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SERVICE & HOSPITALITY NEWS: |
 McCain
A Grade fries - more than one advantage (17 Mar 10)
Smart foodservice professionals are using McCain A Grade fries. They know it makes good business sense to do so – McCain Foods is also now rewarding A grade end-users via their new loyalty program.
“Some operators are still using B grade fries, but increasingly the smarter professionals are recognising that this is simply false economy,” says McCain Foods Foodservice Director Aust & NZ Bernie Bierman.
Bernie points out that although B grade fries cost less per kilo, the yield is correspondingly lower. In other words, lower grade fries equals less serves per kilo.
“To buy lower grade fries which give you less serves per kilo is not an economical choice,” Bernie explains.
“In contrast, A grade fries have more consistent lengths, less moisture content than B grade, which means a higher yield per kilo and shorter cooking time as well.”
The lower moisture content of A grade fries also means they will absorb less cooking oil and the oil itself will take longer to break down, thereby extending its life cycle. So using A grade fries will save you money on your cooking oil too!
And of course A grade fries, with their higher level of potato solids and less water, simply taste better!
McCain offers a wide variety of A grade fries – the most popular are the 10mm
Fast Fry Straight Cut, ideal for the takeaway market, and the larger 13mm
Straight Cut which will maintain their holding quality, crispness and flavour while in the bain marie.
Whichever McCain variety you choose, your customers are sure to be happy when you serve them the higher quality product – and you’ll be happy too, because A grade fries will give you more serves per carton.
“Serving A Grade fries will ensure you have the edge on your competitor and will lead to more repeat business as well as generating extra business through word of mouth,” Bernie points out. “On the other hand, if you’re constantly chopping and changing grades, customers will soon notice. It’s to your advantage to offer fries that are of consistently high quality.”
 As an added incentive to encourage end-users to serve A grade fries, McCain has established the ‘My
McCain Fries Advantage’ loyalty program.
Find the details of the My McCain Fries Advantage loyalty program on cartons of McCain 13mm Straight Cut and McCain 10mm Fast Fry Straight Cut fries. To participate in the program, all you have to do is follow three easy steps:
1. Register online at mymccainfriesadvantage.co.nz
2. Collect your rewards tokens from each carton
3. When you’ve collected 50 to 100 tokens, print off the submission form from the website and send in to redeem your points for great prizes.
You can see the extensive selection of rewards prizes on offer at mymccainfriesadvantage.co.nz, including sporting equipment, shopping vouches, personal entertainment items, movie tickets, and plasma TVs!
“There are many great prizes available to our customers – McCain Foods reward to you for rewarding your customers with superior quality, A grade McCain fries! It’s a win-win situation for everybody,” points out Bernie.
“So don’t delay – register online today! Your customers will thank you for it and you will reap the rewards.
 Cafe
pair take over biggest Gilmours (10 Mar 10)
The largest Gilmours food-wholesaling operation in New Zealand has been sold by Foodstuffs to private owner-operators.
Foodstuffs said Gilmours Mt Roskill had been bought by Auckland businesspeople Scott
Brown and Jackie Grant, who own a string of highly successful Auckland cafes, including the Takapuna Beach Cafe and Rosehip in Parnell.
Foodstuffs acquired the Gilmours wholesaling operations in the early 1960s, but has recently begun franchising the businesses to independent operators.
Gilmours supplies businesses such as dairies, cafes and restaurants with wholesale products.
Brown said he and Grant would take over the management of Mt Roskill Gilmours in July, and were excited about the new venture.
"[The business] is in the right position, it's in the right market and with the future growth of our industry, with events coming up such as the Rugby World Cup next year, we're at a perfect place to capitalise on that," he said.
Brown said he and Grant would hold onto the ownership of the four cafes.
"We've got a great expansion plan in place for the cafes, and there's a new management
team and new structured arrangement [in the cafes] going into place.
Foodstuffs general manager for strategy and new ventures Rob Chemaly said all
the Gilmours businesses were now franchised, or in the process of being franchised.
More at NZ
Herald.
 Restaurant
Brands lifts profit forecast (5 Mar 10)
Restaurant Brands is forecasting a 67 per cent rise in its annual profit to $19.5
million.
The company says its KFC stores - responsible for 70 per cent of the company's
revenue - recorded growth of close to 10 per cent every quarter during the past
year.
The profit upgrade is up $2 million on the last upgrade, issued at the end of
November, and takes into account a renegotiated chicken supply contract.
In December the company announced it had renegotiated the supply arrangements
for its KFC business, splitting its purchases between New Zealand's two largest
chicken suppliers. The company awarded its chicken supply business for its North
Island stores to Inghams (its current supplier) and its South Island stores to
Tegel.
Chief executive Russel Creedy said there was continued momentum
to build new outlets and revamp existing stores. The first Kentucky Fried Chicken
store opened in Auckland in 1971 and there are now 85 KFCs around the country.
New menus and Krusher drinks have helped
increase sales. Creedy said the savings were now appearing in the bottom line.
Pizza Hut had previously been a poor performer but had now enjoyed four quarters
of same-store
sales growth,
Creedy said.
There were 92 Pizza Huts and new outlets would be run as franchise agreements
with owner-operators.
Starbucks coffee shops sales were flat but profitability was improving with a
trimmed-down range of products on offer.
More at NZ
Herald.
 Weight
Watchers backs McDonald's light options (3 Mar 10)
It seems like an unlikely alliance, but Weight Watchers has backed three items on McDonald's menu.
From today, New Zealand McDonald's branches are offering three meals that each add up to 6.5 Weight Watchers' points.
The meals, the Filet-O-Fish, the Chicken McNuggets and the Sweet Chilli
Seared Chicken Wrap, are the same meals McDonald's customers are used to. But 9000 staff in 150 restaurants around the country have had training to make the meals more consistently, with the same amount of sauce each time, so they fall within the points system.
The system allows those on the Weight Watchers' programme between 18 and 40 points each day, which they must stay within to obtain and retain their goal weight.
The meals are served with salads and water or diet soft drinks.
Weight Watchers spokesman Chris Stirk said the partnership had been formed after similar alliances with other restaurant chains in the UK and US.
People had a greater chance of losing weight and keeping it off when they did not have to deprive themselves of every indulgence, he said.
McDonald's New Zealand managing director Mark Hawthorne said
there were plans to extend the Weight Watchers menu items.
More at NZ
Herald.
 Kiwis
more finicky about food (28 Feb 10)
Picky
patrons at Kiwi restaurants are increasingly putting their hands
up to complain, due to the rising popularity of TV cooking shows.
Restaurateurs and chefs believe dining shows such as The F Word and MasterChef
New Zealand are prompting customers to be more critical
of the food served to them.
T
MasterChef New Zealand judge and top restaurateur Simon Gault is among chefs
to notice Kiwi diners becoming more finicky about the quality
of their food.
And he says customers are well within their rights to voice their opinion - but
only if they speak up in the restaurant, not a few days later.
"A customer has every right to critique the meal - and it's good constructive
criticism. However, if the meal has met the standard of what is on the menu it's
hard for them to say: 'Well I would prefer it to be cooked this way'."
Gault said complaints from his customers were rare because his front-of-house
staff asked regularly whether they were happy but an odd few complained for the
sake of it.
Tony Astle, owner of Antoine's Restaurant in Parnell, is also aware of "professional
complainers" who send food back in the hopes of getting a free meal.
He believes New Zealanders are generally bad at complaining, but agrees TV cooking
shows are prompting more to put their hands up.
"People are becoming a little bit more savvy about these things," says Astle.
The Consumer Guarantees Act says services must be "performed with reasonable
care and skill" and the goods must be of an "acceptable quality".
More at Herald
on Sunday.
 Edmonds
dressings and mayonnaise catch on (25 Feb 10)
If you’re looking for quality dressings and mayonnaise, look no further than
Edmonds! This trusted Kiwi brand has an extensive selection in convenient Ezygrip
packs, bottles, pails and portion control sachets – covering all your foodservice
market needs.
