two new surveys released this week.

Full story

Restaurants, grocers reap solid growth in May

2009-08-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

Story by Daniel Palmer

The latest data from the ABS has shown restaurants, take-away outlets and cafés record seasonally adjusted growth of 1.4 per cent in May.

Read this story

Understanding Coffee Blends

2009-08-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

Barista Brothers
David Gee and Matthew Gee share their thoughts on all things coffee

Marketing Strategies For Small Business - The 7 Steps to Business Success

2009-08-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

Marketing Strategies For Small Business
by Peter Fehon

By mastering these 7 easy steps you are guaranteed to finish this current year in a better position than when you started it.

Australia's Hotel Industry Rising Star

2009-08-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

Media Release

A Tasmanian has been named Australia's Hotel Industry Rising Star at the 2009 AHA ... “These awards demonstrate that Tasmania provides quality hospitality venues of .... (sponsored by Schweppes). Grand Hyatt Melbourne (Melbourne, VIC) ...

New $11m hospitality training facility launched

2009-07-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

Brisbane-based Hospitality Training Association Inc. (HTA) has has unveiled the second stage of its $17.8m refurbishment and expansion program.

The kitchens have used equipment provided by one of our great suppliers, Angelo Po who are a leading Italian brand.

To read more about this story click here

Pizza giant Eagle Boys in store opening frenzy

2009-07-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves a pizza but apparently no one more than Eagle Boys. Eagle Boys have announced that they are opening 10 stores over the final 9 days of the financial year.

Click here to read the full story.

Awards for best Sydney businesses

2009-07-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

The City of Sydney is again looking for Sydney’s best small to medium sized businesses as it launches the sixth annual City of Sydney Business Awards.

I Know myself the prestige that a business award can bring to your business. So to find out more about these awards and how to enter Click here

Targeting Restaurants and Cafes for providing Ambience

2009-07-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

The Phonographic Performance Company of Australia, has begun targeting cafes and restaurants with a new, raised tariff for providing piped our radio music to the customers.

Maybe they haven't heard that there is a recession on, or that restaurants and cafe's are doing it particularly tough. Especially for the FREE to AIR radio broadcasts the radio stations have already paid the copyright fees.

In my opinion they are double dipping and riding roughshod over an industry that is already in crisis.

Shame on them!

To read the full story by Lars Brandle, Brisbane click here

Food For Thought Magazine Gets A Fresh Look

2009-06-19T14:56:00.000-07:00

www.hospitalitydirectory.com.au

Associated Media Group has announced their takeover of Restaurant and Catering NSW/ACT's official magazine, Food For Thought...

[read more]

AUS: Natural foods big at food fair

2009-06-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

By FoodWeek Online

This year's Fine Food Australia in Sydney is shaping up as a showcase for everything new in natural foods for retail and hospitality businesses, according to exhibition manager, Minnie Constan.

“We’re seeing that changing consumption habits are driving an increase in organic food sales, despite the economic downturn," she said.

While the economic downturn has led to more Australian families eating in, they are increasingly opting to cook with healthy, natural produce. It even appears that the economic downturn has pulled organic, natural and ethical foods, along with gluten-free foods, into the mainstream of the food industry.

Read more .... http://www.foodweek.com.au/main-features

Small business woe not our fault, say Treasurer Wayne Swan

2009-06-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

TREASURER Wayne Swan acknowledges that small businesses are doing it tough but says it's not the Federal Government's fault.

Labor was doing all it could to ease the pain being felt by business owners as a result of the global financial crisis, he said.

Read more .... http://www.news.com.au/Small business woe not our fault

Baristas worth every bean

2009-06-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

It has taken a long time but at last you can find great coffee in New York City, writes Monica Glare.

Trying to get a decent cappuccino, latte or macchiato in New York City is no easy task. It is either too weak or too strong, too hot, too bitter, or the milk is too foamy. Having thrown away more coffees than I've sipped since moving to New York six months ago, I made it my mission to find a good one. I finally found a few cafes making espresso that would make any Australian barista proud. Even better, they also happen to be located in some great neighbourhoods.

Read more .... http://www.smh.com.au/travel/baristas-worth-every-bean

Cafe franchise opens 10th outlet in China

2009-06-19T14:36:00.000-07:00

Australian Jamaica Blue café franchise opened its third outlet in Beijing last month. This new café, located at the Oriental Plaza – the largest shopping centre in the nation’s capital – is the 10th Jamaica Blue café to open in China since 2005.

Open seven days from 7am to 10pm, the Beijing café caters for a range of customers from surrounding office buildings, residential apartments, hotels and neighbouring Tiananmen Square.

Read more ..... http://www.franchise.net.au/article/Cafe-franchise-opens-10th-outlet-in-China

Big Pod Kitchen Mat - Anti-Fatigue

2009-06-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

http://www.hospitalitydirectory.com.au

This amazing mat was produced specifically for the Food/Beverage Service Industry.

Anti-Fatigue, relieves leg, feet and back pain, increasing worker productivity, morale and job satisfaction.
Forget trying to lift heavy rubber mats, this mat is 80% lighter to handle and at the same time anti-slip/trip.

Bevelled edges all sides.

Non-absorbent, prevents grease and dirt build up, very hygienic. Excellent in food service areas. Very easy to clean. Many colours.
Australian Made.

See it at the Melbourne Food Service Infocus Expo 23-25 June 2009 Stand D41

Food industry goes green to celebrate World Environment Day

2009-06-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.hospitalitydirectory.com.au

Australia’s leading food and beverage companies have highlighted their commitment to sustainable manufacturing with lower energy production and sustainable packaging options to celebrate World Environment Day today.

A wide range of companies have committed to environmentally-friendly practices to produce their popular food products, including Kraft which has led the way with its icon product Vegemite, manufactured at the company’s Port Melbourne, where it has reduced energy by 39 per cent and waste by 55 per cent. The company is also supplying recycled water to community projects.

Wine company Wolf Blass – part of the Foster’s Group – has launched Wolf Blass Green Label in a new lightweight plastic wine bottle which produces 29 per cent less Greenhouse Gas Emissions compared to the same wine in a 750ml industry standard 515g glass bottle. PET bottles are 100 per cent recyclable and shatterproof.

Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) Chief Executive Kate Carnell applauded these initiatives along with a range of other sustainable practices by AFGC members including:

Kellogg has set a goal of reducing waste, water and energy use, and green house gas emissions by 15-20 per cent by 2015. Projects to achieve this goal include improving staff awareness and understanding of waste disposal procedures resulting in reduced food waste and less waste to land fill.
George Weston Foods is exploring ways to reduce water usage at its Dandenong site in Victoria through a comprehensive monitoring program with the Victorian State Government.
Unilever’s Lipton has committed to sourcing all its tea sustainably by working with the Rainforest Alliance to ensure certification of tea estates.
SCA Hygiene has a global goal of reducing 20 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, which will be achieved through its ESAVE initiative at all their paper making sites.
Ms Carnell said AFGC was exploring new ways for industry in Australia to better utilise resources – including water recycling – in partnership with the CSIRO, Woolworths and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

“World Environment Day is an ideal time for everyone, including food manufacturers, to reflect how they affect the environment and make commitments to reducing their impact on the planet,” Ms Carnell said.

Sydney celebrates Italian food heritage

2009-05-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au
21 May 2009 | by Rosemary Ryan

Sydney’s original little Italy East Sydney celebrates this weekend with food and wine festival Primo Italiano that this year will revolve around the theme of a big Italian wedding.

More than 35,000 people attended the event last year with even more expected this year to immerse themselves in Italian culture.

Stanley Street will be transformed into an Italian piazza to host the big Italian wedding, complete with bride and groom, wedding party, Italian music, a fountain and plenty of dancing.

New for Primo Italiano 2009 is Primo Bambini, a specially designed kids-only area at the end of Riley Street, with free gnocchi making classes and entertainment for children throughout the day.

Sydney culinary icon and Primo Italiano ambassador Beppi Polese, whose restaurant Beppi’s is one of the oldest in the area, is an enthusiastic supporter.

"I have seen this area grow and change in many ways, but it is wonderful that each year Primo Italiano continues to celebrate Sydney's original little Italy and Italian heritage," said Polese.

Small Business Tax Break Boost

2009-05-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.hospitalitydirectory.com.au

The Rudd Government will provide another major boost to its highly successful Small Business and General Business Tax Break, providing vital stimulus to support jobs and help small businesses doing it tough in the global recession.

Small businesses will now be able to claim a bonus tax deduction of 50 per cent – up from 30 per cent previously of the cost of eligible assets acquired between 13 December 2008 and 31 December 2009, and installed by 31 December 2010.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, employing millions of Australians, but many have faced some tough times during this global recession.

That's why the Rudd Government has been so determined to help small businesses invest with confidence and take advantage of the opportunities that will come with economic recovery.

The increased Tax Break provides small businesses with an even greater incentive to invest in new capital items, such as computer hardware and business vehicles, and to make capital improvements to existing machinery and equipment.

This major boost will support jobs and businesses all over the country. It accompanies the powerful steps taken by the Rudd Government to stimulate the economy so that small businesses have customers walking through their doors.

The expanded Tax Break will be available to small businesses with a turnover of less than $2 million.

All other businesses can continue to access the Tax Break at 30 per cent for eligible assets contracted for prior to 30 June 2009 and 10 per cent for eligible assets that they commit to investing in between 1 July 2009 and 31 December 2009.

Small businesses only need to invest a minimum of $1,000 per asset in order to qualify for the Tax Break.Under enhancements to the Tax Break announced in March 2009, they can also amalgamate their expenditure on batches and sets of assets in order to meet this threshold.

More detailed information about the Tax Break and the expansion for small business is attached.

The Government will move amendments to the legislation currently before the Parliament to implement the expansion for small business. The Government welcomes statements by the Opposition that it will not frustrate the passage of the legislation so that Australian businesses can invest with certainty.

The expansion will have an estimated cost to revenue of $141 million, bringing the total cost to revenue of the Tax Break to $3.7 billion over the forward estimates period.

Minister awards top tourism and hospitality students

2009-05-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.etravelblackboard.com

The future of tourism in NSW is looking positive with 23 outstanding hospitality and tourism students recognised for their potential at the Minister’s Student Achievement Awards last night.

Minister for Tourism Jodi McKay congratulated the students from NSW education institutions at a ceremony attended by more than 500 leading industry representatives in Sydney.

“These outstanding young achievers demonstrate the type of people we want to drive tourism in NSW – they are innovative thinkers who are passionate about the industry,” Ms McKay said.

“They are building great opportunities for themselves and developing the future of tourism – a future that will benefit everyone in the State.”

Ms McKay said more than 279,000 people completed full and part-time training in tourism and hospitality in NSW last year.

“This demonstrates strong interest in one of the largest industries in the State, which directly employs about 158,000 people and injects more than $27 billion a year into our economy.”

Ms McKay presented each of the winners with a prize pack that included a textbook and a $200 cheque.

This year the awards were presented in partnership between Tourism NSW and Tourism Training Australia, a leading national industry training advisory association. Tourism Training Australia Chief Executive Bill Galvin said the tourism and hospitality industry continues to diversify.

“We appreciate the strong support of the NSW Government. As a major employer we recognise the need to continue to drive training in the industry,” Mr Galvin said.

This year’s event also included The National Tourism Legends Awards, given to senior leaders in tourism and hospitality in NSW. Recipients are independently nominated and judged by the Board of Tourism Training Australia in NSW.

Award winners are selected to provide mentor support to the student achievers in their future careers of tourism and hospitality.

Nominees have worked in the tourism or hospitality industry for a minimum of 10 years and currently run major enterprises in tourism and hospitality in NSW.

Food to die for, not from

2009-05-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

www.smh.com.au
Simon Thomsen

You are here: Home » Entertainment » Table Talk » Simon Thomsen

If I had a dollar for every time someone said a dish was "to die for" I'd hand over those thousands of dollars for research into food allergies. The tragic reality is that for some people, eating peanuts, for example, could kill them.

In 2007, three Australians died from a severe allergic reaction. Two, aged 21 and 13, died from peanut anaphylaxis, while another, 21, died after ingesting crustaceans. Recent years are littered with other sad cases.

When you have children, all sorts of fears rear up. One that stuck in mind before the birth of our first child was "what if he suffered from a food allergy?" It seemed blackly funny, given my job.

Well, he does. For four years, we've travelled with an Epi-pen (an adrenaline shot) just in case he reacts badly to cashew nuts. I love cashews. We no longer eat them at home and Thai is off the menu for family dinners.

I mention this because May 17-23 is Food Allergy Awareness Week.

Dining out with many different people, it's surprising how many have serious dietary issues and allergies, from dairy to beef, fish, shellfish, garlic (as part of the allium plant family) and nuts. It's a long and varied list.

On a related matter, one of our reviewers on The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide is coeliac. It's not an allergy, but rather an auto-immune reaction to gluten. That means bread, pasta and other wheat-based products are off the menu. That said, he loves eating out and enjoys a varied diet of great food. He's a wise and witty member of our reviewing team who simply needs to be careful - coeliac disease can cause some rather unpleasant reactions in the bowel.

Whether you suffer from coeliac disease or an allergy, it shouldn't stop you dining out. However, everyone needs to me mindful of the dangers and that includes waiters and chefs.

The following info was sent to me by Anaphylaxis Australia Inc. I don't normally repeat press releases verbatim, but this is important information. So important, I'm printing it out myself and taking it to restaurants with my son, so that chefs can get a better understanding of the issues.

But it's not just chefs. People in general need to understand that this is about more than just being a fussy eater. Most Australians who have lost their lives in recent years as a result of food anaphylaxis have eaten food purchased, or given to them, when away from home. Nearly seven out of every 10 fatalities are young people, aged 13 to 21 years.

What follows is a check sheet prepared by Anaphylaxis Australia. Both sides of the table need to do their utmost to ensure a safe meal.

When eating out those at risk of a severe reaction must:
* Always disclose their food allergy. This includes the many adults who may be at risk of anaphylaxis who have not been properly diagnosed;
* If deemed at risk of anaphylaxis, always carry their Anaphylaxis Action Plan and their adrenaline auto injector with them - it is crucial that sufferers are properly diagnosed and educated;
* Ensure the people they are with at that time are aware of their allergy, what a severe reaction might look like and how to give the life-saving adrenaline auto injector.

It is critical that food service staff:
* Let the customer make a decision about a menu purchase once they have given them the required information;
* Take no short cuts or change set menu ingredients;
* Take food allergy seriously; small amounts can cause life threatening reactions;
* Think about cross-contamination when purchasing, storing, preparing and serving food.

For more information on food allergies and what to do, visit www.allergyfacts.org.au or call 1300 728 000

So tell me, do you have any experiences with allergies? Has it affected your confidence when it comes to eating out and what do you do to ensure you have a safe meal?
Has it ever been a problem or have you encountered people who just don't get it?
What can we do to make sure people understand this isn't simply a matter of being a picky eater?

RATIONAL SelfCooking Center® gets makeover in 2009

2009-05-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

RATIONAL SelfCooking Center® gets makeover in 2009New CareControl® feature automates critical maintenance task05.13.2009 – SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – RATIONAL, the world market leader for combination ovens unveiled its new SelfCooking Center with CareControl to the U.S. market at the 2009 North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) Show. The company officially began shipping the units as of January 1, 2009.

At the center of the new line of SelfCooking Centers is CareControl. The new feature saves time and energy for busy foodservice professionals by automatically detecting the unit’s cleanliness and indicating the need for cleaning with the use of Care-Tabs. The fully biodegradable Care-Tabs are composed of scale-dissolving ingredients to prevent limescale buildup. The extensive cleaning process reduces the risk of damage to the SelfCooking Center’s heating elements. The prevention of limescale buildup can also decrease energy consumption over time.

“Making food preparation straightforward is a core mission at RATIONAL. Cooking in the SelfCooking Center has long been a simple process and now we’ve extended that simplicity to the care and maintenance of the unit with CareControl,” said Vinod Jotwani, international marketing manager, RATIONAL AG.

Not only does CareControl save time and energy, but it also saves operators money. It eliminates the need for expensive water softening systems and tedious de-scaling. Additionally, it does away with the cost of maintaining and operating water-softening equipment.

CareControl increases the operational reliability of the SelfCooking Center unit by adding a frequent and thorough cleaning process. To underline CareControl’s impact on reliability, RATIONAL has doubled the warranty on all new SelfCooking Centers from one year to two years without any additional cost.

Experience the new SelfCooking Center with CareControl hands on through one of RATIONAL’s TeamCooking Live seminars. The seminars take place on a range of dates at over 80 venues nationwide guided by one of the company’s 25 Regional Sales Managers or one of 150 RATIONAL-Certified Chefs. For more information on TeamCooking Live, including upcoming dates and locations visit, www.rationalusa.com.

About the SelfCooking Center®
The SelfCooking Center has simplified the cooking process to the press of a button, saving time as well as expensive training and retraining due to staff turnover. It detects product-specific requirements, the size of the food to be cooked and load size. Then, the SelfCooking Center automatically calculates cooking time, temperature and ideal cooking cabinet climate on an individual basis. It continuously monitors and adjusts 3,600 times per hour to achieve the desired result. The SelfCooking Center also requires 28 percent less space in the kitchen but cooks up to 15 percent faster than conventional combi-steamers. It is available in six different sizes, gas or electric.

About RATIONAL
RATIONAL is the world market and technology leader for the thermal preparation of food in professional kitchens. Founded and based in Germany since 1973, RATIONAL is committed to the principle of sustainability, expressed in its policies on environmental protection, leadership and social responsibility. Numerous awards such as “Best Factory,” “Product of the Year,” “Manufacturer of the Year,” and “Global Excellence in Operations” attest to RATIONAL’s high standards and recognition in the industry.

AUS: Fine Food turns 25

2009-05-21T21:37:00.000-07:00

By FoodWeek Online

Fine Food will celebrates 25 years this year.

The exhibition has grown significantly since it was first staged in 1984, and it has been recognised for its innovative, influential and relevant approach to the food and food service industry.

“Fine Food has a proud history as the place for the food industry to source new products, suppliers and ideas. In the current economic climate it is incumbent on us to deliver more solutions and ideas so our visitors find the competitive edge they need to grow their business. As such, this year’s show is possibly the most important show in the history of Fine Food,” said exhibition manager Minnie Constan.

This year, Fine Food will feature a number of product feature worlds or ‘shows within the show’, which are designed to make it easier for visitors to find their specific areas of interest. Special areas include ‘Meat & Seafood’, ‘Natural Products’, ‘Drinks’, ‘Confectionery’, ‘Dairy’, ‘Bakery’, ‘Hospitality Equipment’ and ‘Catering Equipment’.

Two new ‘feature worlds’ will also be introduced this year – ‘Gluten Free World’, which will recognise the heightened consumer interest in foodservice and retail in gluten-free products and ‘Retail Equipment World’ which will feature the latest in technology and point-of-sale, shop fitting and loss prevention.

Over 950 exhibitors from around Australia and overseas will fill the entire Sydney Exhibition Centre with thousands of new products, services and ideas for every segment of the food and beverage industries on show.

Fine Food will be held from September 7 to 10 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Trade visitors are advised to register on www.finefood.com.au prior to September 2. If you are not registered, entry will cost $30 at the door.

Entry is restricted to members of the retail, hospitality, liquor and foodservice industries. Persons not in this category, including children will not be admitted.
For more information on Fine Food Australia, please visit www.foodaustralia.com.au

Find your inner barista.

2009-05-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

By Lorna Knowles
Herald Sun

Find your inner barista and save as consumers cut out takeaway coffee.

WHILE consumers are going without takeaway coffee to save money, they are spending big on espresso machines and coffee beans.

More than 45 per cent of people recently surveyed by the Australian National Retailers Association said they had stopped buying takeaway coffees to save money.

But other figures suggested householders were finding their inner barista, investing in espresso machines, grinders and beans to make cafe-style coffee at home.

Liz Rodway, of the ANRA, said retail sales of coffee machines had jumped by between 20 per cent and 25 per cent in the past six months.

"There's a new coffee culture evolving in Australia and we are seeing people who bought a cheap machine years ago looking to upgrade," Ms Rodway said.

"The quality of machines is good. You can get just as good a coffee from these new machines than at your local cafe."

She said the most popular brands included Sunbeam and Breville. Domestic espresso machines vary in price from $300 to $2500.

Grinders cost between $50 and $200 and a bag of coffee beans will set you back about $12.

Home baristas should also budget for a coffee making course - a booming industry around Australia.

"The home barista market is increasing all of the time," two-time Australian champion barista David Makin said.

"Melbourne's always had such a strong history in coffee and some amazing baristas, but now people want to do it themselves."

Mr Makin, who runs weekly barista courses in Melbourne, recommended the Sunbeam 6910 as the best entry-level coffee machine (rrp about $750).

"But the most important thing to buy is a good grinder and Sunbeam makes one for $189," he said.

Mother of two Sue Heinrich got an espresso machine for Christmas and has recently done a home barista course to improve her coffee-making skills.

She did the course at Jetblack Espresso, in the Sydney suburb of Cremorne, where shop owner Debbie Monteleone said they had experienced a rise in coffee machine sales and barista course enrolments.

Mrs Heinrich, a travel consultant who works from home, makes herself one or two coffees a day rather than visiting her local cafe.

"I rarely buy takeaway and I'm saving a lot," she said.

"A bag of beans is about $12, and it lasts us two weeks, with my husband and I having one or two coffees each per day."

The couple are saving $78 per week by making their own coffee. Four takeaway coffees per day, at an average price of $3 each, would cost $12 per day or $84 per week.

Making their coffee from home costs $6 per week for the beans.

That means that within just six weeks, they will have saved enough to recoup the cost of a $468 espresso machine.

Ms Rodway said the sale of coffee beans had grown by 15 per cent in the past year.

"There's also been a strong growth in cappuccino mixes - 25 per cent over the past three years," she said.

Instant coffee sales were also growing by about 10 per cent per year.

Andrew Freeman, who runs Coffee Snobs, an online coffee-lovers forum, said the quality of domestic espresso machines had improved dramatically.

He advised those on a tight budget to invest in a good coffee bean grinder, for about $200, and use cheaper devices, like plungers and stove top coffee makers.

For those with their hearts set on an espresso machine, Mr Freeman recommended the new Breville with built-in grinder or the Sunbeam.

He also recommended the Rancilio Silvia (about $780).

Restaurants raise record amount for homeless

2009-05-21T21:30:00.001-07:00

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au
Rosemary Ryan

Australian restaurants and their patrons have raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for organisations assisting the homeless.

The fundraising organisation StreetSmart Australia has announced that despite economic uncertainty its 2008 “dine out to help out’ campaign raised $260,000 in the six weeks before Christmas.

Across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, where the campaign is run, 238 restaurants participated in the campaign—an increase of 53 participants on 2007.

Il Contro Restaurant in Brisbane took the title of Streetsmart’s national fundraiser of the year with $6,542. Meanwhile Longrain in Sydney was the top New South Wales fundraiser followed by Il Solito Posto in Melbourne.

The amount raised last year was the largest figure to date in the campaign since it launched in 2003. Altogether its raised more than $730,000 over those years.

As a result of the fundraising StreetSmart said it would be funding 63 grassroots projects delivering emergency aid as well as longer term programs helping to move people out of homelessness. All of the funds raised through participating restaurants go to homeless organisations with the majority of the grant recipients located in the same area as the participating restaurants.

StreetSmart CEO Adam Robinson, said the campaign gives local diners and restaurants the chance to contribute back to their local community. “Most people appreciate the opportunity to help the smaller organisations that often struggle to attract funding and don't have the resources or budgets to fundraise themselves,” he said.

Robinson said many of the projects StreetSmart supports are transforming lives. Projects such as the Choir of Hard Knocks and the Big Issue Street Socceroos both received early funding from StreetSmart and this year a wide variety of programs have been supported.

Here’s the full list of winners in the 2008 StreetSmart Fundraising Awards:

National fundraiser of the Year: Il Centro Restaurant, Brisbane

NSW and ACT top ten fundraisers

Longrain (Also NSW fundraiser of the year)
Toko Restaurant and Bar
La Grande Bouffe
Bills Surry Hills
Kazbah on Darling
Icons Brasserie
Coast
The Book Kitchen
Universal Restaurant
Perama

Victorian top ten

Il Solito Posto (also Victorian fundraiser of the year)
Mecca Bah
GPO Restaurant & Lounge Bar, Bendigo (also regional fundraiser of the year
Longrain Melbourne
Livebait
SunnySide Up Café
Cosi Bar Restaurant
Sails on the Bay
Birdman Eating
Italy 1 Camberwell

Queensland top ten

Il Centro Restaurant (also national and Qld fundraiser of the year
Mecca Bah, Brisbane
e'cco bistro
Montrachet
Moo Moo
Brett's Wharf
Bella Venezia
Luxe Restaurant
Birches Restaurant
Dell ' Ugo New Farm

Australians vote for favourite restaurant

2009-05-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

After its successful launch last year subscription television channel LifeStyle FOOD Channel is kicking off its second I Love FOOD Awards which aims to uncover its audience’s favourite restaurants.

Voting opens on June 4 for the awards which aim to reward Australia’s best eat-outs as chosen by the Australian public.

Whether it’s a favourite local for a night off from cooking; a pub meal with mates; or the five-star restaurant to celebrate special occasions—-each has the opportunity to be voted Australia’s best.

The voting results will be available on Australia’s largest viewer voted online eat out guide at www.lifestylefood.com.au.

Voters just need to head to www.lifestylefood.com.au to vote in the awards.

Benchmarking study leads campaign to boost industry

2009-05-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

Three of Australia’s largest foodservice suppliers have teamed up to launch a national campaign aimed at helping hospitality operators survive and thrive during the economic downturn.

Unilever Foodsolutions, Fonterra Foodservices, and Simplot Foodservice have unveiled their new ‘Recipe for Success’ initiative that features a number of different ingredients including a major benchmarking study of 2000 foodservice industry operators, a website with tools and information to help operators improve their businesses, and a public relations campaign aimed at increasing diners support for their local restaurants. As well an awards program will recognise the best hospitality operator in Australia across the different channels from pubs and clubs, to restaurants, cafes and hotels.

Unilever Foodsolutions marketing manager Cheree Nichols said Recipe for Success was designed to protect the Australian foodservice industry by educating and equipping them with business resources and communication support.

“With almost 80 per cent of working families expected to eat out less this year, local pubs, club, restaurants, cafes and hotels are in danger of drastically losing patronage,” said Nichols.

“Recipe for Success is designed to give a dramatic boost to the hospitality industry and encourage Australians to support their local pubs, clubs, restaurants, cafes and hotels.”

The benchmarking study at the heart of the program will be conducted by independent consulting firm Avatar and will be open to 2000 businesses who register to be part of the Recipe for Success program. The study will review each venue’s sales, growth, seating capacity, patronage and cost of business. The participating businesses will then receive a report on the study and will be able to see where they rank on key performance indicators.

“The study is designed to help foodservice operators become more conscious of the key ratios and drivers for their businesses and drivers for their business and be able to receive a ranking of their business in comparison to other businesses in a similar segment,” said Nichols.

As a further part of the benchmarking project the top performers across four different channels—pubs, clubs, cafes/restaurants and hotels with accommodation—will be recognised at the program’s Business Excellence Awards to be held during Fine Food Australia later this year.

Registrations for the program begin on June 9 via the website www.recipeforsuccess.net.au

The right ingredient

2009-05-06T00:04:00.000-07:00

Not many serious chefs would admit to eating McDonald's and enjoying it.

Peter Evans, however, the head chef and co-owner of the Hugo's group of restaurants, not only eats the occasional quarter-pounder but does so for reasons other than the taste.

"I'm loyal to my first place of work," he says with only a hint of irony. "I owe them a great deal because they did shape my work ethic."

If there's someone who knows about a work ethic, it's Evans. At almost 36 he has gone from a teenage cog in the fast food machine to one of Australia's most successful and best-known restaurant entrepreneurs.

"Some mates packed bags at Woolworths but I chose fast food restaurants," he says, perched on a leather couch at Hugo's Bar Pizza in Kings Cross.

"It was that McDonaldisation of me as 14-year-old that first taught me about systems, organisation, cleanliness."

If one adjective seems to suggest itself in Evans's company it is "driven".

Like the franchise system that moulded him, he has no time for laziness and his ambitions seem limitless; conversation turns constantly to new ideas and business opportunities: pizza delivery, websites, international expansion, new books, restaurants and product ranges. Just hearing it can wear you out.

The Sun Herald (Sydney), May 3.

Crust range named most innovative food product

2009-04-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

Crust Gourmet Pizza Bars’ six Heart Foundation Tick approved pizzas have been named the 15th most innovative product in Australia in Australian Anthill magazine’s inaugural ‘SMART 100’ index.

The pizzas were the highest ranking food products on the list which recognises the 100 most innovative Australian products on the market. Other food related products included on the list are a natural sweetener for foods and beverages (35), SumoSalad’s sumo sized salads made to order (50), and Native Sweets’ Alpine Rice (56).

Crust’s six Tick approved pizzas first launched in February 2008 and contain up to half the fat and saturated fat of comparable pizzas from other takeaway outlets, between 50-70 per cent less sodium, virtually no trans fat and each provide up to 80 per cent of the recommended daily fibre intake for an adult.

The SMART 100 list is the largest innovation award program in Australia, and was developed by Australian Anthill in collaboration with market research company Colmar Brunton to recognise extraordinary innovation as judged by 1,600 ‘mavens’.

Crust Managing Director, Costa Anastasiadis said Crust had always aimed to provide customers with healthier, high quality pizzas.

“We spent a considerable amount of time in product development to ensure that the Tick pizzas could offer a higher quality, healthier choice of takeaway to our customers while still tasting great,” said Anastasiadis.

“The feedback we have had from customers has been fantastic, and awards such as this are further testament to the fact that there is a growing market in Australia for healthier takeaway foods”.

Australian Anthill founder and publisher, James Tuckerman, said the SMART 100 aims to bring a greater commercial focus to the concept of innovation and return ownership of the principles surrounding innovation to the private sector.

Deadline approaches for young chef award

2009-04-28T19:48:00.001-07:00

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

Who will be the ambitious young chefs who are able to outcook their peers and take the title of the winners of the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award?

Entries for the annual awards are now open and will close May 8.

The national competition for junior and apprentice chefs that tests culinary skills first at a regional level and through to the national finals cook-off for the best young chefs who make it through the rigorous process.

Young chefs must enter as a team of two, nominating a team leader and an assistant. On successful first-round entry, competitor teams will take their place at the regional mystery box ingredient cook-off challenge.

From there the best of the best will be selected to represent their region at the national final culinary cook-off battle in Sydney where an international travel training prize will be awarded to the winning team, worth $15,000.

At the national cook-off all competitors have the opportunity to win medals for achievement in culinary excellence to recognised standards in entrée, main and dessert course categories.

The competition offers an opportunity to showcase their creative gourmet skills and to be recognised as Australia’s most talented junior and apprentice chefs.

Those who’ve competed say the competition was an invaluable experience in their development as a chef.

Last year’s winning team leader Kylie Harris described it as “exhilarating”.

“It’s such a rush having the judges walking around, getting your dishes up on time and trying to get them absolutely perfect,” Harris said.

The competition is coordinated annually by the Australian Culinary Federation with support from industry sponsors including Nestlé Professional, Meat & Livestock Australia, Mirvac Hotels and Resorts and Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE.

To download entry details head to www.nestleprofessional.com or www.austculinary.com.au

Seminars to ease licensing process for small bars

2009-04-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

Sydney council is offering a series of free seminars in the latest step in its strategy to assist people interested in opening a small bar following the changes to liquor licensing laws.

The City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the City had been “inundated” with inquiries for information following the roll out of the new liquor licensing regulations that aimed to make it less expensive to open a small bar business.

The City is also at the moment working with the Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing to streamline information required for DA applications and the alcohol licence to avoid any duplication with "Community Impact Statements".

So far just two new bars have opened in the CBD under the new laws—Drink Station and Small Bar opened simultaneously in Erskine Street in Sydney's CBD in December last year.

Moore said another five development applications had been approved and an additional 10 were expected within the next month for new small bars in Glebe, Broadway, Ultimo and the CBD.

“The process though isn't always easy and these new Small Bar Seminars will provide advice, information and support to hopefully help people get started,” Moore said.

The Small Bar seminars will feature information about alcohol licences, processes, and some of the issues and benefits of small bars.

Speakers will include experts from the Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing, financial areas, and planning, as well as a current small bar operator.

The council is also offering business development matched-cash grants of up to $30,000 to encourage the creation of small retail, service and hospitality businesses which are looking to set up in CBD laneways. The new business Small Bar which backs onto Sussex Lane was the recipient of the City of Sydney's first matched funding.

Moore said the new Liquor Act 2007 and changes to the City's Late Night Trading Development Control Plan are aimed at improving the anti-competitive nature of the hospitality industry by decreasing the cost of licenses and streamlining the application process, while at the same time increasing penalties for venue operators caught doing the wrong thing.

“We want to encourage a better mix of venues like small bars and provide opportunities and support for local and emerging entrepreneurs, by reactivating parts of the city centre at night and building a diverse, eclectic and unique culture.”

The seminars will be held April 27, July 28 and November 5. For further information and bookings contact smallbarsinfo@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Facebook, Twitter, other social media help drive business for small firms

2009-04-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business
By Ann Meyer

Facebook, tweets, blogs help companies extend their reach

Charter reservations are sailing in for Free Spirit Yacht Cruises this year despite the turbulent economy, and co-owner Angela Motola-Donofrio attributes it to a social media push.

The company is tweeting regularly on Twitter and recently launched group and fan pages on Facebook, two platforms that didn't exist when she started in the charter business in the 1990s.

"Back when I first started, Yellow Pages was our main source of new business," said Motola-Donofrio, who owns the company with husband Joe Donofrio. The company is targeting 300 charters this year, up about 30 percent from 2008.

The Chicago-based company, which docks its two charter boats at Burnham Harbor, is among small businesses broadening their reach through social media and blogs.

While just a few years ago the mediums were associated with the teenage and 20-something sets, that's changed. Two-thirds of all online users visit social networks and blogs, according to data from Nielsen Online. And the largest growth in social media users last year came from the 35- to 49-year-old group.

With the average age of its readers approaching 40, BradsDeals.com didn't consider social media the best fit until this year.

"When we started on Facebook a few weeks ago, I wasn't sure we were going to connect with people because our demographic is older," said Brad Wilson, founder and editor in chief, who also began using Twitter recently.

The company has attracted 2,500 followers through Twitter since March 1 and nabbed 1,200 Facebook users since launching a fan page this month. Now, traffic to BradsDeals.com is streaming in at more than 1 million hits a month, up 150 percent from a year ago, Wilson said, adding that consumers' focus on frugality also factors into the site's growth.

Companies catering to younger customers are more likely to be veterans of social media marketing.

The Scion Group, a real estate services firm that owns and manages college housing, has morphed its blogs into a larger Facebook presence because that's where its college-student customers are, President Robert Bronstein said. It uses Facebook to announce events, such as a fashion show of student-designed apparel at Automatic Lofts last year that drew a standing-room-only crowd.

"It exposes the building in a cool, fun way," Bronstein said.

While most digital media cost little to use, they do require an investment of time, something many small-business owners are short on. That's why small businesses are turning to experts for help keeping up with blog entries, Facebook announcements and Twitter tweets.

Online test-preparation company PrepMe.com added Michael Marchese as vice president of consumer marketing this month, after the co-founders realized they didn't have time to handle online marketing themselves.

"I don't think you can do it halfway," said Chief Executive Karan Goel, who had been blogging. But with more than 20,000 students using PrepMe, and sales targeted to hit $1 million this year, the company plans to hire an online marketing manager dedicated to its online presence.

It launched a Facebook crossword game in 2007 and offers words of the day on Twitter. This year, it began group pages on Facebook associated with individual high schools that use PrepMe's services.

Deciding which online opportunities to embrace comes down to understanding your audience, experts said.

"Go where your customers already are. Social media is not about being the first one into some new technology," said Andy Sernovitz, chief executive of GasPedal, a Chicago consulting firm specializing in word-of-mouth marketing and social media.

If you don't know what social media your customers are using, check it out by searching for your company name on Facebook or others. When Motola-Donofrio first went on Facebook last year, "I noticed people talking about posting pictures of Free Spirit Cruises. That made me interested," she said.

Since the company launched pages on Facebook this year, it has received more comments and picture sharing. Free Spirit plans to upgrade its photos and add video, in response to feedback that the boats looked much better in real life than their photos conveyed.

Presenting honest information without directly trying to make a sale is an effective marketing approach using social media, Sernovitz said. Businesses should avoid using the hard sell, because participating in social media is like participating in a casual conversation.

"Nobody wants a salesman in the middle of their conversation," Sernovitz said.

But customers sometimes sell your product for you by talking it up among their Facebook or Twitter followers.