Scott Topham of Kiwiking Spitroast & BBQ Catering is
just one of many foodservice professionals who have switched to the Edmonds dressings
and mayonnaise range in recognition of its high quality ingredients, homemade
style and fabulous flavours.
With a steady business providing onsite catering for large-scale corporate functions,
Kiwiking prepares meat, seafood, salads, vegetables and side dishes from scratch,
with qualified chef Scott at the barbecue grill. So it’s no surprise he wanted
mayonnaise and condiments which complemented the quality of Kiwiking’s food – and
Edmonds dressings and mayonnaise were the perfect fit!
“We were previously using a typical off-the-shelf processed mayonnaise, and
it really didn’t have the originality of taste we were after,” Scott says. “Our
local distributor gave us a sample of Edmonds Mayonnaise, we tried it and we’ve
never looked back!”
 Edmonds Mayonnaise is rich and creamy with a distinct tangy flavour and is an
excellent base for creating signature dressings and dips. Kiwiking has been using
it in their salads for the past 6 months and Scott couldn’t be happier. “We don’t
need to add anything to it – it’s great just as it is,” he says. “It tastes as
though it’s been freshly prepared from scratch – basically it’s got the flavour
of a classical mayonnaise you’d make in the kitchen just before service. The
taste is distinctive and original – just what we were looking for.”
Scott also uses Edmonds Tartare Sauce as a condiment for Kiwiking’s seafood dishes
and says his customers have responded positively to its quality and taste. A
tangy sauce made with gherkin relish and a squeeze of lemon juice, it’s ideal
for seafood and like all dressings in the Edmonds range is free from artificial
colours and flavours.
“These are excellent, brilliant products that I’d recommend to anyone,” Scott
adds. “I’m 110 per cent happy.”
And using Edmonds mayonnaise and dressing has even helped Kiwiking’s bottom line!
Scott explains, “The Edmonds products seem to go a lot further. I was using 25
litres of the off-the-shelf mayonnaise at a time and with Edmonds Mayonnaise
I only use 15 litres over the same period. This combined with the positive comments
from our customers has been very good for business.”
Only the finest quality ingredients are used in Edmonds Mayonnaise and dressings
so you can rely on them for consistency and fabulous flavour. The full range
includes Edmonds Mayonnaise in Ezygrip 3.5kg pack and 15kg pail (pictured); Tartare
Saucein Ezygrip 3.4kg pack; 2.4 litre bottles of Caesar, Italian, French, Thousand
Island, 100% Fat Free Italian and 100% Fat
Free French; and portion-control single
serve sachets of 97% Fat Free Mayonnaise (13g), Tartare (12ml) and Caesar (12ml)
dressings.
 McDonald's
opens 150th restaurant in NZ (18 Feb 10)
McDonald’s will reach a milestone today when it opens its 150th restaurant in New Zealand, the first of 10 new restaurants to be opened in 2010.
Richmond, Nelson, will get the 150th restaurant as part of McDonald’s three-year $100 million capital investment programme into the New Zealand market, announced in 2009.
It will take the total to 32 restaurants in the South Island with 118 in the North Island.
Last year the fast food chain also opened 10 restaurants, while upgrading a further 33 of its existing restaurants, providing employment to about 1000 people.
And construction has already started on restaurants in Mt Maunganui and Constellation Drive on Auckland’s North Shore.
McDonald’s managing director Mark Hawthorne said the 2010 restaurant openings would provide hundreds of full-time and part-time jobs.
He said McDonald’s is already one of the largest employers in New Zealand with
over 9000 employees and the Richmond restaurant will immediately create 60 jobs.
He also touted the benefits McDonald’s brings to the wider economy, spending
$145 million with local suppliers last year, a $25 million increase from the
year before.
More at National
Business Review.
 KFC
is new T20 sponsor (3 Feb 10)
New Zealand Cricket today announced its new partnership with KFC for the international Twenty20 series during February.
KFC will be supporting the BLACKCAPS during their Twenty20 campaigns against Bangladesh and Australia with benefits including uniform branding on the BLACKCAPS Twenty20 kit and signage at the grounds.
"We are delighted to welcome our new sponsor to international cricket. We know KFC will add valuable support to our international Twenty20 campaign and we look forward to building a strong partnership with KFC," New Zealand Cricket CEO Justin Vaughan said.
Restaurant Brands Chief Executive Russel Creedy said KFC is proud to be supporting the BLACKCAPS in their upcoming international Twenty20 games. "We wanted to get involved with Twenty20 Cricket because it's an exciting, fun format that all New Zealanders can enjoy. The hero product throughout the sponsorship will be KFC Krushers. We felt there was a cheeky tie-in between the name and Twenty20 fans' desire to see the BLACKCAPS come out on top."
KFC is already involved with the Twenty20 landscape, with sponsorships of the domestic and international Twenty20 competitions in Australia.
 Restaurant & Tavern
Industry Guide to Safety - 7th edition out now (8 Dec 08)
Pro-Visual Publishing has released the 7th edition of Restaurant & Tavern
Industry Guide to Safety. Distributed to the owners of restaurants,
taverns, bars and cafes throughout New Zealand, the Guide offers practical and
easy-to-understand workplace health, safety and hygiene for employers and employees.
This year, the free Guide focuses on food control plans, food safety tips, and
hazard identification and management. The information is presented is an easy-to-read,
large wall chart format.
“The Restaurant & Tavern Industry Guide to Safety is an easily accessible, practical health and food safety resource for members of the hospitality industry. This Guide provides managers and employees with up-to-date information and procedures on how to stay healthy and safe in the workplace. I would like to extend a thank you to the sponsors of the Guide who have made it possible for this Chart to be distributed free of charge to everyone in the hospitality industry. HANZ are proud to support the Guide and its development over the past seven years. We will have additional Charts available to members who wish to attain more copies of the Guide for their workplace.” Said
Scott Necklen, National Operations Managers for the Hospitality Association of
New Zealand (HANZ).
The Guide is compiled in consultation with the Hospitality Association of New
Zealand as well as the New Zealand Food Safety Authority to ensure information
is appropriate and relevant to the industry.
Over 3,400 charts have been distributed. Additional copies are available and
all Guides are produced and distributed without cost thanks to sponsorship. For
further information please call Pro-Visual Publishing at enquiries@provisual.co.nz,
fax 09 353 1911 or visit www.provisual.co.nz
 McDonald's
bites at Bring Back Georgie Pie products (3 Dec 09)
Phil Callaghan, owner of Kiwiana badges and T-shirts shop Verboom Badges, off
Cuba St in Wellington, received a letter from a lawyer acting for McDonald's
shortly after increased publicity for the "Bring Back Georgie Pie" campaign in
May.
In the letter, intellectual property lawyer Simon Fogarty asked that Mr Callaghan
stop making two products which feature a modified version of the Georgie
Pie logo.
He agreed, but asked if he could have a "grace period" to sell his remaining
stock, 183 T-shirts and 650 badges. "We're this little tiny shop, so I asked
if
I
could
have at least till Christmas and they agreed. I didn't expect that," he said.
In the latest letter, received from McDonald's lawyers in mid November, Mr Callaghan
was warned not to challenge McDonald's ownership of the trademark, or make any
more merchandise bearing the logo.
McDonald's New Zealand managing director Mark Hawthorne said the company acted
on its rights as trademark and copyright owner of the Georgie Pie brand.
Mr Callaghan said he did not mind that he could no longer produce the goods with
the Georgie Pie logo on it – but only if McDonald's brought Georgie Pie back.
"It's a dormant brand. It hasn't done anything for 13 years," he said.
More at www.stuff.co.nz.
 MenuMania
top NZ hospitality site (2 Dec 09)
MenuMania has for some time topped the list of Nielsen//NetRatings as New Zealand’s
busiest and most popular dining and eating out website. Results just published
by leading international internet analyst “Experian Hitwise” (www.hitwise.com/nz/
) show MenuMania’s
popularity with the dining public has made it the busiest of all hospitality
industry web sites in New Zealand, including the Pizza Hut, KFC and Dominos
online ordering systems.