Customers who find a bargain on BradsDeals.com like to brag on their social network.

"There's no better reference than your friends telling you about something. It's that exact interaction that happens on Facebook," Wilson said. The company announces one deal a day on Facebook with a quick, informational approach.

Because of the viral nature of social media, companies that take the time to communicate are likely to see their goodwill spread. One simple technique for building relationships involves responding to positive mentions by saying "thank you" and following up on negative mentions with an apology and a solution to the problem, Sernovitz said.

"If someone is unhappy and you say, 'I'm sorry. I'd like to fix it,' those things add up pretty fast," he said.

mindingyourbiz@gmail.com

Restaurants concerned wage rises will place industry “under great pressure”

2009-04-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au
Isobel Drake

The leading industry body for the restaurant sector is worried about the potential impact of the Award Modernisation proposal on the industry next year.

“It is disappointing … that we are under great pressure from Australian Government reforms that could see the end of our industry, particularly in New South Wales,” CEO John Hart said this week.

The restaurant industry is slated for massive change in 2010, Mr Hart suggested, when wage costs (in NSW for a business open weekends and in the evening) will go up by at least 15%.

In brighter news, the industry body was delighted with the recognition of three of Australia’s restaurants in the extended list of 100 restaurants at the renowned S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant awards.

“Having presented yesterday at a Senate Inquiry defending the industry against a $150 - $250 Million impost through Award Modernisation - it is great to see that the industry is still performing,” Mr Hart proclaimed.

Restaurant & Catering Australia congratulated Tetsuya’s restaurant, Quay restaurant and Pier restaurant for making it onto “The S Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2008″ list. Tetsuya’s restaurant was placed at number 17 and Quay restaurant at number 46, while Pier restaurant - at number 94 - made it onto the extended list of 100.

“This is not really that surprising,” Mr Hart suggested. “We have the magic trifecta of ‘the most creative restaurateurs, the best produce and, of course, the friendliest staff in the world’.”

Are you ready to start a small business?

2009-04-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.thestate.com/business

Michelle Woodbury, a business consultant with the Small Business Development Center, tries to help you answer the question: “Are you really ready to start a small business?”

When facing a pressing deadline or rude customer at work or the frustration of finding a job after a layoff, many people find comfort in daydreams of owning their own business.

What could be better than sleeping in late, working in your pajamas, calling all the shots, and getting all the glory?

If, like so many of us, you find yourself seduced by these dreams and are considering branching out your own, consider the following issues:

WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN CALLING ALL THE SHOTS?

If you think the pressure at a job is bad, imagine being responsible not only for your current position, but all the positions in the company.

You have to make all the decisions, and there’s no one to pass the blame to.

While you may have no “boss,” you still have to answer to plenty of people: your customers, suppliers, creditors, employees, and your family.

Ask yourself: Can you handle all that pressure?

BUT I’LL MAKE SO MUCH MORE MONEY!

Lots of people are drawn into owning their own business by this common assumption.

But before you set out for your own pot of gold, take a minute to seriously plan out your business’ financial future.

Do you have all the money you need to start a business?

If not, do you have good credit and at least 20 percent to 50 percent of the amount you need to start it?

Costs depend on whether you’ll need a physical location, inventory, equipment and employees.

If you plan on having a physical location, count on spending at least $50,000 in startup costs.

Even without one, forming and incorporating your business at least $600. You’ll also need to pay for legal time for forming contracts and lease, operating and partnership agreements.

How much are your monthly operating expenses going to be?

How many customers will you need to meet your monthly financial demands?

What taxes, licensing fees, and other fees will be applicable to your business?

How much do you need personally to survive, and will your business be able to provide that amount?

If you business fails, what will happen to you and your family? Know that half of startups are no longer in business five years after they open.

If you don’t know the answers to the questions above, please don’t start a business until you have thought these issues through, as financial problems can be the most tricky to overcome.

SO, WHEN SHOULD I START A BUSINESS?

If you feel passionately about something, take the time to write down a plan for your business:

• What its mission will be and how much money you’ll need to start it.

• Where it will be located.

• What it will be called and how it will be organized.

• What the short-term and long-term goals for the business are.

• What projected revenues and expenses look like for the next three years.

Taking the time to plan out your business will help prevent you from rushing in to something, only to find out later that it was not as profitable or interesting as you thought it would be.

Next, do a self-inventory.

• Can you make decisions under stress?

• Can you handle multiple deadlines and tasks?

• Do you work well with other people?

• Can you personally afford it if this doesn’t work?

After examining the issues above, share your ideas with others you trust and get their opinions.

How to prosper through a downturn

2009-04-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

http://smallbusiness.smh.com.au
Michael Baker

In the famous Monty Python skit, a pet shop owner is confronted by an angry customer returning a dead parrot that had been nailed to its perch to make it look alive.

Unyielding even in the face of the obvious, the shop owner nonetheless makes a spirited attempt to dispute the fact that the parrot is really dead.

As consumers become more penny-pinching, their antennae are up for retailers selling their own versions of the dead parrot. The parrot may be a shoddy product, slow or indifferent service, greater reluctance to accept returns, or some other manifestation of expense cutting.

All of these things are dangerous to the image of a business.

Some retailers may also be tempted to abandon well-thought-out growth strategies that could prove to be even more effective if they are implemented in a soft retail climate than in boom times.

This is the beginning of a siege mentality, where smaller retailers see the larger chains cutting back and shelving growth plans, and think they too should be doing the same.

Of course, controlling expenses, managing inventories and making only prudent capital expenditures are no-brainers. But if you have a strong belief in your concept and you are already some way down the road on the implementation of a growth strategy, then staying the course rather than crawling into a bunker to wait for the storm to blow over will often be your best course of action. It will position you for a bonanza when the economy finally gets up and dusts itself off.

Angela and Con Vithoulkas - Vivo, Sydney

Angela and Con Vithoulkas, sibling co-owners of the Vivo Cafe in downtown Sydney, understand this well. Vivo has three locations, including a 300 square metre flagship at George and King streets.

Ms Vithoulkas says that more than 400,000 pedestrians walk by that intersection every week, so it's not too bad a place to have a café.

Still, they have seen food consumption patterns shift adversely over the past six months as the economic downturn has taken hold. It doesn't faze them.

Instead, they are targeting greater market share, partly through a newly-installed electronic coffee card loyalty program that works with their POS system and already boasts 2000 members.

Another important part of their strategy revolves around an imminent $900,000 makeover of the three cafes that will transform their visual dynamics. The refurbishment is intended not just to make the cafes more visually appealing, but also to simplify the decision-making process that customers have to go through when choosing what they eat, how they eat and where they eat.

Angele brothers - Brunetti, Melbourne

In Melbourne, it's also full steam ahead for the Angele brothers, Fabio, Yuri and Robert, co-owners of Brunetti, an iconic Melbourne establishment (caffè, ristorante, pasticceria and gelateria) whose desserts are the stuff of local legend.

Brunetti, like Vivo, currently consists of three restaurants. Apart from its Carlton flagship, a 1,000 square metre beehive of a place with three front entrances, there is also a smaller unit in the Melbourne CBD and a recently-opened one in the eastern suburb of Camberwell.

More are planned, and hardly a week goes by without the brothers being approached to take their brand and expertise to new locations, both in Australia and overseas. Brunetti's manufacturing capability is being beefed up to meet the expected increased demand.

They are finicky about where they open though and with good reason - Brunetti is a clearly differentiated brand that has staked out an upscale market position. The owners are not about to degrade the brand by bringing it to market in sub-prime locations.

Although Vivo and Brunetti have different growth strategies, neither is using the downturn as an excuse to change course. Nothing that has happened during the past six months has altered their focus on planning for long-term growth.

Simon and Joanne Chadwick - Stride with Confidence, WA

Sticking to the game plan doesn't mean retailers can't also be opportunists though. In WA, Simon Chadwick and his wife Jo-Anne run a premium footwear chain called Stride With Confidence, and although the business has been adversely affected by a decline in consumer discretionary spending since about the middle of last year, they have found ways of turning the situation to their advantage.

One is to use more favourable media advertising rates to help build the brand.

A second is to hunt for real estate bargains and that effort is bearing fruit, with Mr. Chadwick expecting to be able to open a fifth store shortly.

He believes that rental levels have further to subside over the next 12 months and that retailers who have invested in the long-term will be poised to take advantage of some attractive deals.

While frustrated by the events of last winter and the continued fallout on consumer sentiment, Chadwick is nonetheless philosophical: ''We do not expect to return to the boom times of the last few years for a good while. However the lessons of the last nine months, and the next six to twelve, have and will continue to make us better retailers.''

Retailers need to consider their strategies for the next 12-24 months carefully. The Vithoulkas, Angele and Chadwick families are among those who are not taking any prisoners. Plans that have been in the works for a long time will be carried out, with an eye to the longer term future of the businesses.

Other retailers may not be so aggressive. Some will modify or even abandon their growth plans despite more favourable market conditions for labour and real estate.

There may be perfectly good grounds for doing so in some instances. But please, no dead parrots.

Michael Baker is a global retail and property analyst and consultant. Mbakerconsult@gmail.com

Overseas students are secret ingredient

2009-04-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

By FoodWeek Online

Restaurant & Catering Australia says that cookery students from overseas are vital to Australia's restaurant industry.

Restaurant & Catering Australia, the peak national association representing the interests of Australia's 40,000 restaurants, cafes and caterers, is concerned at claims that the number of cooks, allowed to study and then work in Australia, should be limited.

Peter Doyle, president of the Association said 'we need cooks - we have had a severe shortage since 1956 and still have a shortage today'. 'There has been no slow-down in the demand for cooks and we are not getting the interest from young people locally to meet the demand'.

Restaurant & Catering Australia estimates that there is still a shortage of some 3,000 cooks from the Australian workforce. Students studying cookery account for the equivalent of over 1,000 full time placements into the industry every year. Each student is required, at this stage, to work for 900 hours as part of the qualification.

John Hart, CEO of R&CA said that 'these students are an important part of our workforce - we have a demand for staff in the kitchen that is unmet and overseas students are filling that demand'.

'Overseas students studying in Australia are not only an important part of the workforce of industries such as the restaurant industry, they spend a lot in the industry too', Hart went on to say. 'International students spent $4.3 Billion on food, drink and accommodation in 2007-08 - This is a significant top up for the industry'.

In 2007 there were 7,378 overseas students studying cookery courses. Cookery students are required to undertake a work placement as part of their studies and must do so if they are looking to pursue migration to Australia.

The Australian restaurant industry in total employs 784,000 Australians which is 7.25% of the workforce. The industry is still growing (despite economic conditions) and still has significant skill shortages.

Small business to get Government cash if ads are stimulating

2009-04-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

By Antonia Magee
The Courier-Mail

LEADING advertising agencies say small and medium businesses can still attract a piece of the Government's $42 billion stimulus package without breaking the budget.

Starting this month, millions of working Australians will receive up to $900 in cash from the Rudd Government with the intention for the money to go straight into the economy.

Some of the nation's biggest retailers have advertised stimulus savings to attract customers receiving the cash to spend in their stores.

Upmarket department store David Jones got into the spirit of things last month when it advertised "Government Stimulus Savings" on anything from lingerie to washing machines. Chief executive Mark McInnes previously said the store missed out on the initial $10.4 billion package in December because it did not go to its customers.

Most small and medium business owners do not have hundreds of thousands of dollars in spare cash lying around to pay for full page advertising spreads to let the public know about special offers.

Australian Retailers' Association executive director Richard Evans says the worst thing businesses can do is stop communicating with their market and retract their advertising spend.

"They should be reviewing their spend mix - whether they're spending money on TV rather than radio or moving out of corporate style advertising and going on to product specific advertising,'' Mr Evans says.

Smart advertising agency chief executive Ben Lilley and Gill Walker, head of Melbourne-based Evergreen agency, say businesses can do several low-budget schemes to attract the Rudd Government's stimulus cash.

Mr Lilley says retailers that do not have an advertising budget, but have some shopfront exposure, should create their own stimulus specials.

"The stimulus package is going to be top of mind for people who have received the payment, so specials are a good way to attract people to spend it", Mr Lilley says.

"Our own advice that we give to clients who don't have the budget for a big ad campaign is to start with their own website activity and work out from there."

He says businesses should use things such as search engine optimisation and change aspects of their websites to better market themselves online to people who are receiving the stimulus package. He also recommended Google Ad words to direct web users to business sites.

Food Standards Code and User Guides

2009-03-31T22:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/thecode/index.cfm

Food Standards Code

All of the standards and subsequent amendments in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) are available from the website in word or pdf format. Hard copies of the Food Standards Code and User Guides can be purchased from Anstat Pty Ltd, phone 61 3 92781144 or on-line http://anzfa.anstat.com.au/.

User Guides

The following user guides have been developed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), in consultation with Australian and New Zealand government and industry representatives, to help manufacturers, retailers and food officers interpret and apply the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

These guides incorporate extensive interpretation and compliance advice for manufacturers and retailers on key standards, including worked examples in many cases. These guide may be downloaded from the website as can the Code or purchased from ANSTAT

Food Enforcement Contacts

Contacts List - for State, Territory and New Zealand health department officials who can provide advice on the standards.Department of Health in a number of Australian States / Territories and New Zealand have also established resources and activities to help food businesses interpret and comply with the Food Standards Code.

Contact details for government agencies dealing with food can also be found under ' Food' in the Government Index of your White Pages phone directory.

Nutrition Panel Calculator

The Nutrition Panel Calculator (NPC) a web-based Nutrition Panel Calculator (NPC) has been developed to simplify the calculation of mandatory nutrition labels required for most food under the new Code.

It has been developed to provide manufacturers with the ability to readily calculate the average nutrient content of their food products and to prepare a Nutrition Information Panel as required under Standard 1.2.8 - Nutrition Information Requirements , of the Food Standards Code.

Food Safety Standards (Australia only)

The Food Safety Standards were developed to provide more effective and nationally uniform food safety legislation for Australia. This is reflected in Chapter 3 ( Australia only) of the Food Standards Code. The States and Territory governments of Australia are implementing these new Standards

Primary Production and Processing Standards

FSANZ in now responsible for the development of Primary Production and Processing Standards within Australia. The first such standard to be developed under this new mandate will be a primary production and processing standard for seafood.

Mandatory food safety training for NSW businesses

2009-03-31T22:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

The NSW Government has announced plans to introduce mandatory food safety training requirements for the foodservice industry next year.

Announcing the plans today the Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald said the rules would help safeguard NSW consumers from foodborne illnesses.

The move follows long time calls by the NSW arm of the industry body the Restaurant & Catering Association for mandatory food safety training for foodservice operators.

Mr Macdonald said the aim was to have mandatory training requirements in place by 2010 to ensure each hospitality business in NSW has a designated food safety supervisor responsible for implementing safe food handling on the premises.

“This will involve individuals being trained by registered training organisations on how to properly store, prepare and handle food.”

Mr Macdonald said the new requirements would benefit both consumers and the State’s food industry members. “About 36 per cent of foodborne illness outbreaks in NSW are the result of poor food handling in those restaurants and takeaways that don’t put food safety high on their agenda," he said. “These outbreaks cost the state $150m a year in terms of lost productivity and place a significant burden on the health service.

The initiatives have been developed in collaboration with a working group consisting of Australian Hotels Association, Clubs NSW and Restaurants and Caterers NSW, with all three organisations providing support.

Restaurant and Catering NSW/ACT chief executive officer, Robert Goldman, said the initiative represents an “important step forward for food service providers”.

“Restaurant and Catering believes this will be a vital initiative in making sure that safe food handling remains part of a food premise’s daily routine,” he said.

“Basic food safety is not difficult, but getting it wrong can have devastating consequences, destroy reputations and put customer health at risk.”

Mr Macdonald said the new requirements will be in place by early 2010.

Restaurant operators share their knowledge

2009-03-25T22:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

Operators thinking smarter in the running of cafes and restaurant has increased in importance as a result of the pressure from the financial downturn on our foodservice industry.

With this in mind there’s a one off workshop happening this weekend for the foodservice industry aimed at providing some advice on how to make sure your business is in the best shape it can be.

A panel of successful Victorian restaurant owners and managers will join together for what is expected to be a lively event that is part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.

Facilitated by hospitality industry consultant Ken Burgin of Profitable Hospitality the workshop offers people the chance to learn from industry leaders including Alistair Drayton (The Dunes and The Max Restaurants), Ben Higgs (Wild Oak Café), Olivier Normandin (Chez Olivier), Craig Penglase (Circa The Prince), and Enzo Pollifroni (Polly Bar).

The workshop to be held at Polly Bar in Fitzroy this Saturday will cover topics including:
How to have success with staff. Your biggest expense and management challenge—the joys of staff recruitment, retention and management.

Discover the secrets of the kitchen—how to handle the chef and kitchen staff, especially if they know much more than you.

What equipment, design and marketing strategies will ensure a profitable operation? Cost control and financial management—how to make a profit.

Tricks and traps for the unwary, preparation for due diligence if you are buying a business, information about the latest trends, licensing, legal and purchasing issues.

For information on other Melbourne Food and Wine Festival events head to www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au

For information on Profitable Hospitality go to www.profitablehospitality.com
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Small Business, Big World

2009-03-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.forbes.com/
Dan Brutto

International clients can keep your company buoyant in tough times.

As the nation focuses on healing Wall Street, it's critical that we don't overlook Main Street. American small businesses, which employ half of the nation's workers, have the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit to drive our economic recovery--if we give them the tools they need to succeed.

And opening the doors to global trade is one of the best, but least talked about, ways of fostering small-business growth.

While this may seem counterintuitive as the stimulus bill's "Buy American" provisions dominate headlines, international trade can help small businesses stay strong in tough times by helping them diversify and by shielding them against the risk of being dependent on one market.

Access to global markets can move a new business from a backyard garage to a local warehouse to a global network. In fact, small businesses that export are 20% more productive and have 20% greater job growth than non-exporters, and they are 9% more likely to stay financially solvent.

The opportunities from global trade also can help fuel the entrepreneurial spirit we need right now. In a recent nationwide UPS survey of small businesses, 91% of small-business owners said that in one year, they expect their company to be in the same or better financial shape than it is today.

But of the respondents, small-business owners who engage in international trade were even more likely to project that their business would be in a better economic position 12 months from now. So keeping these economic engines humming by facilitating trade in today's tough times is critical.

To open trade doors for small business, the first thing we must do is prevent a potentially costly mistake: the resurgence of protectionism. Protectionism did not help the U.S. climb out of the Great Depression. In fact, in the wake of protectionist laws, world trade declined by 66% between 1929 and 1934.