Experian Hitwise - Category Spotlight
Food and Beverage - Restaurants and Catering New Zealand
(Rankings for the week
ending 21/11/2009 > Ranks by 'Visits')
1. MenuMania
2. Pizza Hut New Zealand
3. Domino's Pizza
4. KFC New Zealand
5. Hell Pizza
6. DineOut
7. Menus.co.nz
8. Eatout.co.nz
9. McDonald's New Zealand
10. Subway - International Locations
How locals, businesses and tourists obtain their eat-out information and make
their dining choice is rapidly changing with the use of the Internet and mobile
phones.
MenuMania.co.nz offers its visitors the opportunity to read about restaurants
and cafes in their community and wherever they travel. Visitors can see menus,
check dining offers and prices, read or write reviews, make reservations, and
send restaurant information to their friends. A new feature in 2009, on MenuMania’s
home page, visitors can also search wedding venues, conference or meeting spaces
and event caterers. Following in the footsteps of social networking sites, diners
can read or write dining reviews which inspire and create consumer confidence
to perhaps try somewhere different. Simply put, its word of mouth – amplified,
last month alone MenuMania helped 112,000 diners choose where to eat, diners
searched just under 550,000 menu pages on MenuMania. For business owners, MenuMania
enables restaurants, vineyards, pubs and cafes owners from Logan Brown to Takapuna
Beach Café publish their menus, dining promotions, photos, ambience and location
information at the click of a mouse or iPhone. MenuMania.co.nz was first launched
in 2006 by Cristian Rosescu and Karen Gibson, in 2009 chef restaurateur Mark
Gregory joined as the third partner.
www.menumania.co.nz
 McDonald’s
cracks record (2 Dec 09)
A Canterbury catering company has helped fast-food chain McDonald's crack the
record for the world's largest scrambled eggs dish. Rangiora-based Continental
was contracted to prepare 1.24 tonnes of eggs for the successful Guinness World
Records feast in Christchurch's Cathedral Square yesterday. McDonald's used the
record attempt to promote its use of free-range eggs in its Christchurch and
Dunedin restaurants. More than 20,000 eggs and 100 litres of cream were cooked
in a purpose-built dish measuring 5.4 metres in diameter. Rakes were used to
mix the eggs, and shovels to dish up the mass breakfast. Continental food and
beverage director Will van Heeswyck said controlling the cooking was the most
difficult task. "Eggs are such a delicate food item, it's best to take care with
them," he said. "You don't want too high a temperature, because they can easily
burn and go rubbery." More
at The
Press.
Takeaways
operator forecasts healthy profit (2 Dec 09)
Shares in KFC, Starbucks and Pizza Hut operator Restaurant Brands closed
at a seven-year high last night, after the company's announcement it would make
a 50 per cent improvement in profits this year.
Apparently proving that consumers do turn to takeaways in a recession, the company
said yesterday that stronger than expected trading results meant it had increased
its profit forecast for the year to next February to $17.5 million.
That was up $5.8 million or 50 per cent on the 2009 result.
KFC and Pizza Hut both saw increased margins but Starbucks' coffee sales declined.
KFC's same-store sales grew 8.8 per cent on the back of promotional activity,
new products such as the Popcorn Chicken Roller, and new meals such as the Ultimate
Burger Meal with Wicked Wings.
The Pizza Hut business had begun to show signs of a turnaround with same-store
sales growth of 5.2 per cent, the first growth in the brand's sales for nearly
four years, it said.
More at NZ
Herald.
 New
Restaurant Value Book makes dining out in Auckland more affordable! (1
Dec 09)
The cost of socialising during the festive season can be expensive but thanks to the new Restaurant
Value Book, even the most budget conscious Aucklander can enjoy dining out this summer!
Featuring almost 50 top restaurants around the city from Albany to Papakura, the Restaurant Value Book is jam-packed full of great deals including a free bottle of house wine, a free main meal or 25 percent off your bill*.
This fantastic Auckland dining guide will no doubt be the best investment you will make in the lead-up to Christmas because it pays for itself after just one voucher redemption!
Light, compact and glossy, it fits perfectly in your handbag or glove box so you can keep it on you at all times when out and about.
Sample menus with pricing are also included as well a full description of each restaurant so you know exactly what type of cuisine is on offer.
This quality voucher book makes a great Christmas or Secret Santa present for any foodie friend, family member or workmate who enjoys dining out.
Cathy Bignell (26) says the Restaurant Value Book has been instrumental in making eating out more affordable again.
“My friends and I used to go out to restaurants all the time but over the past year, we’ve had to cut right back to save money. The savings I receive from the Restaurant Value Book are amazing and when I’m out with a group, we all benefit which is great.
“Because it’s more stylish than other voucher books I’ve seen, I’m not afraid to pull it out in the restaurant. I haven’t stopped raving about it since I got it and I know I’m going to use it a lot over summer.”
Some of the restaurants featured include Tony’s, Bolliwood, Thai Me Up, The Crib, The Grange, Mink, Copper Room, Nickie’s and Squid Row.
The Restaurant Value Book can also serve as a fundraising tool for schools, work social clubs, sports clubs and other community fundraising groups who receive a percentage of each sale.
The Restaurant Value Book (RRP $20) is available from New World, Pak n Save, Paper Plus, Whitcoulls, Magazzino, Mag Mania and other leading dairies and magazine stores around Auckland.
To order a copy today or to find out more information on how to use the Restaurant Value Book to raise money for your cause, visit www.restaurantvaluebook.com
 Silverdale
chip shop New Zealand's best (30 Oct 09)
Deep fried chips may not be the healthiest food but to get the best in the country
you will have to drive north of Auckland to the small settlement of Silverdale.
Oceanz in Silverdale, 35km north of Auckland, has been named New Zealand's top
chip shop in this year's That's Life! Best Chip Shop competition.
It beat off winners from five other regions to take the title.
Chip shops were judged on the freshness and colour of their chips, shop cleanliness
and customer service.
Chips were analysed for fat content and only those with less than 11 percent
of fat were judged, said competition organisers.
Regional finalists were decided through public text voting, mystery judging and
chip fat analysis, with the
overall winner then chosen by a panel of judges.
The other regional finalists were The Chip Shop in the Auckland suburb of Royal
Oak, Oppie's Fish and Chips, Rotorua, So Fine Seafood, Lower Hutt, The Sands
Fish and Chips, Nelson, and Portobello Store and Takeaway, Dunedin.
More at www.stuff.co.nz
Radius scoops Excellence in Food Safety Award (29
Oct 09)
Two Radius Residential Care rest home facilities have scooped ‘Excellence in
Food Safety’ awards at the 2009
Food Safety Awards held in Hamilton yesterday. Radius Maeroa Lodge and
Radius St Joans Care Centre were selected from more than 750 food operators to
receive the awards that recognize a standard of excellence in management and
maintenance of a registered food premises. The Hamilton City Council Food Safety
Awards is an annual event and acknowledges recipients who maintain a standard
of excellence in their food premises above the standard required by legislation.
A total of 75 excellence and 60 merit awards were presented to food operators
such as takeaway and delicatessens, restaurants, dairies and supermarkets at
a ceremony held at the Claudelands events centre. “Radius are delighted to win
the food safety excellence award again. This is the third time that our aged
care facilities have won this award and it’s great!” says Steven Heesen, Radius
Residential Care Operations Manager. “We take food safety, presentation and preparation
very seriously and our kitchen team is vigilant about food preparation within
the rest home and it’s great that this is recognised by way of the awards”. Food
operators are assessed randomly throughout the year by Council food inspectors
and evaluated in accordance with their food handling practices, cleanliness,
staff training and sanitized work environment.
 NZ
Natural 'world-first' - ice-cream sushi (9 Oct 09)
Sushi-inspired ice-cream snacks, complete with chocolate 'soy' sauce have been
launched by the Auckland-based, Diane Foreman-owned Emerald Group, through its
New Zealand Natural chain of ice cream parlours.