In contrast, the World Trade Organization estimates that cutting trade barriers across agriculture, manufacturing and services by one-third would add $613 billion to the world economy. In the U.S., trade supports millions of American jobs. In fact, according to the U.S. Treasury Department, as many as 57 million Americans now work for companies engaged in global commerce.

At a time of economic uncertainty, America's exports are growing and helping the U.S. economy, not hurting it. Small businesses sold nearly $263 billion in known exports in 2006 (the latest data available)--that's up 68.7% from 1996. Clearly, entrepreneurs are recognizing the benefits of trade, and we should do what we can to help them harness the power of trade to grow their businesses.

To be sure, while trade has clear benefits, it also presents challenges, from learning about new markets to complying with complex customs regulations. Fortunately, there already is in place a network of resources available to help small businesses through the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Commercial Services, which have numerous export centers nationwide.

At a time when funding government programs is under the microscope, we must make sure that these organizations have the resources they need so they can help small businesses trade. In today's market, access to financing is critical. Expanding beyond borders requires an initial capital investment--something that's not easy for many small-business owners.

The U.S. Export-Import Bank and the Small Business Administration can help small businesses finance their global expansions in a manageable way. As credit markets tighten, legislators and the business community must do what they can to make sure these organizations keep credit open to help small businesses succeed.

As we work toward economic recovery, the most important thing for small businesses to know is that trade offers opportunities even during these difficult times, and there are resources that can help them expand to new markets.

But it is up to lawmakers, trade associations and the business community at large to empower small businesses with the tools they need to succeed on the world stage--which, in turn, will help preserve the optimistic, entrepreneurial spirit we need for economic recovery.

Dan Brutto is president of UPS International.

Ask an Expert: Flexing your digital muscles can pump up business

2009-03-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.usatoday.com
By Steve Strauss for USA TODAY

Beefing up your online presence is like getting in shape. What you must do today is flex your digital muscles.

Here's how:

1. Build website muscles. As I said, the only thing worse than no website is having a bad one.

We all know what those look like, don't we? It's the site where the homepage scrolls on for about five minutes, where the graphics are jarring and ugly, it has too much copy and slow loading graphics, and it says "© 2004" at the bottom. In short, the site looks like, not only did your teenage daughter build it for you, but no one has attended to it in several years.

What a mistake.

To me, there are two exceptionally great things about the Internet, from a small business perspective:

• It allows you access to markets you otherwise could never reach

• It allows you to look every bit as big and professional as the Big Boys.

So where do you get that great website? There are no shortage of online options.

Example: Last week, my brother (who is no Webhead) had to build a site for one of his marketing clients. So he surfed over to Microsoft Office Live (Microsoft is a company I do some work with, btw), and built his client an elegant, great looking site – for free. With a simple point and click graphic interface, and pre-loaded templates, here is but one way that anyone can get and grow online easily and affordably.

The important thing is that you take advantage of such tools. Beefing up your Web muscles will make your business less wimpy.

2. Find some "workout" partners. Going to the gym is a social activity, and in that vein, the more friends who support your efforts to get in digital shape, the better you will do.

The Web is a social medium, so it behooves you to take advantage of everything that it offers. Doing so will help you create advocates, find new customers, locate strategic partners, and drive increased sales.

There are several ways to do this:

• Get social: It's not called "social media" for no reason. Sites like Facebook and Twitter enable you to connect with other small business owners and potential customers.

I have a pal in San Francisco who created many significant and lucrative business deals via LinkedIn. He will have some project he is working on and will need to tap some business for sales or partnering or whatever. He has found that he almost always is able to get to the right person in those companies through his LinkedIn connections.

• Be Web 2.0 friendly: This era of the Internet, the Web 2.0 era, is distinguished by interactivity; people want to do more than just read about your business on your site. They expect some level of interaction. So that is what you must give them.

That means different things, from forums and videos to blogs, comments, and podcasts. Making and posting a video, for example, explaining who you are and what you do is not difficult.

• Help people find you: Your site also needs to be search engine optimized (SEO). SEO will allow your site to be found by people who share your interests, who are looking for what it is you sell.

Having keywords sprinkled throughout your site will, like Jerry Maguire, help them help you.
The point is, the more professional, social, and interactive your site, the more you will be able to grow your business, easily and affordably, and allow you to get in Webtastic shape.

Next week: Using email to grow your business

Today's tip: "Do that one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire."— Oprah Winfrey.

Canada's franchised cafe opens in Sydney

2009-03-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.franchise.net.au

If you want to set up a cafe business a partnership of property developer, hospitality expert and champion barista is probably a good start. And that’s the trio behind the latest cafe brand launch in Australia, Canada's franchised Presse Cafe which officially opened its doors in Sydney with a cocktail party attended by the Canadian Consul General.

Master franchisee for Australia and New Zealand, Tony Isaac explained “Australia has been missing a little French flair. We’ve been in business for two weeks and had a great response.”

Initially Isaac and partner Halim Hachem plan to open and operate five corporate stores before franchising the brand across the country. Hachem’s barista son Charlie is running the first store and will be responsible for future training of franchisees.

Finding the right venue, the ground floor of a commercial building near Circular Quay, was helped by Isaac’s property development experience. “This took two years to come to fruition,” said Isaac. “We want to be a blue chip tenant.” The second site has already been signed up in Sydney’s Elizabeth Street and is due to open in six months.

Veronique Boisjoly, marketing director for Presse Café, was on hand to oversee the Australian opening. “We are in the business of passion,” she said. In Canada there are more than 100 franchised outlets and the brand is due to be seen on the streets of Paris with a cafe launch in June.

The success of the brand is due to its mix of product and the café setting, explained Boisjoly. In Sydney a tight menu of sandwiches, French patisserie cakes and pastries are accompanied by a coffee serve specially blended to suit the Australian market. “We don’t want to impose but to adapt to the local culture,” said Boisjoly.

Coffee business is zooming ahead

2009-03-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.northernstar.com.au

IN JUST three years, Zoom Coffee's success has mirrored its name, going from a double garage at Lennox Head to its own roasting and warehouse site in Ballina.

And just recently, wholesaler Zoom purchased Coffee Nirvana, adding Lattetude and Nirvana to its existing brands.

Home-grown is a strong sentiment and Zoom has two brands - Australian-certified organic Fairtrade and Australian Arabica, a local coffee grown without pesticides. Nirvana comes from a local plantation at Newrybar. Zoom's products are licensed with the Australian Grown Campaign, as well as Fairtrade.

Zoom's managing director, Mark Nancarrow, said acquiring Coffee Nirvana enabled his business to expand into the important restaurant and cafe sector and to continue its reach into other states and areas, such as premium grocery lines.

The new facility at Ballina incorporates a coffee showroom, espresso training centre and a roasting and packaging plant workshop.

Zoom was one of the first coffees locally to recognise the trend towards Fairtrade and the Rainforest Alliance, and is now established as a leader in supplying both coffee products to the wholesale market.

“At Christmas we notched up our 35th store, but now with the purchase of Coffee Nirvana we'll be selling into about 150 stores and 60 cafes,” Mr Nancarrow said.

He said he was now concentrating on building the brand in stores.

“We've had a nibble from China and South Korea. They approached us, so we sent quite a bit of coffee over there and we'll see what comes of that. I'm really concentrating on our Australian coffee - Nirvana is registered with Australian growers.

Part of Zoom's success has been in partnerships it has made with schools.

“We're very heavily into marketing and we'll go to school fairs and set up a stand for them and an espresso machine and make coffees. The customers pay, but we give the takings to the school as a fundraiser. It's good, because the school gets good money and we get our branding out in the marketplace. Instead of handing out free samples, which we used to do - this works better. And we might raise $1000 for the school,” he said.

As well as hitting a chord with the public, Zoom Coffee has a swag of awards under its belt, including two bronze medals at the Equal Golden Bean Roasting Awards.

“Zoom Coffee ranked overall in the top five per cent of roasters in Australia. We beat some of the big names in the coffee industry,” Mr Nancarrow said.

With a background in managing big newsagencies in western Sydney, Mr Nancarrow appreciates the compact nature of his business. Although with its rapid expansion, he has upgraded systems.

“We have a good inventory system which I've set up and that's important to get a handle on cash flow and what we have on the floor. I do worry about how quickly it's growing, but I'm passionate about what we do and I'm confident we have an excellent product, so I plan on getting in touch with AusTrade to look at our export possibilities,” he said.

Zoom Coffee uses local companies to supply of reusable bags and labels. And the company supplies its green coffee beans in hessian bags to minimise waste.

As well as exceptional coffee, Mr Nancarrow puts Zoom's success down to excellent service.

“That's our point of difference. I'll go around the shops each week or fortnight and tidy the shelves up or restock and say g'day, just to get a face out there. And we only roast the beans as the orders come in, it's absolutely fresh. I'm not just dumping the box and saying see you later, we actually put the stock up on the shelves,” he said.

The company of strangers

2009-03-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

http://www.smh.com.au/
March 17, 2009 - 12:00AM

It's the latest trend in dining out - get a text and go to a one-off event. You never know who you'll meet, writes Carli Ratcliff.

A TEXT message arrives with an address, a dress code and a request to be prompt. Dinner will be served at 10pm.

Welcome to the world of underground dining, Sydney-style.

Transient Diner is the brainchild of an apprentice chef who felt stifled working in five-star kitchens. Realising many of his colleagues felt the same, he developed the dining concept to give third- and fourth-year apprentice chefs the opportunity to run a virtual restaurant for an evening.

From finding the location and creating the menu to curating a theme and employing staff, the experience gives young chefs the freedom to experiment without the commitments and responsibilities of opening a real restaurant.

The chef behind Transient Diner refuses to be named, remaining true to the group's strict code of conduct. Explaining the motivation behind the collective, he says, "These young chefs are highly competent, they are the ones executing the signature dishes of Australia's best restaurants . . . it is our intention to bring them in from the background, to encourage, motivate and grow them."

Menus vary from hearty home-cooked fare served in a paddock to a Spanish-influenced 10-course degustation menu with matched wines.

Dinners are held monthly. Patrons log their interest via email and, if selected, receive a return email with a reservation date. No further information arrives until the day of the dinner, via text message.

Underground dining collectives were born of the speakeasy (illicit liquor outlet) tradition in the US during the Prohibition years (1920 to 1933). It is estimated there are more than 100 secret dining groups in the US and a growing number across Europe and Latin America.

Some secret dining groups are closely aligned with political and social movements. Chef Alice Waters, of California's famed Chez Panisse, began her career on the underground dining circuit in the late 1960s. Catering for fellow free-speech campaigners, Walters's community-conscious dinners became known as Alice's Restaurant.

Some groups operate as social networks for like-minded foodies, such as Casa Felix in Buenos Aires. It's a private dining club, known as a "closed door", where patrons enjoy fish and vegetable feasts in gastronomic defiance of the city's obsession with beef.

Others provide a way to meet new people, such as Sydney's Cheap Eats group, a collective of North Shore singles who love food and wine. The group has met weekly since 1982. Punters register interest via a website and, once approved, are supplied with a phone number for details of the next location. Convenor "Kingsley" believes secrecy and privacy are major drawcards.

"Secret locations intrigue people and the fact that the group changes constantly means you never know who you will meet," he says.

For many patrons, however, it's all about the allure of the unknown. Dinner might be in a field or a car park or a private home.

The underground dining trend reached Hong Kong in 1997, following the Asian economic crisis. In her memoir, Shark's Fin And Sichuan Pepper, Fuchsia Dunlop chronicles the rise of private kitchens run by families keen to supplement their income, often from their own kitchen table. Many private kitchens gained a cult following and have grown into larger underground restaurants. Some are booked out months in advance.

Michael Fantuz began his underground network, Table for 20, in Sydney in 2004. Together with other Surry Hills locals, he was keen to create a communal dining experience with a focus on simple food and interesting company.

"The underlying objective has always been conviviality," he says.

They started as informal "hood dinners" in friends' kitchens and living rooms. Everyone would bring a plate and help out in the kitchen. In 2006 Fantuz decided to rent a permanent space in Campbell Street, Surry Hills. Community-spirited dinners now run weekly. Interested patrons send a text message to a mobile service and are contacted if there is room at the table.

Fantuz welcomes diners, runs the floor and eats with his guests. Two communal tables are covered in platters of food. There is no menu. "Sharing and eating the same dishes provides a sense of communion and encourages discussion between people who may never have met otherwise," Fantuz says. "It's a shared experience."

Alison Drover, convivium leader of Slow Food Sydney, says it's no surprise underground dining is an emerging trend.

"It's all about connecting people through food and a consciousness about what you are eating," she says. "It's a move away from flashy restaurants to a more intimate, often private experience."

Savva Savas of Plated catering agrees. Savas curates bespoke secret dinners for clients and goes to great lengths to guard their privacy. "The host wants their guests to be comfortable, to be able to be themselves and to enjoy an experience that can't be had in a restaurant," he says.

Savas has designed and executed a secret dinner for 20 in a tunnel. "The client was so insistent on secrecy that all correspondence was hand-delivered and details discussed in person," he says. "Even I wasn't privy to the location until four hours prior."

On another occasion, guests were transported blindfolded in a minibus to a private home. The windows were blacked out and the guests had no idea where they were.

The style of food is dictated by the environment, Savas says. "The menu has to be designed around logistical limitations," he says. At a secret dinner in a warehouse we had no power and no gas, so we arrived with the food ready and a box of candles."

He believes the key to a successful secret dinner is an extraordinary location, appropriately matched food and a sense of freedom."In a private scenario people tend to be bolder and to mingle more broadly," he says. "The experience gives guests a common talking point, it's a great conversation starter."

Shaking things up in the world of e-learning

2009-03-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.hospitality-industry.com

The last two decades have witnessed a dramatic rise in the popularity of e-learning.

Extraordinary changes that we are now facing in terms of communication and sharing information has meant that e-learning has had to adapt to meet the needs of today’s businessmen and women.

e-Learning is an area that is currently being used by many, but why use e-learning and what are the reasons for its popularity? Marco Faccini, account director, hospitality division of ThirdForce PLC, one of the largest e-learning providers in the UK, tells hospitality-industry.com why.

Traditionally, e-learning was plainly a method of uploading manuals online. From its infancy e-learning had an extremely long journey to complete to ‘wow’ its audience.

More recently, e-learning has become much more focused on engaging the learner and providing a constructive and rewarding environment. The classroom comes alive with lessons packed full of sights, sounds, quizzes and games.

A learner in the e-learning environment can now become part of the class through the interactive nature of online learning. With a combined functionality of text, audio and visual media, e-learning has become much more accessible to international students.

Offered in languages such as English, Polish and Portuguese, a diverse workforce can partake in the e-learning phenomenon. The senses, namely sights and sounds, are fully intrigued through the array of online possibilities.

e-Learning was renowned for its presentation in large chunks of information. This method did not help the learner to retain information, nor did it motivate course completion.

In fact, it had a negative effect on the learner, daunting the individual with the sheer amount of material that needed to be learnt in a one off session. More recently, the placing of the learner at the heart of learning has meant a rapid increase in popularity. The e-learner is ideally placed to know what they want to study and in what format. And so they should be!

Now available in smaller portions, e-learning material has become much more inviting for an array of students, of differing academic backgrounds. Material can be digested more easily and with increased flexibility.

Shake it, shake it!

The use of scenarios and games has also shaken and stirred the world of online learning.

The ability to experiment, discover and reflect has made e-learning progressively more fashionable, encouraging an environment in which mistakes are permitted.

Flexible material tailored specifically to the learner allows for a non-threatening learning space, where learners can progress at their own pace and can actually enjoy the experience.

More confident learners are shaped, achieving the qualifications they truly deserve. e-Learners with basic IT skills can also experience online activity on fun, user-friendly platforms.

Online discovery

In its formative years e-learning was a highly dictatorial method of teaching and learning.

Presented as a ‘tell and test’ activity employees were told the content that they must learn and then they would be tested. Learners were unable to discover new information: this was seen as a huge downfall!

Nowadays, the learner can be part of a much more relaxed and personalised ‘try and see’ process.

Now presented as a route to discovery, e-learning, reported by numerous learners, is 100 per cent more motivating as it builds on prior knowledge. Discussions are spurred on by exploratory and thought provoking questions between the learner and online tutor and even social networking with both colleagues and external participants.

Rightfully so, active learning environments are places where questions should be posed and answered.

Creators and designers of e-learning have cleverly introduced character simulations that engage the online learner in a social experience where a ‘real person’ guides instruction and the lesson. Personality is created through visual impact, choice of language and even voice. Given all the advances that gaming and social technologies have made in recent times, why can’t e-learning incorporate some of these engaging and interesting components?

Extending the boundaries of learning

Once designed for desktop computer use, e-learning constrained learners to the confines of the classroom. With advances in technology witnessed over the past few years, why should students’ learning be restricted?

Learning should be an activity performed with ease and one that encourages learners to commit to their course of study and further their qualifications.

The long awaited availability of e-learning on the move has now arrived. Obtainable on mobile, tablet-form computers, known as the el-box, e-learning caters for those employees that live life on the move.

Being able to use handheld technology, employees can dip in and out of their training whenever and wherever convenient. This supports the current lifestyle of today’s learner and those who may have sporadic working hours such as those working in bars, restaurants and hotels.

Most of us are now permanently attached to our mobile phones and laptops, and are used to accessing what we want, when we want it! 21st century learning needs to mirror these advances.

The attractiveness of e-learning has also arisen from the types of materials that are presented.

The digital generation of the new millennium seek blogs, discussion forums and web pages that allow them to initiate their own styles of learning and take part in extremely interactive and engaging tasks. These online pages provoke thought and debate, allowing learners to explore their understanding of their workplace and job role.

With the use of network technologies to deliver and facilitate learning, anytime anywhere learning is rapidly growing in today’s hospitality sector. e-Learning gives people the competitive edge to lift performance, raise standards and guarantee best practice. Ultimately it facilitates a modern and forward thinking approach.

Chefs go back to basics

2009-03-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

Celebrity chefs were given a bake last week over the nutritional value of their top-selling recipe books. But three leading Queensland chefs have tipped the drainer on suggestions the industry needs a master class in how to cook for real people.

David Pugh, Brad Jolly and Paul McGivern create top-quality cuisine at work every day, but these award-winning culinary kings know they need to get back to basics when it comes to impressing their toughest critics—their kids.

While Nigella Lawson and Gordon Ramsay were accused by a UK report of encouraging unhealthy eating through fat-filled recipes, Mr Jolly, of Brisbane CBD restaurant Alchemy, said the key to cooking for his family was to do "something that's not too complicated but with great quality ingredients''.