Claimed as a "World First in New Zealand", the 6-piece Sooshi ice-cream
snack comes in a box, with NZ Natural's 'world-famous ice cream' wrapped in a
100% fruit roll (nori), with real fruit fillings designed to resemble vegetables,
with lemon replacing yellow peppers and apricot replacing carrot. Fillings are
Raspberry, Lemon, Apricot and Blackcurrant.
 www.sooshi.co.nz
 Coffee
house brews up big franchise deal in China (8 Oct 09)
The Chinese will be drinking New Zealand-roasted coffee following a deal done
by the Kiwi owners of the Esquires coffee house franchise.
Brothers Stuart and Lewis Deeks own the Canadian-developed coffee house franchise
for everywhere outside of Europe and North America, and have expanded from New
Zealand to the Middle East, Fiji and India.
Now they have sold the master franchise for China to a large investment company
in Yunnan province in the country's south.
Yunnan Metropolitan Construction Investment (YMCI) - part-owned by the Yunnan
government and listed on the Shanghai stock exchange - will open 250 Esquires
outlets over the next 10 years. The first store opened in the central business
district of Beijing a month ago.
Another two are expected to be opened within the next two to three months, and
16 are planned for 2010."The whole shop's basically come in a container out of here."
Deeks said Esquires aimed to supply all its stores worldwide with its own blend
of organic, Fair Trade coffee roasted in Auckland.
More at NZ
Herald.
Hunt
on for best chip shop (1 Oct 09)
Straight, crinkle, shoestring or wedge?
Mystery judges will spend October checking out the nation's chip shops in
the hunt to find the best.
The That's Life! Best Chip Shop competition was launched
today
after
the
top 120 shops were
chosen via text message.
Chip Group chair Glenda Gourley said the shops should be on
the look out for
a "shadowy character" as undercover judges would be visiting each of the finalists.
The judges would look at a range of criteria including freshness, colour, shop
cleanliness and customer service.
They would also look for certificates showing at least one employee had completed
training on industry standards for deep fried chips, Ms Gourley said.
Last year, over 400 chip shop owners around the country picked up the challenge,
and over
70% of the 89 finalists achieved the Chip Group’s aim of an average
fat content of 9.2%. Heart Foundation nutritionist Judith Morley-John said
shops could reduce the
level of fat in chips by following industry standards.
Six regional winners and a national winner will be announced next month. More
at NZ
Herald.
 KFC,
Pizza Hut defy recession (23 Sep 09)
Restaurant Brands, the operator of the KFC and Pizza Hut franchises
lifted second quarter sales 4.8 percent from a year earlier to $96.9 million.
Same store sales for the 16 weeks ended September 14 were up 6.9 percent, with
KFC and Pizza Hut recording same store sales growth during the quarter, although
Starbucks Coffee sales were down, Restaurant Brands said today.
Last week the company said it expected half year net profit, excluding non trading
items, to be around $8.7m, an increase of $4.1m on a year earlier.
The improved profitability was largely due to sustained strong sales growth in
the KFC brand and continued turnaround by Pizza Hut. The half year profit is
to be announced on October 16.
In today's statement, Restaurant Brands said the economic recession had not adversely
affected overall sales growth, with the 4.8 percent rise in the second quarter
on top of a 4.3 percent lift in the first quarter.
Year-to-date total sales were $169.7m, up 4.6 percent on the prior year across
the three brands, with year-to-date same store sales improving 6.7 percent.
KFC, responsible for 70 percent of company sales with 84 stores, had second quarter
sales growth of 7.6 percent to $68.2m. On a same store basis sales were up 9.2
percent.
More at www.stuff.co.nz.
There's
gold in those arches ... (22 Sep 09)
With McDonald's planning aggressive expansion in New Zealand in the next three
years and a 500-tonne annual sales order placed last month for New Zealand angus
beef, the much-maligned fast food multinational is actually a strong supporter
of our food industry.
Fonterra is believed to supply
a quarter of its dairy requirements globally, and Fonterra subsidiary The Pastry
House is a major supplier
of McDonald's bread and pastry requirements.
McDonald's bought more than US$270 million ($383 million) of
food from New Zealand last year, including sending 6000 tonnes of cheese to Australia,
Asia, South Africa, the Middle East and South America; more than 24,000 tonnes
of beef; 2600 tonnes of hoki to Europe, Asia, Australia and Hawaii; 18,000 tonnes
of French fries to Southeast Asia and Australia.
In the same year McDonald's New Zealand bought 4.7 million kg of beef; 1 million
kg of cheese; 1.5 million litres of milk; 15 million kg of potatoes; 13 million
eggs; 200,000kg of hoki; 2.2 million kg of chicken; 66 million buns and rolls;
and 12 million muffins.
Ray Kroc, founder of the McDonald's fast food chain, was a 51 year-old milkshake
mixer salesman when he flew from Chicago to California to
find out why a hamburger shop owned by two brothers called McDonald wanted so
many of his milkshake mixers.
More at NZ
Herald.
 Private
equity in Whopper deal (16 Sep 09)
Sydney-based private equity firm Anchorage Capital Partners has bought the New Zealand arm of fast food chain Burger
King.
Anchorage has been in talks with Burger King's local owners, Dennis Jones and
Mark Backhaus, for some months, and officially took over ownership of the 69
company-owned and two-franchised Burger King outlets yesterday.
Anchorage partner Mark Bayliss becomes chairman of the New Zealand Burger King
operation.
Jones and Backhaus first brought Burger King to New Zealand in the mid-1990s.
Oil company Shell owned 50 per cent for a time but sold out to the pair in 2002.
Their TPF Group has long been tipped to be looking to exit.
It sold the 61-outlet Hell Pizza franchise back to its founders in May after
just three years of ownership.
Anchorage planned to invest in the brand and the existing network, and to expand
the number of outlets.
It was not planning redundancies.
Bayliss said the fast food business had proved to be counter-cyclical during
the recession, in that people had traded down from more expensive eating out
options.
Former McDonald's executive John Elliott is the new chief executive.
Bayliss, a former chief financial officer for Fairfax in New Zealand, will sit
on the board alongside fellow Anchorage partner Phil Cave. More at NZ
Herald.
 McAngus
on the McMenu - McDonald’s goes premium (26 Aug 09)
A 500-tonne sales boost to New Zealand’s Angus beef industry was announced
yesterday afternoon.
Fast food giant McDonald’s, which has 145 stores in New Zealand,
has launched two new premium burgers to its menu – both based on high quality
AngusPure beef patties.
The burgers, a likely push to gain back market share from the likes of Burger
Fuel and Burger Wisconsin, will be available on the menu from today.
McDonald’s has predicted it will buy an additional 500,000kg of Angus beef, which
brings its annual beef total to about 5.2 million kilograms, up from 4.7 million
in 2008.
For Angus beef breeders, the McDonald’s move has already paid off.
New Zealand AngusPure chairman Tim Brittain said the latest
East Coast Angus bull sales saw average bull prices rise to about $6,000 per
bull, up about $800.
AngusPure is a brand attached to certified Angus beef, which attracts a premium
for producers.
Marketed as a high-end quality beef product, AngusPure beef must be sourced from
Angus steers and heifers sired by a registered bull, contain no hormones, be
grass fed and processed by an approved meat processor.
New Zealand Angus beef is being used in North American products, but is blended
there with meat containing more fat to produce the final burger.
He said the New Zealand meat would have an 80-85% chemical lean value. Chemical
lean is a technique to check the fat content of the meat.
The Grand Angus is described as a café-style burger with salad
and cheese and
the Mighty Angus with relish and bacon will both be presented
on a premium sourdough
bun.
More at National
Business Review.
 Radius
rolls out food service training (18 Aug 09)
New Zealand’s third largest aged care provider, Radius Residential Care is setting a new standard in rest home food service by rolling out a nationwide initiative aimed at upskilling catering staff.
It is anticipated that more than 40 food service staff working in 22 Radius Residential Care facilities nationwide will undergo future training to complete the Food Services Residential Programme, which forms the basis of the National Certificate in Hospitality Entry Skills.