The chef's favourite meal is a ragu using a recipe supplied by his Italian mother-in-law. He also likes whipping up vegetable soups which he uses to trick his three-year-old son Mackenzie into eating veges.

The Sunday Mail., March 15

Correct beans means better coffee

2009-03-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

Fallon Hudson 12th March 2009

BARISTA Jonathan Whitfield doesn't need a shot of coffee to awaken his senses.

For Mr Whitfield, coffee is not just a drink but an emotional experience which should be enjoyed.
Mention the word “coffee” and he can transport you to the spicy and floral aromas of the world.

Mr Whitfield and his business partner Justin Humphrey are qualified baristas who run Coffee Dominion in Townsville.

The pair, who have trained under the Australia World Barista Champion Paul Bassett, held a coffee appreciation class at Harrup Park Country Club yesterday.

The Don's Coffee Lounge was filled with eager students who learnt about different varieties, how coffee was grown, coffee roasting as well as cupping coffee samples.

“The aim of the class was to increase coffee appreciation to Harrup Park members and teach them how to make an espresso,” Mr Whitfield said.

Both Mr Whitfield and Mr Humphrey undertook coffee course with the Specialty Coffee Association of America and the European Trade Association.

“I don't think many appreciate coffee in an holistic approach, which values the type of coffee beans and the characteristics of it in the cup. They are used to buying packaged coffee,” Mr Whitfield said.

How to brew perfect coffee

• To make an espresso always wipe the filter basket of your coffee maker rather then washing it out, that way the filter maintains the seasons of the coffee oils.

• Try to use fresh coffee beans, preferably three months after roasting.

• For a fuller flavour use coffee beans one to three weeks after roasting.

• When buying coffee beans try and buy beans where the label describes the origin and area where the coffee was grown.

• Clean your machine at least once a week.

• Store coffee beans in the fridge rather than in a cupboard.

Unions opt for jobs over pay

2009-03-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

Ewin Hannan, Brad Norington and Lauren Wilson March 12, 2009
Article from: The Australian

PAY rises for thousands of workers in the nation's struggling retail and hospitality sectors could be deferred for up to five years, as unions concede the need to minimise cost pressures on employers during the economic downturn.

Confronting employer claims that the Rudd Government's proposed revamp of award conditions for low-paid workers would cost jobs, union officials said yesterday they were prepared to spread the pay rises over five years to help business.

Julia Gillard's plan to have the workplace umpire modernise hundreds of awards that govern minimum pay and conditions by January 1 is running parallel with the introduction of Labor's new laws to replace the Coalition's Work Choices.

The proposed pay rises flowing to many workers in retail and hospitality -- which have sparked warnings from employers of large-scale job losses -- challenge the Deputy Prime Minister's claim that Labor's industrial regime will not cost jobs.

Employers have complained bitterly that they will suffer pain from the process as restaurants, hotels and other businesses are forced to accept increases of 8 per cent to 50 per cent in wages, penalty rates, loadings and allowances as states with lower minimum rates are forced to accept a higher common standard.

The Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union said it would also consider an employer demand to delay any pay rises for the next 12 to 24 months in exchange for higher increases in later years.

Union officials representing retail workers have also agreed to spread pay rises over five years. While some retail workers would be worse off, many would be better off and unions said they accepted the need to sensibly address employer complaints.

LHMU national secretary Louise Tarrant will meet with the chief executive of the Restaurant and Catering Association, John Hart, today to discuss an implementation schedule for award changes introduced along with Labor's Fair Work Bill.

"There may well be a five-year phase-in for the additional loadings," Ms Tarrant said. "That way it can be transitioned in a way that can be sympathetic to employers. We want to make it workable, that's our intention."

Mr Hart said the association would want all pay rises deferred for the first 12 to 24 months.
"What we'd be looking to negotiate is greater increases later in the five-year period, with probably no increase in the next 12 months to two years, depending on the economic outlook," he said. Ms Tarrant would not rule out a wage-rise deferral. "We want to make sure it's done in a managed way," she said.

Joe de Bruyn, the national secretary of the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association, said some retail employees would lose out under award modernisation, including casual retail employees in Victoria, who would have their loadings reduced.

But Mr de Bruyn said the union was prepared to "be reasonable" and allow the pay rises to be phased in over the five years. "To overcome this employer bleating about 'we can't pay', we just say, 'well, let's phase it in over time'," he said. "Whether employees are going to be disadvantaged or whether they are going to be advantaged, let's just do it over a five-year period and then nobody can really complain."

Ms Gillard's office confirmed yesterday that the minister was willing to accept a transition period of up to five years to ease the pain for employers.

A spokeswoman for Ms Gillard referred to the Government's supplementary submission to the commission on awards last month, in which it backed employers and unions having sufficient time to become familiar with the content of new awards "before their commencement on 1 January 2010".

Quoting from the Government's submission, she said: "This is particularly important in light of the global financial crisis, with businesses requiring certainty regarding their costs."

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry claims Ms Gillard's directions on phasing-in common award pay rates appear confused because it was not clear if she meant a fixed January 1 starting date or "signposts" for increases over the next five years.

The chamber's workplace director, Scott Barklamb, said employers wanted to avoid "massive shocks" as minimum pay rates in different industries and states were dramatically increased for the sake of simplifying the system.

Mr Barklamb said employers were not clear whether or not she meant freezing some award pay rates and lifting others over time.

"We are looking forward to getting award modernisation right with little or no costs change," Mr Barklamb said. "But we remain sceptical because Ms Gillard has said the modernisation of awards is not meant to disadvantage employers or employees.

We can't see how employers will be spared cost increases if rates are increased up to a common level."

Ms Gillard proposed a round of late amendments to the Fair Work bill on Monday, in a letter to senators that was meant to satisfy concerns about the legislation raised by employers.

Employers remain deeply concerned, however, that unions will be able to force "good faith" bargaining on employers with few members at a worksite. Small business objects to a reintroduction of unfair dismissal claims for all workers, overturning an exemption for companies with fewer than 100 employees under Work Choices.

Speaking on Sydney radio yesterday, Ms Gillard said she accepted employers needed to have a "really good look" at new workers to see if they fitted into a business.

Under Labor's revised laws, she said, small business employers with fewer than 15 employees would have an exemption from dismissal claims for up to 12 months.

"In bigger businesses, it's six months," Ms Gillard said.

While not ruling out job losses caused by the economic downturn, she insisted Labor's laws were fair and the legislation should proceed unchanged. Family First Senator Steve Fielding has proposed amendments to exempt small business from compulsory union bargaining and right of entry provisions.

Additional reporting: Patricia Karvelas

Excellent reason to indulge in a cuppa

2009-03-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au
Necia Wilden

WHAT champagne is to sparkling wine, a Cup of Excellence is to your standard morning coffee.
Bringing new meaning to the term international roast, the Cup of Excellence range is recognised by the coffee industry worldwide as the cream of the crop.

Cup of Excellence beans are considered the peak of coffee production, offering the best quality brews from nine of the world's top coffee-producing nations.

British coffee expert Stephen Hurst, who is visiting Australia this week, is on the board of directors of the annual Cup of Excellence competitions, in which producers vie to be ranked their country's top coffee producer.

"We're at the sharp end of the industry, the top 2 to 3 per cent of coffee production," he said. "This is the very top level of tasting."

Since the non-profit Cup of Excellence organisation was launched in Brazil in 1999, with three member countries, the value of its coffee beans sold at auction has risen from $US4.63 per pound to $US7.05 per pound between 2005-2008.

The competition is now run every year in nine coffee-producing countries, from Colombia to El Salvador and Rwanda, and Cup of Excellence coffee is sold at cafes and foodstores from Britain to America to Norway and Japan.

The cafe latte sets in Sydney and Melbourne can now enjoy Cup of Excellence coffees in a few specialist cafes in Sydney and Melbourne.

Russell Beard, owner of The Source cafe and roastery in Mosman on Sydney's northside, will be charging his standard $3.50 for the special brew.

"The whole experience is really about celebrating the farmer and the farm where it was grown," he said.

At Brother Baba Budan, a cafe in Melbourne's CBD, owner Mark Dundon is offering Guatemalan "Finca La Perla" Cup of Excellence for $3 a cup, his standard coffee price.

Mr Dundon, who is travelling to Colombia next week to be one of 15 international judges at the 2009 Colombian Cup of Excellence competition, said the program offered significant financial benefits for coffee farmers.

Almost all the coffees are sourced from a single estate, and occasionally two or three small farms will be grouped together. As well, the farmer's name is included on the elaborate tasting notes that accompany each bag of beans.

So what's the best way to enjoy the ultimate coffee?

Mr Hurst said the best way to appreciate the individual qualities of a Cup of Excellence is to enjoy it as filter or plunger coffee.

"That's when they really come into their own," he said."You might taste a Kenyan alongside an Ethiopian. The Kenyan will be like a Barolo wine, with big, bold, blackcurranty flavours; the Ethiopian will be floral, jasmine, delicate, like a refined white wine. They're totally different."

To continue the wine analogy for the moment at least, you can go to a cafe and drink the coffee equivalent of a glass of Krug champagne for the price of a Domaine Chandon.

Small Businesses Special Tax Break

2009-03-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

http://smallbusiness.smh.com.au
Mark Davis

OWNERS of small businesses will gain a special tax break if they buy new equipment ranging from computers and fax machines to cars and industrial machinery before the end of the financial year.

As part of its latest economic stimulus package, the Federal Government is offering small businesses a tax deduction of 30 per cent of the cost of new capital equipment worth more than $1000 so long as it is bought by June 30 and installed before the year's end.

The Government gave the examples of a business buying a $2000 computer, which would attract a $600 deduction against its tax liability, and a firm buying a $60,000 backhoe, which would gain an $18,000 deduction.

The tax deduction will be available for any business with a turnover of $2 million a year or less. It will fall to 10 per cent for equipment bought from July until the end of December for installation by the end of 2010.

Bigger businesses will be eligible for the same tax deductions but will have to spend at least $10,000 on new equipment to qualify.

The Treasurer, Wayne Swan, said the tax break would help businesses increase their investment spending, which would bolster economic activity and support jobs.

"Businesses in Australia, especially small businesses, are the engine of the Australian economy and deserve direct support during a global recession," Mr Swan said.

The Government expects the tax break, which will come on top of existing deductions to business for depreciation of capital equipment, will cost it $2.7 million in foregone revenue over the next three financial years.

Top 10 from Taste of Sydney

2009-03-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

The food festival, Taste of Sydney arrives in Centennial Park, with over 15,000 Sydneysiders set to enjoy the fine fare March 12-15.

Featuring 15 of the cities finest restaurants plus wineries, producers, cocktail bars, live music and well appointed seating areas, the park will be transformed into an outdoor dining wonderland where visitors can create their own degustation and enjoy what the hospitality industry has to offer.

These are the top ten picks for Taste of Sydney this week.

1. Chef’s Table is the place to ask the Taste chefs for cooking tips, tricks and techniques to improve your culinary knowledge. Have a chat to Peter Conisitis of Civic Dining, Lindt’s Swiss Master Chocolatier Thomas Schnetzler, Armando Percuoco of Buon Ricordo or the host of other chefs.

2. The Emirates VIP Lounge are where visitors to Taste can experience Emirates first class hospitality and service in the VIP ticketed lounge with exclusive seating, coupled with complimentary drinks and refreshments. Tickets are $100 which includes entry, $30 worth of Crowns & access to the VIP lounge.

3. Beechworth Honey who have quickly grown to be Australia’s largest privately owned honey company will be showcasing their recent range of products including red stringy bark, peppermint, apple blossom, and creamy honey with ginger and fig.

4. Chandon Sparking Masterclass in the Taste Wine Theatre is shaping up to be popular, hosted by the Chandon experts the session will give bubble lovers a greater appreciation and understanding of what it takes to make a great sparkling.

5. The Lavazza A Modo Mio will be unveiled at Taste of Sydney, which will allow people to create the perfect espresso at home. The compact unit delivers café quality espresso with individual capsules containing the exact dose of fine ground coffees at the touch of a button.

6. Create a degustation with a selection from the Taste of Sydney restaurants which include Civic Dining, Ottoman Cuisine, Pilu at Freshwater, Centennial Parklands Dining, Flying Fish, Bird Cow Fish, Jonah’s at Whale Beach, Becasse & Etch, Berowra Waters Inn, Restaurant Balzac, Assiette, Danks Street Depot, Sailors Thai, Longrain Restaurant & Bar and Buon Ricordo.

7. Wollundry Grove Olives have set the standard for premium olive oil and table olives in the Riverina region. Visitors to Taste of Sydney will be able to sample the distinctive range of table olives and oils and speak to the owner’s first-hand.

8. James Squire Beer Masterclass, hosted by Chuck Hahn will give visitors a chance to hear about the evolution of beer in Australia and insight into the art of beer and food matching.

9. Kurrajong Kitchens have been making lavosh since 1993 and it has now become a popular staple in many cupboards. Launching their new Sheperd’s bread at Taste of Sydney, visitors will also be able to purchase the new product and try the full range of products.

10. Event details:
Taste Sydney Dates 12-15 March 2009
Venue: Centennial Park – Brazilian Fields

Session Opening Times:
Thursday 12th March - 5pm-9pm
Friday 13th March - 11:30am-3:30pm & 5pm-9pm
Saturday 14th March - 11:30am-3:30pm & 5pm-9pm
Sunday 15th March - 12pm-5pm

Entry only ticket (Pre purchased) $25
Premium ticket $50 includes entry and $30 worth of Crowns
Pre purchase essential through www.tastefestivals.com.au and Ticketek 132 849
Standard Entry is $30 on the door.

The Emirates Lounge VIP Ticket $100 includes entry, $30 worth of Crowns & access to the VIP Emirates Lounge including complimentary drinks
Child (age 6-14) $15 entry only

Go fig

2009-03-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

Matt Moran

Many chefs, when asked, find it difficult to nominate a favourite fruit. Depends on the season, they say, or what you're using it for.

Not me. I love a new season raspberry or cold climate quince, but there's one out-and-out favourite: the fig.

Some ingredients are destined to be bit players, others naturally take centre stage. Figs are one of the latter. With their unique texture, earthy flavour and undeniable good looks, they're movie star material.

Figs are thought to be one of the first fruits cultivated by man. Known as 'the tree of life' in ancient Egypt, they've been found in tombs there.

They're unusual in structure: the edible pulp inside is the remains of the flower.

Sunday Telegraph (Sydney) March 1

Aussie food trends set the next course for Brits

2009-03-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

Aussies have taken a leaf out of Jamie Oliver’s cookbook and are teaching the Brits a thing or two about food with the launch of an Austrade food trends report in the UK.

Austrade’s Senior Trade Commissioner for the UK, Kylie Hargreaves, said the Austrends 2009 Report was developed to create some buzz in the UK Market around the interesting and unique food trends coming out of Australia, during a difficult time for new product development and marketing.

“Retailers here in the UK are a little bit behind some of the Australian trends," said Hargreaves.

"For example, even though Australia has a much smaller population than the UK, things like tasty free-from products have become mainstream.

“Free-from is a highly profitable area in the UK as the market has grown dramatically over the last five years, by more than 300 per cent according to market analysts Mintel. But it’s not yet mainstream.

“There continues to be negative flavour and quality perceptions - something that Australian producers could help shrug off with their premium and flavourful free-from product lines.
Supermarket retailers will be seeking to differentiate themselves from each other in this difficult climate through innovation, quality and value for money and Australia has a lot to offer UK retailers in this space."

Carman's Fine Foods, managing director, Carolyn Creswell, which produces a gluten-free muesli, sees supplying Sainsbury's supermarkets free-from offerings as a way to add depth and variety to a category.

“Dietary requirements have been recognised in Australia for a long time, but due to vast media coverage and increased awareness, many people now choose to avoid certain ingredients, which we previously considered ‘staples’ even if they do not suffer from an allergy or intolerance,” said Ms Creswell.

"Carman's chooses not to use cheap bulking ingredients such as wheat and bran; these ingredients aren't needed for taste and so by excluding them the product is available to a wider audience.

Hargreaves comments that other interesting Australian trends include Super Premium lines and Enhanced Convenience For Convenience foods.

“The Australian convenience market is full of innovative offerings that add value to the convenience sector without compromising on flavour, value for money or quality,” said Hargreaves.

“Quick and convenient products for the foodservice market that are proving popular in Australia and could be a success in the UK include smoothies distributed as frozen packs that can be de-frosted and mixed to create bespoke flavours at the point of sale and pre-mixed gelato that simply requires the addition of water.

Hargreaves added that the UK food and drink sector may be going through a turbulent time, but innovative retailers, suppliers and producers are focusing on the better times ahead by developing a stronger understanding of evolving consumer needs and demands.

Queensland Coffee Festival on again

2009-03-03T19:43:00.000-08:00

By FoodWeek Online

The second Gold Coast Coffee Festival will take place this year on May 31 in Surfers Paradise."

Queensland's first The Coffee Festival, held last June, saw a huge crowd enjoy the wonderful line up of coffee, chocolate, tea and spice stalls as well as the inaugural Gold Coast Barista Championship," said event organiser, Liz Pommer.

"The most popular activities at the event, however, were the workshops where coffee, chocolate and tea fans could taste and use their favourite products," she said.

"Due to the popular demand, we will again host the painting with coffee, chocolate appreciation and where's that coffee from? workshops, as well as adding a couple of new sessions based around tea and spice."

"We will also again include the educational talks on the main stage which had experts from the tea, coffee and chocolate industries talking on everything from the history of coffee in Australia to how to make the perfect cup of tea to how to detect the quality of your chocolate," Pommer said.

"The first Gold Coast Barista Championship saw some of the best baristas come up with the most amazing concoctions including a Mandarin latte and a honeycomb Cappuccino."

This Gold Coast Barista Championship is now listed on the official circuit and can provide a pathway to the World Barista Championships for the top local baristas. "

This year the festival will be held on the same weekend as iconic music events Blues on Broadbeach and Wintersun so we think this will be an exciting weekend for anyone who wants to visit the Gold Coast," said Pommer.

Top city restaurants cut prices and waiting lists

2009-03-03T19:40:00.000-08:00

WAITING lists at some of Sydney's top restaurants have been slashed as recession-conscious consumers opt for takeaway and cheaper dinners.

Restaurants including world-famous Tetsuya's, are cutting prices and taking bookings with just 24-hours notice.

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures on consumer trends show a 13 per cent fall in the amount Australians spent on eating out over the last three months of 2008.

"Spending at cafes and restaurants has continued to fall, showing the largest annual decline in the 25 years records have been kept," Commsec analysts, who obtained the figures, said yesterday.