“The course is the first of its kind to be initiated in the aged care sector, and Radius is leading the charge and amongst the first in the residential care organizations who has completed the programme”, says Steve
Hanrahan, Chief Executive of the Hospitality Standards Institute (HSI).
A 20 hour training programme facilitated by HSI over a two month period was recently completed at Radius Hampton Court in Napier. Programme participants learned the importance of food health and safety as well as how best to prepare food for the elderly and to enhance food presentation.
“New Zealand’s Health and Disability Commissioner already sets a high standard for the production of safe and nutritious meals. But Radius is keen to develop this further and create a real understanding amongst catering personnel so they become passionate about delivering a product with creativity that pleases not just the pallate but also the eye,” says Steven
Heesen, Radius Residential Care Operations Manager who is a member of the HSI' s Food Services Sector Committee and has many years experience in the hospitality sector.
Steven also acknowledges that meal times in aged care facilities are a major focal point amongst residents and something they look forward to each day.
“Radius recognizes that food quality, service and presentation are becoming more and more important with the growth and demands in our industry. The Food Services Residential course, created inconjunction with HSI, addresses the specific needs of rest homes and we feel it is important to upskill our staff to be able to deliver more choice and well presented meals to our residents”.
“The aged care industry accounts for a very large section of the hospitality industry and Radius is proud to be paving the way and setting the benchmark with this new training programme”, says Steven.
Photo: Food Services Residential Programme graduates Therese Simpson, Amanda
Olsen & Wendy Bateman
Aussie
buyer tipped for Burger King (6 Aug 09)
Australian private equity firm Anchorage Capital Partners is buying
the Burger King master franchise and 42 outlet
stores from Tasman Pacific
Foods, according to well-placed sources.
Reports have been around since November that Tasman Pacific Foods' New Zealand
Burger King chain is on the block. The reports were denied by
TPF.
But it is understood Anchorage is in the final stages of establishing an agreement
to buy the Burger King franchise, with the price unknown.
Several parties are believed to have done due diligence on the Burger King chain
since it was put up for sale, including movie chain Reading Cinemas.
TPF bought the Hell Pizza chain for $15m in 2006, introduced efficiencies and
cost-cutting but had to lower prices and suffered from the recession.
It resold Hell to the business' Wellington founders.
More at The
Independent.
 Pieman
shows his winning wares (30 Jul 09)
John Newell is not being cheesy when he says he makes one of the best pies in New Zealand.
Not a man to mince words, his Hamilton-based company has scooped the gold award in the commercial/wholesale mince and cheese section of the prestigious 2009
Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards.
The company was a silver medallist in the section, only open to producers of
more than 60,000 pies a week, last year.
A regular around the Waikato, Oxford's award-winning mince and cheese pies are
made from 100 per cent New Zealand beef, and 100 per cent New Zealand grated
colby cheese, a combination which Mr Newell calls "a Kiwi staple".
Oxford Pies weren't the only Waikato winners on Tuesday night, with Thames' Food
for Thought bakery scooping a gold in the chicken and vegetable section, while
other bakeries from Hamilton, Taupo, Otorohanga and Matamata also picked up silver,
bronze and highly commended awards in various sections.
Tauranga's Goldstar Patricks Pies Bakery & Cafe won the supreme pie award for their gourmet creamy bacon, mushroom & cheese pie.
More at Waikato Times.
Judges chewing through record number of pies to find NZ's
best (23 Jul 09)
Judges tasked with finding the country's best pie face their toughest job yet
with an unprecedented 388 bakeries taking part this year. The figure is a big
jump from the previous record of 290 and has created a logistical challenge for
organisers of the Bakels
New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards. "Blind" judging, with all pies being
coded, is being conducted in Auckland today with the panel assessing about 4000
pies for pastry, filling and flavour. The entry list shows the presence of Asian
bakeries continues to grow – from 5 percent of entrants 10 years ago to 60 percent
this year. The competition is divided into 11 categories, for which there will
be gold, silver and bronze medals. The bakery producing the best pie overall
will get the supreme award and $7500. The competition results will be announced
on Tuesday night. Statistics New Zealand figures show the New Zealand pie market
is worth more than $120 million a year, outstripping the burger market. More
at www.stuff.co.nz.
There
is life in a recession - Restaurant Brands (26 Jun 09)
Food franchise operator Restaurant Brands told shareholders today it expects
to make an annual profit, excluding non-trading items, of about $12 million.
"The current economic environment, whilst challenging, has not impacted our sales
as adversely as originally anticipated," chairman Ted
van Arkel said in a speech to the annual meeting.
The company reported net profit after tax of $11.7 million in its 2008/09 year,
up $1.4m on the previous year.
"There is life in a recession and Restaurant Brands' performance in 2008/09 is
testimony to that," said chief executive Russel
Creedy.
The profit was driven by a strong performance by the KFC chain.
The company has previously reported sales in the 12 weeks to May 25 totalled
$72.8m, up 4.3 percent on the same time last year.
Mr van Arkel said the year's trading had started well with the first quarter's
sales results.
"Continued improvement in bottom-line profit requires the momentum of the KFC
brand to be maintained and the other two brands to demonstrate a solid turnaround
in earnings performance."
The company also runs Pizza Hut and Starbucks franchises.
Mr Creedy said a new agreement with franchisor Yum! Restaurants International
allowed
much more flexibility in closing under performing Pizza Hut stores.
It also introduced the option of selling off individual stores to franchisees.
"The new arrangement allows us to rationalise the network for better profitability,
but still provides Restaurant Brands with the day-to-day control and direction
of the brand."
More at www.stuff.co.nz.
 More
Pizza Huts to go in Restaurant Brands sell-off (24 Jun 09)
Restaurant Brands is to sell some of its Pizza Hut stores to owner-operators,
under a new arrangement with Yum! Restaurants International.
Announcing the deal today, Restaurant Brands said up to 10 stores could be sold
in the first year.
Pizza Hut has been a challenge for Restaurant Brands for some time, although
in its latest figures the company reported the first quarterly rise in nearly
four years in both total and same store Pizza Hut sales.
At the end of the quarter, May 25, the company had 92 Pizza Hut stores, down
four on a year earlier.
Today, Restaurant Brands said the pizza market in this country had changed considerably
in recent years.
A substantial rise in the number of competitors made certain stores better suited
to hands-on management by owner-operators, rather than the corporate model under
which Restaurant Brands now operated the stores.
Restaurant Brands would continue to run marketing and operations for Pizza Hut
in this country, and continue to manage the brand in New Zealand on Yum!'s behalf.
Restaurant Brands said the new arrangement placed it in a much stronger position
to grow the Pizza Hut brand, and was viewed as a major step forward in adding
value for shareholders.
More at NZ
Herald.
 Wellington
bars among the best (23 Jun 09)
Wellington has been confirmed as a capital place for a cocktail, with two of the city's nightspots voted among the best bars in the world.
Motel on Forresters Lane and Matterhorn on Cuba St took out 7th and 12th place respectively in the annual survey released by Australian
Bartender magazine today.
The two establishments were the only New Zealand bars to make the top 20 in the
Asia-Pacific region.
Tokyo bar High Five claimed the number one spot, with three other bars from the
Japanese capital making the cut.
Other hot spots that made the list with two winning bars were Brisbane and Shanghai,
while Bali, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul and Beijing each slipped one venue
into the Top 20.
At the 2008 NZ Bartender magazine bar awards, Matterhorn won Bar of the Year
for the third consecutive year while Motel won Cocktail Bar of the Year.
More at Dominion
Post.
 The
killer instincts of the Regal Salmon Innovative Chef of the Year (22 Jun
09)
Owen Sinclair, executive chef and owner of the Killer Prawn in Whangarei,
is a champion for his hometown and the hospitality industry.
Owen beat nine of his peers to win the Regal Salmon Innovative Northland
Chef
of the Year at the 2008 Mataariki Industry Awards – Northland’s third
annual event.
“I feel honoured to be rewarded for all my efforts over the past 15 years,” says
Owen.
“It’s also great for the whole team to be recognised – I rely heavily on my staff
to support me and drive the restaurant.”
The 2008 Mataariki Industry Awards is an initiative of Northland Chefs: the newest
and youngest branch of the New Zealand Chefs Association. These awards are about
recognizing the standard and achievements of those in the Northland region who
strive for excellence.
The Regal Salmon Innovative Northland Chef of the Year is “a chef who is recognised
for creating great food consistently and runs a tight kitchen. This chef is recognised
for being an inspiration to others and a leader in their field,” says event organiser
Sam Timoko.
Owen certainly exceeds the criteria. Killer Prawn has been at the culinary cutting
edge for more than 15 years, bringing pleasure to locals and tourists alike.
And with the addition of McMorrissey’s Irish pub and Killer Pizza, he’s a man
who is actively contributing to the success of Northland’s hospitality industry.
With an accredited training kitchen, he has educated many young chefs; several
of which have chose to pursue their careers further with Owen after graduation.
Paul Jobin, TV chef, Kerikeri resident and host of the evening’s award ceremony,
said Owen’s award is well deserved.
“Owen was the clear winner and an obvious innovator in the industry,” says Paul.
New Zealand King Salmon marketing manager Stephen Gibson says the company values
its involvement in the Mataariki Awards.
“We very much appreciate being able to help those Northland hospitality ambassadors
gain recognition for their achievements,” says Stephen.
 Healthier
deep-fried chips on the menu (4 Jun 09)
The classic deep fried chip is about to undergo a healthy makeover after new
standards were introduced to the food service industry.
The seven standards which include using less salt, cutting a bigger and straighter
chip and using low fat cooking oil have been identified by The Chip Group – a
partnership between industry groups and the Heart Foundation.
Group chairwoman Glenda Gourley said the standards were developed after the Ministry
of Health granted funding to implement a three year programme focused on improving
the nutritional profile of chips.
"These are voluntary standards and staff working within the food service industry
are being encouraged to use them as part of their daily work," Ms Gourley said.
"In launching them, we hope to be able to help restaurants to serve up tastier
and healthier chips to their customers and, at the same time, improve the cost
efficiency of their businesses."
The standards are:
* Chip size – Use thick straight cut chips of at least 13mm.
* Cooking – Use a digital thermometer to check the oil temperature. Cook chips
at a temperature of 175degC for between three and four minutes for final fry.
* Drainage – Bang or shake the basket vigorously twice then hang for at least
20 seconds.
* Frying medium maintenance – Maintain frying medium in good quality. Keep fryer
topped up with fresh frying medium. Cool frying medium and cover fryers when
not in use. Test and discard frying medium when it shows signs of degradation.
* Frying medium – Use a frying medium that meets the following criteria: saturated
fat equal to, or less than 28 per cent; trans fat equal to, or less than 1 per
cent.
* Salt – Use salt sparingly, if seasoning chips.
* Training and education – Adopt best practice frying training for staff.
More at www.stuff.co.nz.
Hey
there, Georgie Pie? (22 May 09)
One of the great New Zealand comebacks could be on the cards for budget fast-food
chain Georgie Pie.
Riding a wave of public nostalgia, the chain best known for its $1 pie deals
is being talked up by its new owners, McDonald's, more than a decade after
it sank.
Spokeswoman Kate Porter said it held the Georgie Pie trademark and was looking
at how the company might use it.
McDonald's was "intrigued at the level of passion for the Georgie Pie brand and
[we've] put some concepts into research",
she said.
The move follows several campaigns urging the revival of the chain.
North Shore baker Martin Gummer offered to pay a licensing fee and royalties
to McDonald's for permission to make the pies, and broadcasting school students
in Christchurch mounted a campaign last year, opening a temporary Georgie Pie
shop
and shooting a documentary about it.
A Facebook group campaigning to bring back Georgie Pie has about 20,000 members.
In the early 1990s, the restaurant
sold mince and cheese pies for as little as $1 each about $1.50 in today's terms.
Ms Porter said research was looking at "how much of the love for Georgie Pie
was linked to the fact that it was really cheap".
Georgie Pie first opened in 1977, the brainchild of Tom Ah Chee who also opened
New Zealand's first supermarket in Otahuhu in 1958.
It grew rapidly and 1300 people lost their jobs when more than 30 outlets were
closed in 1996.
More at Dominion
Post.
 “World's
Best Pastry Chef” coming (18 May 09)
New Zealand’s premier trade show, HospitalityNZ, has pulled out another trump
card with the Restaurant Association securing the expertise of the world’s best
Pastry Chef, Claire
Clark, direct from the renowned French Laundry restaurant, to attend
the Show.
Award winning Clark will be the headline act for this years HospitalityNZ
Telecom Masterclasses, running from 23rd – 25th August at
the ASB Showgrounds, Auckland, NZ. Having worked at The French Laundry since
2005,
Clark
has
cooked alongside the world’s best chefs and helped to establish the restaurant
as America’s most revered dining establishment which has consistently ranked
in the global top five best restaurants by Restaurant Magazine.
Clark has numerous accolades under her toque. She has been named “Best Pastry
Chef” in 2005 by Restaurant Magazine and is the only female recipient
of the highest award to be given on the grounds of professional excellence, the ‘Meilleur
Ouvrier de la Grande Bretagne’.
Irene Smith, organiser of HospitalityNZ is thrilled to have Clark on board. “It’s
a tremendous honour to have Claire attend Hospitality NZ. The creativity, discipline
and detail that are incorporated in her creations really are an art form and
her sessions will provide an incredible opportunity for the New Zealand hospitality
industry to learn from one of the world’s best” says Smith.
Building on the success of last years event, HospitalityNZ 2009 will showcase
the crème de la crème of the hospitality industry, with five great events all
in the one show.
“Every year we aim to extend and enhance the show to ensure visitors really do
leave the event satisfied and inspired. This year we’ve changed what was the
Hospitality Show to ‘Foodservices’. This encompasses a broader range of exhibitors
and we’ve also extended the Wine event to showcase both local and international
vintages,” Smith said. http://www.hospitalitynz.co.nz
 Fine
Food show coming to New Zealand (14 May 09)
North Port Events has announced that it will
launch
Fine
Food,
Australia’s leading event for the food, drink and equipment sector, in Auckland
in June 2010. Founder and organiser of immensely popular consumer exhibition,
The Food Show, North Port Events has partnered with Diversified Exhibitions,
the organiser of
Fine Food Australia, to bring Fine
Food New Zealand to the local market. Planned as a biennial event, Fine
Food New Zealand intends to unite and revitalise the New Zealand food service
industry, and contribute to its ongoing development by encouraging the development
of national and global connections and networks. “Fine Food New Zealand will
be more sophisticated and more international than current events servicing the
food industry, while also providing an important and professional platform to
showcase and appreciate our home-grown, premier
wares,” said Dona White, CEO, North Port Events. Fine Food New
Zealand will bring together distributors and buyers from food, drink and equipment
companies in New Zealand, Australia and around the world. The event will give
exhibitors the opportunity to interact with thousands of retail and foodservice
buyers on a face-to-face basis. Buyers will be able to discover new food and
beverage products, see state-of-the-art equipment, gain inisght on international
trends and learn new skills and techniques in a highly dynamic environment. Launched
in 1984, Fine Food Australia takes place in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth,
and is recognised as the pre-eminent food industry exhibition in Australia, enjoying
a growing exhibitor and visitor base. “As well as strong indicators that New
Zealand is hungry for a food trade event, we know that many of our Australian
and other international exhibitors and visitors are very keen to expand into
this market,” said Matthew Pearce, CEO, Diversified Exhibitions.