At Tetsuya Wakuda's Kent St restaurant the waiting list has shrunk from three months less than a year ago to as little as 24 hours.

Diners hungry for Peter Kuravita's fare can call his Pyrmont eatery Flying Fish in the afternoon and reserve a table for that night. In better times the restaurant was booked weeks in advance.

And Justin Hemmes' stylish Est. restaurant is adapting to leaner times, offering a two-course "credit crunch lunch".

"It's $50 for two courses and $60 for three. That is pretty good value for three hat dining," Merivale Restaurants head Frank Roberts said yesterday.

KPMG partner and demographer Bernard Salt said the figures showed people were shying away from being openly extravagant.

"We used to idolise celebrity chefs," he said.

"Now we are learning frugal ways forgotten for a generation."

Mr Salt said he expected the dinner party to become more fashionable as the wealthy opted to enjoy excess in private.

New dates for Restaurant 09 Melbourne

2009-03-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

The restaurant 09 Melbourne trade show is moving to new dates in June to better suit the market and attract more international chefs. It will now run on June 17 and 18 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.

The restaurant shows are now part of the growing food and hospitality portfolio of Diversified Exhibitions Australia, which includes Fine Food, Good Food & Wine and the Gluten Free shows.

Exhibition manager Michael-William Kelly said the new dates would allow participants to work with overseas chefs and winemakers appearing at The Good Food & Wine Show.

The restaurant 09 Sydney show, scheduled for August 10 and 11, will remain in its current dates. Both shows will feature a wide range of food, drink and equipment suppliers as well as business related seminars and chef demonstrations. Entry is strictly trade only

Salt in your coffee?

2009-03-03T19:35:00.000-08:00

TAIPEI (Reuters Life!) - Taiwanese java fans accustomed to pouring sugar into their coffee now have the option of flavoring their brew with another white powder: salt.

Taipei's buzzing 85C Bakery Cafe is offering a T$40 ($1.15) drink which melts sea salt into the coffee foam to give a more complex mouthful for customers constantly seeking out the new in the island's competitive coffeehouse market.

The cafe chain expects salt to hold, said company's publicity director Kathy Chung. The cafe's 326 stores islandwide have sold about 15,000 cups of salted drinks since the concept was introduced in December, Chung said.

"Taiwanese are very greedy, so they want lots of flavors in one mouthful," she said. "Also we have a lot of products, more than 50 kinds of drink, and our boss is always pressuring us to keep coming up with new things."

Sea salt is considered healthy, Chung added.

At the cafe, baristas marinate unrefined salt in a thick cream while making a light Arabica brew, sugar pre-added. The coffee is poured into the cup and the foam mix, with a dash of cocoa powder, is placed on top.

"We haven't heard any strong views about it," Taipei barista Lin Yi-wu said, though some customers are "a bit surprised."

Hung Hsiao-yu, who purchased a salty take-out coffee this week, said the trend could perhaps become mainstream.

"Most people are used to a sweet flavor, but there are two kinds of drinkers," said Hung, 21, who aspires to work in the coffee business. "Some will keep drinking salted coffee, and some will go back to the sweet stuff."

The coffee shop chain aims to launch sea salt drinks at its stores in Shanghai and Australia later in the year, Chung said.

Taiwan's beverage business is known for creating bubble tea, a beverage containing gelatinous tapioca pearls which has spread to other parts of Asia.

In a bid to lure coffee connoisseurs, some Taiwanese coffee farmers are using seeds partially chewed by Formosan rock monkeys, long a scourge to coffee growers because they eat the ripe berries, to produce a naturally sweet blend.

(Editing by Miral Fahmy)

NRA announces 2009 Kitchen Innovations Award recipients

2009-03-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

CHICAGO -- The National Restaurant Association has announced the recipients of its prestigious Kitchen Innovations (KI) Awards for 2009. All the KI products will be showcased in an interactive demonstration area at the 2009 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show at Chicago's McCormick Place, May 16-19.

The 2009 Kitchen Innovations Award recipients are:

Advanced Composite Materials LLC - Silar Microwave Flatstone: Silar Flatstone speed-bakes fresh-dough pizzas in microwave-convection ovens in less than three minutes.

Arctic Industries Inc. - Desmon USA: Desmon Refrigerators are "knock-downs" for assembly and installation in impossible-to-access areas.

Eneron Inc. - Turbo Pot: Turbo Pots feature an advanced fins-design base that reduces gas range cook time and energy use by 50 percent.

Everpure LLC - MRS-Envi-RO 600: Envi-RO Reverse Osmosis system averages 78 percent water conversion efficiency and features 600 gallons/day capacity.

Frymaster, Manitowoc Foodservice - Gas Protector: Gas Protector's 30-pound fry pot delivers the production capacity of 50-pound fryers and auto oil replenishment.

Garland, Manitowoc Foodservice - Garland Restaurant Range: Xpress Clam Shell Grills can be pre-programmed with up to 30 easily adjustable platens-gap settings.

Halton - M.A.R.V.E.L. Demand Control System: M.A.R.V.E.L. Control System integrates multiple hoods on a common duct that individually adjust exhaust and replacement air.

Henny Penny Corp. - Evolution Elite: Evolution Elite's SmartFryer Express enables operators to conduct as-needed oil filtering in four minutes.

Hobart - Hobart's Bluetooth-enabled Combi Oven with Barcode Scanner: Bluetooth-Enabled Combi Oven with barcode scanner automatically controls the cooking program and features wireless exchange of recipes.

Irinox USA - CP Multi Function Holding Cabinet: CP Multi Function Holding Cabinets provide combined temperature and humidity control for fresh or frozen foods.

Kairak - BLU Technology Prep Table: BLU Series Prep Tables circulate glycol coolant through maximum contact chiller plates, requiring no defrosting.

Lincoln Foodservice Products, Manitowoc Foodservice - Quest EMS Energy Management System: Quest Energy Management reduces air flow, combined with fastBake finger profiling technology, to maintain uniform heating and recovery to full performance within 45 seconds.

Market Forge Industries Inc. - 3500 Power Plus: Power Plus boiler based convection steamer with jacketed kettles uses 80 percent less water and 30 percent less energy.

Power Soak Systems Inc. - High Powered Silverware Pre-Washing System: High Powered Silverware Pre-Washing system uses a unique push/pull technology, allowing only one-pass washing.

Rational USA - Self Cooking Center with CareControl: Self Cooking Center with CareControl features automated de-liming to eliminate filters, labor, and down time.

Somat Co. - eCorect Waste Decomposer: eCorect Waste Decomposer provides automated on-site reduction of compostable food waste by 90 percent.

Viking Range Corp., Commercial Division - Modular Range Design: Modular Range and Suites design allows flexibility of changing individual modules before and after installation.

Winston Industries - CVap Universal Holding Bin Cabinet: CVap Universal Holding cabinets allow operators to serve directly from the cabinet with optimum conditions.

The Heart And Soul Behind Australian Food And Beverage Culture

2009-02-15T18:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.prweb.com

Schweppes Australia Revolutionises National Bar And Restaurant Reviews As It Uncovers The Heart And Soul Behind Australian Food And Beverage Culture

Schweppes Australia is revolutionising the nation's bar and restaurant review scene through its one-on-one interviews with Australia's leading chefs, baristas, and restaurant entrepreneurs.

Vibrant personalities and intriguing stories are unearthed weekly as Schweppes delivers the nation's leading restaurant, bar and cafe reviews to an insatiable online community of food and beverage lovers. The new Schweppes website encourages visitors to interact with their favourite venues by downloading personalised invitations, posting questions, and requesting favourite recipes. www.schweppes.com.au

Melbourne, Victoria (PRWEB) January 29, 2009 -- With dynamic bar, cafe and restaurant reviews updated weekly, the Schweppes Australia website is revolutionising Australia's venue review scene with intriguing insights into the hearts and minds of the nation's leading chefs, baristas, and restaurant entrepreneurs.

In what has rapidly become a premiere destination for Australian food and beverage lovers, the success of the new Schweppes website is based on the simple observation that Australians like to research their dining and entertainment options online.

The popularity of online bar and restaurant reviews has been foregrounded by a number of directory-style sites including Eatability, Degroots Best Restaurants, Your Bars, and City Search.
However the clean non-commercial and sophisticated website design of the new Schweppes site makes it a whole new experience for today's growing number of 'online epicureans'.

By showcasing the inspiring journeys and gastronomic passions of Australia's top chefs, publicans and cocktail mixologists, Schweppes celebrates the heart and soul of Australian food and beverage culture, and keeps restaurant goers informed of the latest dining experiences and opportunities.

Interactive online communication options such as posting comments or questions and requesting recipes encourage visitors to correspond with their favourite venues while staying up to date on the latest specials and discount food and beverage offers.

Key features of the Schweppes bar and restaurant reviews include:

Intriguing insights into the hearts and minds behind Australia's leading chefs, baristas and restaurant entrepreneurs

Reviews on seasonal dishes, house specialties and discount offers

Online communication options with leading Australian venues

For more information on the new Schweppes Website visit www.schweppes.com.au

Coffee chain holds out against slowdown

2009-02-15T18:56:00.000-08:00

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au
Bridget Carter January 29, 2009

PROPERTY expansion plans are under way for some cafe and bakery chains, which say they expect to be resilient to the weak economic conditions this year.

The Coffee Club says it is looking to add 24 cafes to its existing 220 in Australia and New Zealand this year after recently opening its first store inHobart.

Company director Emmanuel Drivas said in Colliers International's key retail indicators report that the Coffee Club would open its first store in Thailand early this year as part of its international expansion.

"The Coffee Club are continuing to source locations across Australia as the opportunities arise to meet the demands of both existing and new franchisees," he said.

"A carefully calculated development program will ensure the sustained long-term growth of the Coffee Club in 2009 and beyond."

Mr Drivas said that in the next year, about eight cafes were expected to open overseas, including four in New Zealand.

Mr Drivas also heads property company DKL, which owns several shopping centres where Coffee Club cafes are located.

It has six properties, including small shopping centres, most of which are in Queensland, and the offices where the Coffee Club's head office is based.

"We are very comfortable with the economy," he said. "There is a price point where anyone can afford a cup of coffee and a sandwich."

Meanwhile, Retail Food Group executive director Nigel Nixon said the group had expanded rapidly, largely through significant acquisitions of the Brumby's Bakeries' 324 outlets and Michel's Patisserie's 342 outlets franchise systems in the past 18 months.

Domestic organic growth of Donut King and bb's Cafe systems had also been strong.

"RFG is confident that this growth will continue into the second half of this financial year," Mr Nixon said.

RFG expects to open 55 new outlets in the 2009 financial year.

Electrolux to Partner in Hospitality Awards

2009-02-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

http://www.current.com.au
By Amelia Ball

SYDNEY: Electrolux has come on board as the new naming rights partner for award-winning chef Luke Mangan’s hospitality awards program, Electrolux Appetite for Excellence.

The program is made up of three categories – Young Chef, Young Waiter, and new this year, Young Restaurateur.

Searching Australia for emerging talent within the restaurant and catering industry, Electrolux Appetite for Excellence aims to inspire, support and educate future industry leaders, providing unique career opportunities and enviable prizes.

As a specialist manufacturer of domestic and professional kitchen appliances, Electrolux has been a supporting partner of Appetite for Excellence since its inception in 2005 but has now joined the program in this larger naming rights capacity.

Electrolux Home Products Australia managing director John Brown said they were thrilled to increase their involvement with the inspiring program to assist the next generation of leading chefs, waiters and restaurateurs in Australia.

“Electrolux shares the same philosophy as Appetite for Excellence, with global initiatives that aim to nurture the development of young professionals involved in our industry,” he said.

All state finalists win a five-day tour of one of Australia’s leading food and wine regions, while the grand prize package includes a chance to represent Australia in the S.Pellegrino Cooking Cup in Venice, a trip to both S.Pellegrino in the Italian Alps and Acqua Panna in Tuscany and one month’s work experience at a world-leading restaurant overseas.

In addition, winners will receive a two-day trip to Henschke in the Eden Valley, SA, $5000 cash to assist with travel and work experience expenses and a trophy.

The Electrolux Young Restaurateur prize package includes a trip to the S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants, $10,000 cash prize, mentoring and the opportunity to meet Australia’s leading chefs and restaurateurs.

Outbreak: A Food Professionals Worst Nightmare

2009-02-15T18:52:00.000-08:00

http://www.information-overload.eu/outbreak-a-food-professionals-worst-nightmare/
by Malcolm J. Richmond

Running a restaurant is a challenging business, with managing menus, advertising, hiring and retaining help and teaching cooks the ins and outs of house specialty dishes. With all this to think about the importance of proper food hygiene can sometimes be overlooked, increasing the risks of food poisoning. In a town such as Melbourne, Australia where good food is part of the lifestyle, an outbreak of food poisoning could prove to be disastrous for any restaurant.

If you give your customers a great dining experience, you can bet that they will be back for more and that they will tell their friends, but if you mess up, word is certainly going to get around.

Every restaurant manager fears a food poisoning outbreak, but if you work in Melbourne, you may have more reason than most to be frightened of it.

At the very least a restaurant at the centre of a food poisoning outbreak will suffer a backlash of bad publicity. Citations, Fines are also a possibility and in the worst case, it may be shut down by the health inspectors. This is how important the prevention of an outbreak is to your restaurant.
Unfortunately the customers who are most likely to get sick from food poisoning are the elderly and the very young, and even if their parents or caretakers don’t get sick, they’ll steer their charges away from your establishment as a matter of course.

Several common causes of food poisoning are undercooked meats, spoiled dairy products, and food borne pathogens. Of these, food borne pathogens are perhaps the most dangerous. The two major culprits here are salmonella and e. coli. Salmonella is commonly found in poultry and eggs, and is killed by cooking them thoroughly; the problem is that anything that has had poultry or raw eggs on it can transmit it to another food item that you wouldn’t associate with the illness. E. coli occurs when food comes into contact with faeces, often as a result of poor hand washing.

There are many different ways to prevent a food poisoning outbreak. The first and most obvious thing that you need to think about is the fact that your staff need to be taught how to handle and prepare food. Strict regulations about hand washing and sanitation on the food preparation floor are things that you really need to drill home.

You will also find that good storage, where raw food is never permitted to come in contact with food that is ready to serve is something that all staff need to be aware of. It is important to establish routine to ensure that staff form good hygiene habits.

There are a number of potential causes for a food poisoning outbreak but most of these can be easily avoided. The majority of restaurateurs are knowledgeable when it comes to food safety but through consultation with an expert it is possible to further reduce the risks of an outbreak and help make certain that nothing is overlooked.

About the Author:
Author: Malcolm J. Richmond highlights the importance of effective food safety on his site where you can also read strategies to ensure that your staff are knowledgeable when it comes to food hygiene procedures.
www.agbsolutions.com.au

Baristas battle for titles on Gold Coast

2009-02-15T18:50:00.000-08:00

Greg Stolz
February 01, 2009 11:00pm

BEAN there, won that.

The Australian Barista Championships were decided on the Gold Coast yesterday, with a Queenslander coming up trumps.

Tim Adams, of the Sunshine Coast Coffee Academy, out-brewed 12 rival baristas from around Australia to take the title.

The competition was literally a grind – entrants had to make 12 coffees in 30 minutes and impress a panel of seven judges.

Mr Adams narrowly beat the only female finalist, Zoe Delaney, from self-styled coffee capital Melbourne, to win a trip to the world barista championships in Atlanta, Georgia, in April.

But Melbourne and the girls got their revenge in the latte art section. Erin Sampson, 27, who owns a coffee shop in Melbourne, won the competition with a champion display of precision pouring.

"Latte art is basically the milk pattern on top of the coffee," Ms Sampson told The Courier-Mail yesterday. "If you put down a fantastic-looking coffee, it grabs the customer's attention straight away."

Ms Sampson will represent Australia in the world latte art championships in Germany.

Awards to recognise top foodservice suppliers

2009-01-22T20:57:00.000-08:00

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/
15 January 2009

The Foodservice Suppliers Association Australia is calling for entries to its newly launched awards aimed at recognising the efforts and achievements of some of the country's top suppliers to the foodservice industry.

The national FSAA Awards for Excellence will cover a variety of categories recognising the valuable work that suppliers and distributors do across areas from food and beverages to equipment and furnishings.

The categories include: FSAA Foodservice Distributors of the Year in each state and nationally; FSAA Food Supplier of the Year; FSAA Beverage Supplier of the Year; FSAA Foodservice Equipment Supplier of the Year; FSAA Bakery Equipment Supplier of the Year; FSAA Tabletop and Furnishings Supplier of the Year; FSAA Service Supplier of the Year.

The awards also include the Innovation of the Year award which will recognise the most exciting new developments in the industry from across the various categories.

The deadline for companies to enter is the end of March.

The awards will be judged by a panel selected by the FSAA who will select the winner based on the quality of the answers provided. The awards will be presented at a dinner in Sydney on May 27.

International barista judges prepare for World Championships

2009-01-22T15:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodweek.com.au/
Thursday, January 08, 2009

Box Hill Institute will host thirty-five national and international barista judges at the World Barista Championship Judges workshop on January 14 and 15.

Successful participants will be qualified to judge the 2009 World Barista Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, US in April.

The coffee lovers will have travelled from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, New Zealand and other states in Australia to earn the chance to judge at the competition.

This is the first time that the judges' training has been held outside of the country where the championships are taking place, with training held in four international regions. Box Hill Institute was selected as the host of the Asia-Pacific training.World barista judge and Box Hill Institute trainer, Justin Metcalf, will teach the Australian and international contingent how to judge the world's best coffee makers.

"By breaking the judges' training into international regions, the World Barista Championships is trying to give people the opportunity to study in their own region for these critical roles. It will also increase the quality of the training by breaking it into smaller groups, rather than one mass training just prior to the competition," said Metcalf.

"This is a great opportunity to develop barista experience in the Asian-Pacific region. The Asian market is quite an untapped espresso market. So, by developing skills in the region we are not only increasing the pool of judges but also equipping these judges to take the skills back to their own countries."

The participants will attend a variety of workshops and judge baristas in real-life competition simulations.

"Box Hill Institute as a completely independent training facility, free from coffee company sponsorship, is a terrific place to train barista judges in Australia. There is no product push, only quality training in barista and barista judging," said Metcalf.