The partnership between the two companies brings together a powerful combination
of experience and expertise with staging highly successful food events. Diversified
Exhibitions Australia has developed a leading brand and North Port Events have
an intimate knowledge of the local environment. This strategic union will ensure
that Fine Food New Zealand upholds both companies reputations for staging quality,
innovative events and delivers positive outcomes for all concerned. Fine Food
New Zealand will take place 13-15 June 2010 at the ASB
Showgrounds in Auckland. www.finefoodnz.co.nz
 To
Hell and back: pizza chain bought by founders (13 May 09)
The founders of the Hell pizza chain have bought back the business
they sold less than three years ago.
Warren Powell, Stu McMullin and Callum Davies take the helm again on Friday,
and plan to shift the Hell brand back to its quirky roots.
The trio sold Hell to TPF, owners of Burger King, for $15 million in December
2006.
They retained the international rights to the brand and have opened outlets in
Australia, England and Ireland, with Canada next on the list.
But negative publicity about discontented franchisees and customer complaints
of a decline in quality have plagued Hell’s local operations since
the sale.
At the root of the problem, observers say, was the innate conflict between the
management style of a profit-driven corporate like TPF and the
founders' more personalised approach that franchisees and customers
were used to.
Mr Powell says the timing was right for both parties when he and his colleagues
sold the business; and now it’s right again for the buyback.
The sale price is confidential but it is believed to be a fraction of the $15
million that TPF paid for the business.
Messrs Powell, McMullin and Davies plan to introduce a “super gourmet” pizza
range to Hell, which will retail at near the $20 mark, as well as other product
lines such as Thai food and items that are gluten free and organic.
More at National
Business Review.
 McDonald's
in $100m expansion drive (5 May 09)
McDonald's is planning aggressive expansion in New Zealand, building 30 more
restaurants and hiring another 6000 staff over the next three years.
Despite retail statistics showing that fast food sales are at best flat, the
chain will open 10 new outlets in 2009 - more than it has in the past eight years
combined, local managing director Mark
Hawthorne said.
The company and its franchisees will between them spend $100 million this year
on building new stores and refurbishing existing ones, he said.
Last month McDonald's reported a 7 per cent increase in same-store sales for
the three months to March, on the back of 10 per cent growth in 2008.
About half of the chain's 143 existing stores are open 24 hours, which Hawthorne
said had contributed significantly to the increase in sales.
But he said other factors had also impacted, such as the re-imaging of many restaurants,
improvements in the food being offered and better service times.
Hawthorne claimed the chain had also stolen market share off competitors. He
said of the top eight quick service restaurants in the market McDonald's had
around a 35 per cent share, up from 31 per cent 12 months ago.
Hawthorne said McDonald's penetration was still relatively low in New Zealand,
at
one restaurant for every 30,000 people. In the United States that figure was
one
to 22,000.
More at NZ
Herald.
Golden
arches glow in gloom (24 Apr 09)
McDonald's New Zealand appears to be bucking the recession, enjoying strong same-store
sales growth and planning to open seven new stores this year.
Globally, McDonald's reported same-store sales growth of 4.3 per cent in the
March quarter with gains in all major markets except China and Germany.
In New Zealand, same-store sales growth was up by 7 per cent in the quarter,
managing director Mark
Hawthorne said, outperforming KFC, the star performer in the Restaurant
Brands portfolio, which had same-store sales growth of 4.1 per cent in the year
to February. This came on the back of 10 per cent growth in 2008
and 7 per cent in 2007. Growth in 2005 and 2006 was relatively flat, he said. "We
seem to be continuing strongly this year."
McDonald's growth in New Zealand was being driven by a range of factors, Mr Hawthorne
said. "We've seen a product mix shift into cheaper items on the menu, which is
no surprise."
About 70 per cent of the fast food chain's 70 stand-alone drive-through stores
were now open 24 hours a day seven days a week, which had boosted sales, Mr Hawthorne
said. "Those have probably been the two major growth factors."
McDonald's New Zealand had also spent a lot of money re-imaging restaurants and
improving the menu and service times, which had also contributed.
More at Dominion
Post.
 Raising
a glass to a new era (22 Apr 09)
Expanded format of HospitalityNZ opens the door for international
portfolios of wine brands.
HospitalityNZ has a long established reputation as a dynamic industry event.
Its continual evolution is crucial to maintain it market leader position as the
essential date in the business calendar for the New Zealand Hospitality industry.
As part of this tradition of evolution, show organiser, dmg world media to-day
announced a restructure to incorporate an expanded format for the wine component
of HospitalityNZ 2009. The new wine event will feature an extensive showcase
of the finest wines that are available to New Zealand wine retail and hospitality
businesses - both international and New Zealand wines. Previously, the wine exhibition
part of HospitalityNZ was exclusive to New Zealand wineries and wine brands.
Re-launched simply as WINE, this stand-alone event offers industry
professionals the one destination in which to conduct their significant annual
wine business. The new WINE event will retain key features of the previous format,
most notably Wine New Zealand, a dedicated section which will showcase a selection
of wines from New Zealand’s finest producers. It will also feature the popular
Corbans Viticulture Wine New Zealand Seminars, a platform in which to taste and
contrast New Zealand wines, and discuss wine trends as they relate to the New
Zealand hospitality industry. It will continue to recognise achievement through
the Innovation in Wine Awards and the Buyers’ Choice Awards. “Our commitment
to the New Zealand wine industry remains strong,” commented Group Trade Manager, Michele
Harrod. “We will continue to support the New Zealand wine industry by
showcasing New Zealand wineries through the event feature Wine New Zealand and
the “New Zealand exclusive” focus of the Corbans
Viticulture Wine New Zealand Seminars and the Innovation in
Wine Awards, she added. “ Expanding the tasting forum to include international
portfolios of wine is something that has been driven by demand from the hospitality
industry and our commitment to ensure the continued success of a wine event as
part of HospitalityNZ, “concluded Harrod.
Wine 2009 is a stand-alone trade exclusive event that forms part of
HospitalityNZ. It is organised by dmg world media in partnership with
The Restaurant Association of New Zealand.
“Hospitality Professionals are increasingly time poor individuals.” added Michele “The
new format of WINE now enables key decision makers to conduct their relevant
wine business in one place,” she commented. “This is a positive development for
both exhibitors and visitors. We consulted with the industry and the feedback
was extremely positive, and we anticipate a sell-out show and a re-energized
event for 2009, “she concluded. HospitalityNZ includes five events in one show.
It is the place where industry professionals gather to conduct business, sample
new products, preview innovation, engage in informative seminars and celebrate
milestones of achievement. Each event has been streamlined to meet the specific
needs of the hospitality industry. HospitalityNZ includes Foodservice, Wine,
Coffee & Beverage, Telecom Seminars and NZ Culinary Fare.
Any winery interested in exhibiting at Wine 2009 or requiring additional information
on this event, should contact Irene
Smith, Show Manager, HospitalityNZ via telephone (09) 976 8352 or email: irenesmith@dmgworldmedia.com.
 Burger
Fuel closing in on Dubai site (14 Apr 09)
Burger Fuel hopes to nail down a site for an outlet in Dubai within the next
six weeks, a year after announcing it had signed a deal in the emirate.
The NZAX-listed company recently signed its second international master licensing
agreement in the Middle East with partners in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Burger Fuel executive director Josef Roberts said it was hoped to have more than
20 outlets operating in the region in the next few years.
It had planned to have its Dubai store open by the end of last year but the city
state, with its reliance on property development, tourism and financial services,
had been hit hard by the global economic crunch.
"We would have liked to have been open earlier but you've got to take the recession into account. They went through a meltdown as well. Priorities change but it's to our advantage because rents are much cheaper and the sites are opening up."
It was crucial to get the first site right in each of the Middle Eastern countries.
Burger Fuel's agreement in Saudi Arabia is with the Abdulla Fouad Group, a major
Saudi Arabian corporation based in the eastern province of Dammam.
More at NZ
Herald.
 DB
goes on bar buying spree (6 Apr 09)
DB Breweries is taking advantage of the slumping market to add to its
hospitality portfolio, buying up three popular bars and is in talks
to build
a third.
DB, in conjunction with its hospitality joint venture Barworks, has purchased
Takapuna’s Copper Room, Christchurch’s Soho bar, and is in discussions
to purchase Degree Bar in Auckland’s Viaduct.