Yoshinoya to Add 100 Restaurants

2009-01-22T15:04:00.000-08:00

Yoshinoya to Add 100 Restaurants as Consumers Seek Budget Meals

By Maki Shiraki and Kazue Somiya
Jan. 15 (www.Bloomberg.com)

Yoshinoya Holdings Co., Japan’s largest operator of beef-bowl restaurants, plans to add a record 100 outlets in its home market next fiscal year as demand for budget meals increases from recession-hit consumers.

The Tokyo-based company aims to increase restaurants in Japan to at least 1,194 by February 2010 and accelerate an expansion in China, adding 60 outlets to the 185 already open there, President Shuji Abe said.

“The market is harsh but conditions for investing and opening new stores are positive,” Abe said in an interview broadcast today on Bloomberg Television.

The chain is increasing sales as Japanese consumers, facing bleaker job prospects and stagnating wages, seek budget dining options. The company, which prices a regular serving of its signature beef-on-rice dish at 380 yen ($4.25), yesterday posted its third straight gain in Japanese sales.
Meanwhile, restaurants classified as “fine dining” by the Japan Foodservice Association have posted eight months of declining same-store sales.

Yoshinoya, which has outlets in the U.S., Singapore, the Philippines and Australia, plans to open its first Russian restaurant next fiscal year, Abe said. The company opened its first restaurant in Tokyo in 1899 and now has a total of 1,444 Yoshinoya outlets.

The company, which last year bought a controlling stake in Japanese steakhouse chain Don Co., will consider further acquisitions, he said.

Yoshinoya’s Japan same-store sales gained 4.2 percent in December, following a 4.8 percent gain in November.

Catering listed among risky sectors for 2009

2009-01-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

www.ausfoodnews.com.au
January 15, 2009
James Ferre

Amidst global financial meltdown and looming job losses, businesses - and employees - are apprehensive about what’s in store for 2009. Business information analysts IBISWorld have compiled a list of the “riskiest” industries this year, as well as those which are likely to be safe despite turbulent economic times.

While the risk forecasts take historical data into account, they largely look ahead and consider vital information about the dynamic business environment and influencing factors which will be critical to each industry’s future performance.

Factors taken into account include an industry’s life cycle, level of competition, trade exposure, external assistance, growth risk, macroeconomic variables and non-economic sensitivities.

Top 10 Riskiest:

Catering and food service contractors

IBISWorld believes lower demand for catering services from the financial and resources industries will hit this sector hard, as well as a prediction of poor demand for catering at sports and other major events as attendances fall in 2009. A predicted slump in Australian tourism will curb demand from airlines, while tighter budgets will see scaled-down or cancelled company events such as parties, conferences and off-site meetings.

Acquisition of TurboChef Technologies

2009-01-22T14:55:00.000-08:00

www.pr-inside.com
http://www.pr-inside.com/the-middleby-corporation-completes-acquisition-r998322.htm

The Middleby Corporation (NASDAQ: MIDD) and TurboChef Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OVEN) today announced that Middleby has completed its acquisition of TurboChef for $3.67 in cash and 0.0486 shares of Middleby common stock for each outstanding share of TurboChef common stock in accordance with the terms of an agreement and plan of merger entered into August 12, 2008 and amended November 21, 2008.

The acquisition closed on January 5, 2009. Middleby financed the transaction under its senior revolving credit facility. TurboChef is a leader in speed-cook technology, one of the fastest growing segments of the commercial foodservice equipment market.

TurboChef's user-friendly speed cook ovens employ proprietary combinations of heating technologies to cook a variety of food products at speeds faster than that of conventional heating methods. Having created the speed cooking category, TurboChef is uniquely positioned to capture the growing demand in this segment.

The addition of TurboChef's line of products will complement Middleby's existing industry leading brands and portfolio of innovative technologies, and further strengthen Middleby's position as a global leader in the foodservice equipment industry.

Selim A. Bassoul, Middleby Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "TurboChef has done an exceptional job of taking revolutionary cooking technology and successfully commercializing it. We believe this technology is in the early stages of gaining a broader market acceptance. This merger provides TurboChef with access to Middleby's global sales and service capabilities to support longer-term growth opportunities."

Mr. Bassoul further commented, "In the near term, we will focus on improving the profitability of this business. We will quickly move to reduce redundant corporate overhead expenses and reorganize the residential business to bring costs in line with the current revenues. Additionally, we will implement cost reduction initiatives to realize synergies in the commercial oven business."

Richard Perlman, former Chairman of TurboChef, and Jim Price, its former President, commented, "We have long admired and respected The Middleby Corporation and its management team and are pleased that we have been able to bring this transaction to a successful closing."

Statements in this press release or otherwise attributable to Middleby regarding its business which are not historical fact are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Middleby cautions investors that such statements are estimates of future performance and are highly dependent upon a variety of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements.

Such factors include the risks that Middleby and TurboChef businesses will not be integrated successfully; the risk that Middleby and TurboChef will not realize estimated cost savings and synergies; costs relating to the proposed transaction; disruption from the transaction making it more difficult to maintain relationships with customers, employees, distributors or suppliers; the level of end market activity in Middleby's and TurboChef's commercial and residential markets; unpredictable difficulties or delays in the development of new product technology; results of pending and future litigation; access to capital; actions of domestic and foreign governments; variability in financing costs; quarterly variations in operating results; dependence on key customers; international exposure; foreign exchange and political risks affecting international sales; changing market conditions; the impact of competitive products and pricing and related market conditions; the timely development and market acceptance of Middleby's products; the availability and cost of raw materials; and other risks detailed herein and from time-to-time in Middleby's SEC filings.

The Middleby Corporation is a global leader in the foodservice equipment industry. The company develops, manufactures, markets and services a broad line of equipment used for commercial food cooking, preparation and processing.

The company's leading equipment brands serving the commercial foodservice industry include Blodgett®, Blodgett Combi®, Blodgett Range®, Bloomfield®, Carter Hoffman®, CTX®, frifri®, Giga®, Holman®, Houno®, Jade®, Lang®, MagiKitch'n®, Middleby Marshall®, Nu-Vu®, Pitco Frialator®, Southbend®, Star®, Toastmaster®, and Wells®.

The company's leading equipment brands serving the food processing industry include Alkar®, MP Equipment®, and RapidPak®. The Middleby Corporation was recognized by Business Week as one of the Top 100 Hot Growth Companies of 2007, by Crain's Chicago Business as one of the Fastest 50 Growth Companies in 2007, and by Forbes as one of the Best Small Companies in 2008.

Money isn't always motivating

2008-12-09T20:29:00.000-08:00

When business owners are asked how they motivate their staff, the typical answer is expressed in dollars and cents.

And let's not kid ourselves--how much employees get paid is important to them.

But it's not the only motivational tool in your arsenal.

Businesses that look outside the square to motivate their staff enhance their opportunities to increase sales. For sales people, the commission-based pay structure is how they are typically paid.

Although there is no sense that this is changing, I urge people to think about other incentives.

We recently did work with a company where staff had the option of taking a cash bonus or a Red Balloon Day voucher. Interestingly, staff were more appreciative of the latter.

A Red Balloon Day is where employees receive a voucher to do anything they want, from skin diving to dinner in a restaurant.

One company sent two salesmen to a raceway to do laps in a V8.

The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), December 8.

Aussies urged to take leave, and consume

2008-12-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

The federal Government will this week move to unlock Australian employees' $31bn in unused annual leave, in an attempt to provide a boost to the economy that would be three times bigger than the payments that start flowing today from the economic stimulus package.

Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson said Tourism Australia would convene a round-table meeting with peak employer groups during the week to launch a campaign to "encourage people to organise their lives at work and at home to actually have a break, and to have a break here in Australia".

The "No Leave, No Life'' campaign would promote the concept that workers who took holidays come back to work "with greater energy and satisfaction in their lives and therefore, are better workers''.

Employers would benefit if staff took leave as it accrued, because it cost them progressively more to pay out in later years as wages and salaries rose.

Mr Ferguson has told recipients of the federal Government's economic stimulus payments they had a "responsibility'' to use the money to take a domestic holiday.

Australians should shun overseas destinations and inject some of the $10 billion of handouts into the local tourism industry, he said.

The Australian, December 8.

Brisbane Bites Back

2008-12-09T20:20:00.000-08:00

Table Talk - Simon Thomsen
http://www.smh.com.au/

I'm sorry Sydney, but I've been seeing other restaurants.

In Brisbane. She understands me. Or at least the fact that dining out shouldn't cost more than your mortgage repayment, along with the fact that increasingly, we're all in a casual mood

I've spend more than a month up north during the second half of 2008, dining out as the editor of the Brisbanetimes.com.au Good Food Guide, an online guide to the state's best restaurants, cafes and bars.

The 2009 edition was launched a few weeks back in a very Brisbane setting - an alfresco veranda at the State Library. It's a smart riverside location - between the Queensland Art Gallery and the new GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art) - in a city that's starting to revel in its talents while enjoying the charms of the subtropical climate.

Urbane in the CBD, where chef Kim Machin creates witty and whimsical contemporary dishes, was named Restaurant of the Year. This fine diner scored two hats for its troubles.

There was a little bit of hand-wringing that the city doesn't boast a three-hat restaurant, but I've found that most egos in the Sunshine state are kept sufficiently in check to cope. I reckon Queenslanders are too laidback to worry about whether the dining's fancy enough to compete with the top end of Melbourne and Sydney dining. They'd rather go out and have a good time.
But the strange thing is, Brisbane's full of expats from Sydney and Melbourne. Even Matt Moran's heading to town after Christmas to open a riverside restaurant.

Noosa is Queensland's San Sebastian, with a two-hat restaurant, River House, plus Muse, Berardo's and one of the country's best Japanese, Wasabi, all awarded one hat. Not bad for a region that's home to about 35,000 people. And if you think the food's good, just wait until you see the beach.

Brisvegas itself - even the locals are in on that joke, so it's not the backhander some assume - has come a long way since the bad ol' days of the moonlight state. Only a decade ago, I remember going to breakfast in Fortitude Valley where the Californian Cafe offered the 'trucker's breakfast' - a dozen fried eggs with a mixed grill. Now the city's party central boasts a fabulous French patisserie, great cafes serving locally roasted Merlo coffee, one of Australia's finest drinking dens, The Bowery, and the consistently excellent Isis Brasserie, which is about to get a major nip and tuck after 11 years in the biz.

Strangely, for a city with its own Chinatown, the Cantonese food was mostly disappointing and the yum cha I used to enjoy a decade ago seems to have lost its sheen. Anyone got any suggestions on places we've missed?

My favourite moment? Pearl Cafe, just a lofted six from the Gabba. It won our best new restaurant award. It's fun, relaxed and groovy. That's it pictured above. Now who's up for a fish finger sandwich? That sleepy old country town’s turning into a pretty decent swan.

There are around 150 Queensland restaurants listed in the BrisbaneTimes.com.au Good Food Guide. If you think we've missed a goodie, let us know!

Restaurant and cafe turnover falls in October

2008-12-03T22:24:00.000-08:00

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

Turnover of Australia's cafe, restaurant and takeaway foodservices fell slightly in October, according to the latest monthly estimates from the Australian Bureau of Statistic.

The monthly Retail Trend Estimates which are being closely watched by industries showed that there had been an overall lift in retail turnover across a variety of industries of 0.2 per cent.

The cafe, restaurant and takeaway food industry fell by 0.6 per cent compared to the previous month, according to the report. Other industries to record a fall included clothing and soft good (-0.2 per cent), and household good retailing (-0.7 per cent).

The food retailing sector had growth of 0.6 per cent.

The October result follows the September ABS report which showed cafes, restaurants and takeaway food grew revenue by 0.2 per cent.

Consumers demand one organic symbol

2008-12-03T22:21:00.000-08:00

www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

More than 70 per cent of organic food buyers say they would prefer to have one, new certification symbol used by all organisations, compared with only 14 per cent who prefer to continue with different certification symbols.

The research conducted by Newspoll found that changing to one, new certification symbol is generally viewed as easier, clearer and less confusing. Having one symbol is also viewed as being easier to recognise and remember, and as having a clearer and stronger meaning.

Some also saw it as providing confirmation of uniformity in certification procedures by certification organisations.

The Newspoll was commissioned by the Organic Federation of Australia, the peak body for the organic sector and was conducted nationally among main grocery buyers.

Regular organic food buyers were asked to rate the current system of having eight different certification symbols on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is “very confusing and hard to identify organic foods” and 10 is “very clear and simple to identify organic foods”.

Their average rating was only 3.1 out of 10. "The research showed very poor awareness of most of the certification symbols and that the words “Certified Organic” were important in guiding consumer awareness about genuine organic products, said Andre Leu, chair of the Organic Federation.

"The experience from around the world shows that having one symbol to identify organic products generates a huge increase in sales.

The survey was conducted among 966 main grocery buyers nationally aged 18 years and over.

Beach classic gets a kick-start

2008-12-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

www.smh.com.au

Far from swanning about, Brad Seymour is focused on an exciting new venture, writes Keeli Cambourne.

BRAD SEYMOUR is a team player. He played for the Sydney Swans as one of its star defenders.

In his latest role as a radio and television commentator, he's also a member of a well-oiled machine.

He is applying that same all-hands-on-deck philosophy to running the Hyams Beach Cafe , nestled above the pristine white sands of Jervis Bay.

Seymour, who took on the cafe after seeing it advertised on the internet, has undertaken a transformation of the once-sleepy general store and takeaway.

"I'd been talking to [my wife] Mel about doing something like this. I had been retired for five years. I had always harboured an ambition to have a cafe, I don't why," he says.

"We used to live in Tamarama and when my son, Jonah, was born we used to spend every day in some sort of cafe. And when we found this I liked the idea of putting my handprint on it."

Before being discovered by Sydney escapees, Hyams Beach was a sleepy coastal village, albeit on one of the most pristine stretches of coastline on Australia's eastern seaboard. The general store catered for the handful of locals who needed everyday essentials in between shopping trips to Vincentia or Nowra.

Hamburgers were about as adventurous as the menu went and for years that is all the holidaymakers really wanted, too.

But the demographics of Hyams have changed in the past decade and with it the tastes of the new locals who now call the village home, let alone the thousands of Sydneysiders who flock there from September to May.

"I'm not sure what the cafe was really like before we took it over but we saw it and liked it and thought it needed to be tidied up here and there to start with."

That tidying up has been more than a lick of paint and a few new signs. The couple added an outside deck and the cafe now stocks Simon Johnson and Maggie Beer gourmet foods as well as bread and milk.

But the most dramatic change was to the menu, which was totally reinvented.

"I had no experience in running a cafe or a restaurant but my attitude has always been roll up your sleeves, put your head down and have a crack at it.

"We had a lot of changes in staff and we started to put the pieces together to form the big picture."

One of those changes was hiring young local chef Doug Innes-Will, who impressed Seymour with his confidence and entrepreneurship. Innes-Will approached Seymour with his vision for the cafe and restaurant.

Part of Seymour's vision, which is shared by Innes-Will, is to showcase the local produce, creating dishes with ingredients such as mushrooms from Mittagong, meats from Bowral and fruit and vegetables from Nowra.

Now the menu boasts dishes such as citrus-cured salmon salad and braised duck curry. And the hamburgers haven't been forgotten - they've just been given a bit of a makeover.

"Essentially I think the South Coast is still untouched in that way," Seymour says.

He is not the unseen partner. Every weekend before the summer onslaught and then every day throughout December and January, he's behind the coffee machine, waiting tables and being host.

"I did do a barista course but you learn more on the job . . . when you make as much coffee as I do over the summer you learn what is good and bad," he says.

"I think a lot of football followers that come through the front door want to talk footy with me and that's great. I think that is a positive thing because it gives my customers and me an interaction and a way to communicate."

And listening to the locals has been integral to being accepted in the village, says Seymour.
"In the end, what I think is wrong or right doesn't matter," he says. "I am open to hearing what the locals want. The store and cafe is the heart and soul of the village."

The Hyams Beach Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch daily and for dinner some nights from January to March.

Finest chefs unite in support of vulnerable children

2008-12-03T22:14:00.000-08:00

www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

As part of its 2008 Christmas Appeal, Anglicare Victoria hosted its fifth annual Dinner with the Angels on November 25 at the Savoy Ballroom, Grand Hyatt Melbourne where top chefs from 15 of the city’s finest restaurants united in support of Victoria’s most vulnerable children.

A live auction of items helped raise $165,000 for Anglicare Victoria’s continuing work with the State’s most vulnerable children, young people and families. Anglicare’s Christmas Appeal aims to raise $1million in funds to continue its vital services and 10,000 gifts to distribute to children in need.

Restaurants Bottega; Circa, the Prince; Comme; European; L’Oustal, Maha Bar & Grill; Pearl; Pure South; Red Emperor; Seagrass; Taxi Dining Room; The Montague; The Press Club; Tutto Bene; and Verge all generously donated their time and produce to prepare a lavish three-course meal for 300 guests.

Crown Melbournes welcomes Gordon Ramsays Maze restaurant

2008-11-20T18:14:00.000-08:00

www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

Crown Melbourne has announced that Gordon Ramsay’s Maze restaurant will open in Australia’s newest hotel in February 2010

An agreement has been reached with Gordon Ramsay Holdings International to open Maze, one of London’s most popular and successful restaurant concepts, within Crown’s new, third hotel in early 2010.

Crown’s CEO, David Courtney, who made the announcement, said: "We’re thrilled to announce the exciting news that Gordon Ramsay will open a Maze restaurant at Crown.

Ramsay and Maze fit extremely well within the positioning of our new hotel as Maze has become renowned for being stylish, contemporary and providing an innovative food offer.

Maze will be hugely popular and will be a major drawcard for local, interstate and international visitors. Bringing Gordon Ramsay and Maze to Melbourne further cements our strategy of bringing some of the world’s best dining experiences to Crown and Melbourne.

Ramsay said: “This is our first step in bringing the Gordon Ramsay brand to Australia and after having seen the way Crown operates feel that this is an exciting and challenging opportunity.

While based on French cuisine, Maze's food has Asian influences and offers small tasting plates. Guests are encouraged to order individually or sample many dishes. Maze London, New York and Prague menus, for example, feature dishes such as bouillabaisse of red mullet with fennel puree and halibut ravioli with braised carrots, gremolata and veal vinaigrette.

Maze has been awarded a Michelin star and won an unprecedented number of awards during its first year of operation and most recently was named Best Breakthrough Restaurant at the San Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurant Awards.

Crown’s Third Hotel Tower (which is yet to be named) will be located on Clarendon Street, adjacent to the Crown Entertainment Complex.

Downturn will not put us off food

2008-11-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

Despite slowing consumer spending the future still looks bright for hospitality and tourism students, as Australians look for new ways to treat themselves to life’s little luxuries, says William Blue College of Hospitality and Tourism.

The comment comes amid a predicted fall in Australian tourism and the recent drop in the Australian dollar. William Blue College says that while job prospects may be on the decline, the demand for hospitality will be sustained as the summer holiday season approaches.

“As consumers, Australians are creatures of comfort with a taste for the finer things in life. Even in an economic downturn, people still need to eat, sleep and be entertained,” says Jenny Jenkins, William Blue head of college.

“It’s about being smarter when it comes to making your dollar go further. Consumers are now looking at how they can continue to be entertained and enjoy top dining experiences that don’t break the budget. William Blue’s own training restaurant, Billy Blue Brassiere, has experienced a significant upturn in patrons over the last few months and recently won the 2008 Training Restaurant of the Year Award,” she says.

Interestingly, Jenkins predicts the wedding and event planning sector will continue to grow, following a record 116,000 weddings in 2007 – its highest level since 1990.

Jenkins also expects domestic tourism to see a significant boost over the holiday period, as the falling dollar encourages Australians to travel domestically.

She suggests that those pursuing a career in the hospitality and tourism industry, which employs over one million Australians, need to ensure that their skills, experience and qualifications are up-to-par in an increasingly competitive market.

According to Jenkins, hospitality is now a real career path that gives individuals the opportunity to contribute to an organisation’s overall business performance and bottom-line.

“Businesses are becoming increasingly choosey about the type of people they take on board.

Rather than employing people with no experience because they are under-staffed, employers are looking to highly-trained candidates who are multi-skilled and understand all the facets of the business.

“The more experience and qualifications a graduate has, the more valuable they are to an employer. In times of downturn people should look to up-skill and further their education to secure their careers and ensure they are less expendable,” says Jenkins.

World Barista Championship announces new judges certification workshops

2008-11-20T16:02:00.000-08:00

LONG BEACH, CA (November 14, 2008)

Two new judges certification workshops will be held in Long Beach, California and Melbourne, Australia for applicants who aspire to judge at the 2009 World Barista Championship (WBC) competition in Atlanta.

On April 16-19, 2009, national barista champions from over 56 countries will converge in Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center to compete for the ranking of world’s top coffee maker in front of a live audience of several hundred spectators and thousands of online viewers from around the world.

Participants that successfully complete the 2-day certification course will be included in a pool of volunteer judges that will evaluate the taste of beverages served in the 2009 competition, as well as, the creativity, technical skill and overall presentation of competitors.

Once certified, judges will be issued a certificate of completion and a license to use the WBC Certified Judge logo in accordance with WBC standards.

In order to attend, all candidates must meet the following prerequisites:

Possess two consecutive years experience officiating at WBC-sanctioned national or regional barista competitions;
Demonstrate the ability comprehend and complete all score sheets in English;
Agree to comply with the WBC Code of Conduct;
Agree to attend the 2009 competition and pre-competition events in Atlanta, GA from April 14-19 at his or her own expense; and
Demonstrate a commitment to coffee excellence and to promoting the barista craft.

In Long Beach, December 4-5, 2008:Specialty Coffee Association of America Headquarters330 Golden Shore, Ste. 50, Long Beach, CA, USAFee: US$200 per person Register Here

In Melbourne, Australia January 14-15, 2009:Box Hill Institute465 Elgar Road, Box Hill, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaFee: US$200 per person Register Here

Attendance is limited and advance registration is required. Dates for workshops in the United Kingdom and Africa will be announced shortly. For more information or to register, visit the World Barista Championship website at www.worldbaristachampionship.com.

About World Barista Championship UK Ltd.World Barista Championship UK Ltd is jointly owned by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and Speciality Coffee Association of Europe.

The first WBC competition took place in Monte Carlo in October 2000 and has since held annual competitions Miami, Oslo, Boston, Trieste, Seattle, Berne, Tokyo and Copenhagen.

The organization’s next event will be held in Atlanta, Georgia U.S.A., April 16-19, 2009.

For more information, please visit www.worldbaristachampionship.com.

Doombusters unite to fight the gloom

2008-11-20T15:43:00.000-08:00

Kathleen Donaghey
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/

ANALYSTS agree that low confidence is hurting our economy so The Gold Coast Bulletin is calling on readers to 'join the Doombusters' and help revive consumer spirit.

With interest rates at a three-year low and petrol prices tumbling, consumers have more money and no better time to spend it than the lead-up to Christmas.

New stores are still opening, including a wing of boutique shops at Robina Town Centre, there are bargains to be had across the city and accommodation providers are offering holiday deals.

All combined, few cities are better placed to weather the economic storm than one whose name is made of 'gold' and where the sun shines all year round.

With all the fundamentals in place in this city, The Gold Coast Bulletin believes all that's needed to help get the economy flying is a little dose of confidence.

Caravan parks have so far been the first to enjoy the support of locals as bookings flood in for Christmas but other sectors are in need of help.

New Gold Coast business owners like Sean McCormick, who recently opened his jewellery and gift shop Fiera in the Robina Town Centre, agreed shoppers needed a boost in confidence.

Mr McCormick owns six jewellery and gift shops across the south-east and said turnover had fallen 10 per cent since the second week in October.

Sales have also remained slow in what should be the busiest time of the year.

Mr McCormick applauded The Gold Coast Bulletin's campaign to encourage people to get behind small businesses, saying it was exactly what was needed.

"It's coming up to Christmas which is a time of giving and it's time to get out and see what's new in stores," said Mr McCormick.

"Small businesses are at the coalface so people need to get out and support local businesses to get things moving."

Retailers Association chief executive Scott Driscoll said the current slow-down mostly stemmed from psychology which was why he has been eagerly talking things up.

Mr Driscoll said people needed to realise the economic outlook could be turned around from the current doom and gloom just by 'opening your wallets'.

"What we're going through is not an economic problem, it's a confidence problem," said Mr Driscoll, whose organisation represents independent shops, including food, clothing and furniture.

"Household budgets are actually in good shape: we've had interest rate cuts and the Government's $10 billion stimulus package means people will have money in the lead-up to Christmas.

"We're actually expecting a fairly good Christmas."

Restaurant and Catering Queensland chief executive James Visser agreed that the bad times need not remain so.

"While it's true discretionary spending is somewhat down, it's not all doom and gloom," said Mr Visser. "I have a lot of optimism because of the interest rate cuts -- with more expected -- and the Reserve Bank saying we're in a slump and not a recession. People are not going to say Christmas is cancelled.

"There'll be a lot of Christmas parties. It's hard to celebrate Christmas without celebratory cheer."

The latest CommSec retail spending figures show retail trade fell by 1.1 per cent in September and the worst hit sectors were food, clothing and other discretionary retail items. Business closures increased 7.59 per cent in Queensland in the September quarter, according to Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia data.

Insolvency firms on the Gold Coast have been kept busy, with businesses dropping out in building, transport, hospitality and food, although Worrells insolvency practitioner Brian Carey said other states were much worse off.

As a result of the situation, businesses, restaurants and cafes across the Gold Coast have been complaining of fewer customers and sales, including Retravision Bundall and Pacific Fair owner Sep Abedian, who said the customers just weren't coming.

Manchester stores, gift shops and clothing shops such as Karma House and Home have also watched as customers walk in and out without making a purchase.

"We've been expecting it to ramp up but it hasn't ramped up yet," said Karma owner Kerry Goodwin.

Doing his part to turn things around amid the standstill is Hot to Trot shoe shop owner Alan Rasho who is making light of the end-of-the-world mantra to snare a few more customers.

Mr Rasho said he was known for his budget leather shoes at Ashmore Plaza and the way to attract even more shoppers was through his 'doom and gloom sale' with nothing over $40.

"Since the economy has gone bust we've doubled our business," said Mr Rasho. "We haven't been quiet yet. People want their money to go further and this is where they come, especially if you've got a family of four kids who all need shoes."

Retailers across the board are being encouraged to similarly do whatever they can to prop up sales, including discounting heavily and promising interest free periods for 15 months.

Clearance offers, discount shopping vouchers, up to 50 per cent off sales and special offers were now available right across the Gold Coast.

However, if in the end all eventually goes bust and Australia follows the lead of the US and Europe which appear to be slipping into recession, many would agree there is no better place to tough it out than the Gold Coast.

Sunning herself at Broadbeach yesterday, Tess Goot, 23, said there was nowhere she would rather spend her time than on a Gold Coast beach.

"I can't think of a better place to be," she said.

CommSec equities economist Savanth Sebastian said shoppers had not only been spending less, they were also limiting themselves to crucial items, eating at home and saving 'for a rainy day'.

Federal Ombudsman now after butchers, bakers and coffee makers

2008-11-20T15:40:00.000-08:00

Queensland Business Review
www.qbr.com.au

Butchers and bakers throughout Queensland and the rest of Australia are about to come under the watchful eye of the Federal Workplace Ombudsman over whether their workers are being properly paid.

Ombudsman Nicholas Wilson said a national food campaign running over the Christmas – New Year period would specifically target butchers, bakers, cafes, grocers, delis and suppliers of bulk food items such as seafood and poultry.

Mr Wilson said employers found to be underpaying workers or in breach of any other workplace laws would be advised to "rectify the situation immediately" however deliberate cases of abuse will have employers paying a $33,000 fine.

The Ombudsman’s move comes on top of a human services campaign that targeted 500 aged and child-care facilities around the country which ended with 600 workers receiving more than $155,000 in back pay.

Business vulnerability to employee or customer sabotage

2008-11-20T15:37:00.000-08:00

Peter Switzer November 17, 2008
Article from: The Australian

THE Coogee Bay Hotel is facing one of the greatest threats to its profitability and its all-important brand with the discovery that a customer was served human faeces in a chocolate ice cream desert.

This raises an issue for all small businesses: how vulnerable are they to employee or even customer sabotage, and what protection they should have.

The lesson from this case is that business owners and managers have a massive business risk and while insurance offers some protection, highly enlightened leadership and top-notch employee relations are critically important.

In case you missed this controversial event, a family reported that they had been served human poo in a bowl of chocolate ice cream. The hotel has settled the case with a $50,000 compensation payment. The matter is still subject to police investigation and the culprits are still to be identified.

It's reported that staff have been DNA-tested.

In the meantime the hotel has lost incalculable goodwill, jokesters christening it with economically damaging nicknames such as "Poogee Bay Hotel".

As risk management is critical for all successful business strategies, the question is: does conventional business insurance cover proprietors against the direct economic losses that can come from incidents of this kind?

All food businesses and most operations that serve coffee could potentially poison a customer. Cafes, restaurants and shops could easily and accidentally threaten customers' health through the likes of salmonella.

"Public and products liability insurance would generally compensate customers for personal injury or damage to their property caused by the non-deliberate failure of an employee to exercise the degree of care required," says Gerard McDermott, the executive general manager, customer and sales service, at GIO.

"For example, an employee may accidentally spill a serving tray of hot food and beverage on a customer during the course of serving."

But the big issue for the Coogee Bay Hotel specifically and other businesses generally is that public liability policies do not, as a rule, cover the deliberate and criminal acts of employees.

John Hart, the chief executive of Restaurant and Catering Australia stresses the difficulties for business owners when a disgruntled staff member goes feral.

"I would think the insurance coverage depends on whether the act was malicious," he says. "In such a case, I doubt anything would cover such an action."

The food industry is responsible for self-regulation of the safety of the food and beverages they supply whether as a cafe, restaurant or producer.

"The public and products liability product provides cover to compensate customers for unintended omissions that result in contamination of food, leading to claims," McDermot says.
"For food and beverage manufacturers, specialist insurance known as 'malicious product tamper' can be purchased to cover the deliberate contamination of food.

"However, it is very expensive and only available to those companies with a proven good history, excellent quality assurance programs and recall and crisis management procedures and policies."

These facts underline how exposed small businesses such as cafes and sandwich shops are. It illustrates the risk management, staff training and deep understanding of staff that a boss in this industry has to have.

John Hart believes employers have to manage these situations professionally.

"I am not sure we know what caused this event," he says.

"However, if it was staff out to get back at a customer, we would hope (that) effective management would not allow a situation like this to arise in the first place."

A big risk is that copycat actions could follow this well-publicised event.

"There are some instances where disgruntled staff do things to harm their employers but we do not really hear of these sort on instances," Hart says. "In small businesses like restaurants, if the owners have close working relationships with their staff, this sort of thing would be virtually unheard of."

Public and products liability insurance is a necessity for businesses. It not only compensates third parties such as customers for personal injury and property damage where the business is legally liable, but can also cover the cost of defending claims made against them, even where it is established that there is no fault.

The cost is not prohibitive, with minimum premiums starting at around $600 for $10 million worth of coverage. For a business with a turnover of $250,000 this is a rate of less than 0.25 per cent.

McDermot says liability claims do not happen as frequently as vehicle claims but when they do, the cost can be much higher. From GIO's experience, liability claims of $30,000 to $90,000 are not uncommon.

Any business afraid of being left in the "you know what" has to do risk calculations on what it could step into in the future and take out the smart level of protection.

Peter Switzer is the founder of Switzer Business Coaching
www.switzer.com.au

Australia named top country brand for third year

2008-11-11T19:37:00.000-08:00

CANBERRA (Reuters Life!) - Tourism campaigns featuring bikini-clad models and images of the outback as in the new epic movie "Australia" have helped Australia win the title of world's top country brand for the third consecutive year.

An annual country branding index designed to track travel trends and pinpoint opportunities for tourism had Canada rising to second place in the list of countries with the best brand reputations after coming sixth last year.

The United States slipped one place to be ranked third in the index compiled from a survey of 2,700 travelers from nine countries by brand consultancy FutureBrand and public relations firm Weber Shandwick.

Other countries to make the top 10 in the fourth annual Country Brand Index (CBI) were Italy, Switzerland, France, New Zealand, Britain, Japan and Sweden.

The index identified China, the United Arab Emirates and Croatia as the top three "rising stars" - those likely to become major tourist destinations in the next five years.

FutureBrand's senior executive director Rina Plapler said some countries were now taking on board the idea of brand but this was still a largely underdeveloped category with most countries not using marketing to differentiate themselves.

"Particularly in the coming years, country brands must improve both their strategic orientation as well as their delivery," she said in a statement, referring to tougher times ahead for the travel industry.

Australia has just launched a global tourism campaign pitching itself as a place to "find yourself" aligned with the outback movie "Australia" released this month starring Nicole Kidman, focusing on the beauty of the country's vast landscape.

Tourism numbers to Australia dropped 4.7 percent last year as the country relied on a failed campaign starring a bikini-clad model asking "where the bloody hell are you?"

2008 International Culinary Olympics

2008-11-11T19:35:00.000-08:00

FOOD DETECTIVE: Graeme Blundell November 08, 2008
Article from: The Australian

AUSTRALIAN chefs have won gold in the recent 2008 International Culinary Olympics in Germany. It's held every four years, with more than 2000 contestants competing, and it's bigger than even the Eurovision Song Contest (and almost as surreal, to judge from the YouTube clips).

Displaying formidable training, focus and determination, the Australian Culinary Olympic team won gold in the hot-food category, the headline event of the three-day competition.

Teams from eight countries competed to cook for more than 900 people in a restaurant setting. Australia also picked up gold, bronze and silver in the pastry section, silver in the cold buffet category and bronze for hot food (plated cold).

The Australian team was made up of Shane Keighley, Neil Abrahams, John Lanzafame, Shannon Kellam, Jenni Key, Matt McBain, Andre Kropp and Daniel Hiltbrunner.

Acting Detective can't wait for the reality television series. Anything to bump Great British Menu from the world's cable food networks.

It's a show increasingly seasoned with culinary paranoia and, besides, who cares what the French think? www.culinary-olympics.com.

Belgian Beer cafe to open in Balmain

2008-11-11T19:33:00.000-08:00

The world renowned beer culture of Europe is set to be shared with the residents of the inner west when the Belgian Beer Café opens in Balmain, Sydney later this month.

Overseeing the Balmain Belgian Beer Café is Belgian, Olivier Massart, who established the Epoque and Heritage Belgian Beer Cafes.

The opening of the Balmain Café will signal a diversification of the pub culture existing in Balmain which currently has the most pubs per capita of anywhere in Australia.

Specially-trained bartenders will pull the famous Belgian beers following the 9 step pouring process which is an art in itself, with customised glasses for each brew and the customary two fingers of foam at the top.

As the best selling Belgian beer in the world, Stella Artois is one of the premium beers which will feature on the menu and is brewed using only natural ingredients.

Hoegaarden, known as white beer and brewed using mineral water, malted barley, hops and spiced with coriander and orange peel and Leffe which is the authentic monastic beer with rich taste, full body and is still brewed according to the Leffe Abbey Fathers’ ancient recipe will also feature on the extensive beer menu.

The menu at the Balmain Belgian Beer Café features traditional cuisine including steamed mussels served in traditional pots, cheese croquette, Flemish beef stew and steak et frites.
The dessert menu uses the finest Belgian Callebaut chocolate with offerings including Dame Blanche, chocolate mousse and Belgian waffles.

With its opening only weeks away, the Balmain Belgian Beer Café will immerse guests in Belgian food prepared with French finesse, served with German generosity and accompanied with Belgian beer.

Annual International Barista Competition

2008-11-11T19:30:00.000-08:00

On the 13th and 14th November, Vanuatu, a tropical island in the South Pacific, is holding its annual International Barista Competition. Barista Coffee is the professional excellence in the artistry of making a great coffee.

Coffee experts and amateur coffee makers from all over the world will confer on how to make the best expresso coffee. International Barista judge, Rob Forsyth from Sydney Australia, will oversee the event and judge the entries.

The competition will be held in the grounds of the newly refurbished Le Lagon Resort overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with many special accommodation deals being offered to visitors to Vanuatu. Vanuatu grows its own world famous organic coffee, Tanna Coffee, on the tropical island of Tanna.

“We held our first competition last year, which was such a success that the Barista Vanuatu is now an annual event on the Vanuatu calendar,” said hotel owner and Barista organizer, Joanne Wade of Poppys on the Lagoon. “The atmosphere around Port Vila during the competition time and the prizes alone, including air fares, are enough to draw numerous entrants. It is an unbeatable location for this international event.”

Coffee growing and appreciation of good coffee makers has grown dramatically worldwide, in the past few years. Organically grown coffee beans now feature on supermarket shelves and making café latte has become café art.

Major sponsors of the 2008 Barista Vanuatu include the ANZ bank, Air Vanuatu, Poppys on the Lagoon, Le Lagon Resort, Friendly Bungalows on Tanna, Tanna Coffee

Entries can be made on the Barista Vanuatu official web site www.baristavanuatu.com