DB has purchased a 75% stake in Hurstmere Pubs, owner of the Copper Room, with
the remaining 25% stake held by Barworks, all up costing $268,100.
Riccarton Hospitality, owner of Soho, has a similar ownership split and was purchased
for $1,085,300.
Gaults on Quay, now Degree bar, will be 100% owned by Barworks with a purchase
value of $1,680,000.
Barworks is a partnership between DB and JAG Hospitality, which runs the operations
end, and the partnership has been responsible for a variety of
popular mid-to-high end pubs such as Auckland’s successful Sale
Street Brewery and The Tap Room in Christchurch.
DB owns 60% stake in Barworks, and JAG Hospitality 40%, which is run by serial-bar
entrepreneurs Andrew Clapham, John Hellebrekers and Gavin Cowell.
Historically, Barworks and DB have worked to produce DB or Monteith's bars, to
boost brand exposure beyond simple supply agreements.
The plan is to expand DB’s already successful gastro-pub model, a measure that
has proven popular as the traditional drink till you drop bogan pub goes out
of fashion.
More at National
Business Review.
KFC
revamp and promotions help Restaurant Brands dish up rise in sales (13
Mar 09)
The tough economy appears to be helping fast food conglomerate Restaurant Brands, which has reported a 1.5 per cent rise in sales in the three months to March 1.
The company said yesterday it expects to announce an annual profit of about $11 million next month. Again its KFC business
is driving growth, where same store sales were up 5.5 per cent on the equivalent
quarter last year.
Refurbishment at KFC, its strong promotions and product offering had boosted
sales growth in all those stores, contributing 69 per cent of the group's total
sales for the March quarter - and a sales increase of $2 million for the equivalent
quarter - to a total of $53.3 million.
Across the company sales grew 3.9 per cent for the quarter.
Sales for the financial year were $309.1 million, up 1.8 per cent on the previous
year, but when compared with the equivalent of 52 weeks, were down 0.1 per cent.
The separate Pizza Hut operation dropped 1.2 per cent in terms of same store
sales, and 4.8 per cent in total, to $15.4 million for the quarter.
Restaurant Brands blamed the closure of one of the 93 stores for this "disappointing" quarter,
but said it was still an improvement on previous performance.
Starbucks Coffee's quarterly same-store sales increased by 3.6 per cent against
prior year.
More at NZ
Herald.
 World
Champion Chef to present at Gourmet Experience (6 Mar 08)
Celebrity Chef Francky Godinho, Executive Chef at the Old Church
Restaurant, will present live on stage at Gourmet
Experience, at the Pettigrew Green Arena in Taradale, Hawke's Bay, on Saturday
18 and Sunday 19 April.
Francky has won world acclaim. Emirates Chef of the Year 2005, New Zealand Chef
of the Year 2007, Hawke’s Bay Chef of the Year 2008, and now one of the New Zealand
team of chefs that won the Global Chef Challenge, 2009, in Wales, last month
Spokesman Warren Cooper is bubbling with excitement at having Francky as one
of a team of international chefs that will be presenting live on stage.
He said; “The Food & Wine Show - Gourmet Experience – welcomes guest Celebrity
Chef Francky to the 2009 event. Francky will present live his unique specialty
dishes on both Saturday 18 April and Sunday 19 April”.
“Francky Godinho grew up in Goa, India, where he credits his family for his passion
for food. In 1997 he took his first international job with Emirate Airlines.
He then worked in Dubai for eight years, spending four of these at the Burj al
arab the world’s only 7 star hotel”.
Warren added; “His reputation and skills are just awesome. In 2005 he became
the first back- to- back winner of the Emirates Culinary Guilds competition and
took 3 awards in Dubai. Best Hygienic Chef, runner-up for Salon Culinary Chef,
and Chef of the Year for the Emirate Culinary Guild before bringing his skills
to New Zealand.”
Recipes based n the fine, fresh ingredients available
here in the Bay with added levels of aromas and flavours from Arabia, Goa and
the Pacific.
 Omelette
Guy looking for the "Fastest Omelette" (23 Feb 09)
Ian Thomas aka “The Omelette Guy” is
on the hunt for the best omelette, the fastest omelette, something
a little
different.
Showman extraordinaire Ian will be conducting heats throughout both days at Gourmet
Experience, held in the Pettigrew Green Arena, Taradale,
Napier, on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April. Ian
says “Come along and enter
or just to be entertained.” “It will be great fun and entirely
new.” he added.
Over the two days Hawke’s Bay regional winners will be chosen for The Fastest
Omelette in New Zealand Challenge.
Each day the best of the Bay will appear live on stage.
The Fastest Omelette in New Zealand Challenge
Here it is folks, your chance to beat The Omelette Guy and set New Zealand's
record for making the fastest folded omelette.
The rules:
Omelette must be made using The Omelette Guy's method:
Ingredients: 2 size 7 eggs
2 tablespoons of water
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of Alpha One Rice Bran Oil (recommended)
No Fillings
Method: 1. Beat eggs, water and seasoning together in a small bowl until
blended.
2. In a 26cm non-stick pan (or similar, but not larger) heat Alpha One Rice Bran
Oil until very hot - but before it starts to smoke. Pour in the egg mix.
3. With an inverted egg slice quickly draw the edges of the mixture into the
middle and tilt the pan allowing the runny mixture to fill the hole. Tilt the
pan as necessary to fill the holes created by the egg slice with liquid egg mixture.
Repeatedly 'dig holes and fill them' until the egg mixture no longer flows.
Your omelette should fill the entire pan and still be moist on top. This should
take about 20 seconds. Be careful not to over cook the omelette so that it becomes
dry. The moist egg will cook when the omelette is folded
4. Fold the omelette in half.
5. Setting aside the spatula and holding the pan in your right hand and a plate
in your left hand, tip the pan so the omelette falls gently upside down onto
the plate (left handed people use opposite hands). THE OMLETTE MUST BE COOKED
AND SET TO A REASONABLE STANDARD AS DETERMINED BY THE OMELETTE GUY.
The Omelette Guy's decision on any matter involved with the challenge is final.
And the prize?.... The Trophy, the title, a years supply of eggs, plus pan & egg
slice
Spokesman for Gourmet Experience, Warren Cooper, encourages entrants to practice
at home using the above rules.
“We are just so lucky to have Ian with us” Warren added. “He travels widely and
is making this a special weekend for Hawke’s Bay”.
At the Food & Wine Show, Gourmet Experience, all ingredients and equipment will
be provided.
www.gourmetexperience.co.nz
 Healthy
food hits the road (18 Feb 09)
Hot dogs and chips not cutting the mustard for local event-goers
An increasing number of local event-goers are looking for a fresh and healthy
alternative to the usual deep-fried fare on offer at big events. This trend is
the motivation behind Wellington company Wishbone’s latest invention – their
own mobile store.
“Not everyone has time to pack their own breakfast, lunch or dinner before heading
off to an all-day sporting event or outdoor concert. Nor are they prepared to
settle for hot dogs and chips” Samantha
Lacoua, the company’s General Manager of Retail proudly explains.
‘Wishbone on Wheels’ is aimed at keeping hungry crowds
happy at events all over the place and has been designed and purpose-built over
the past year by a specialist engineer. The truck-turned-store measures 7.5m
long, 3.0m high and 3.2m wide and has been developed specifically to cater for
outdoor concerts, festivals, sporting events, A&P shows, trade fairs and expos…anywhere
that attracts a big crowd.
“The mobile store is a work of art, inside and out” Lacoua says. “It operates
and looks just like one of our CBD stores but it’s ‘on wheels’ so can go anywhere!” A
built-in generator runs the fridges and coffee machines when a power supply is
not available.
The mobile store’s menu promises its event-going customers an extensive range
of fresh food as found in the company’s growing number of CBD stores (currently
11 in Wellington and 5 in Auckland) and its recently launched online store www.wishbone.co.nz. “Our
menu features so many fresh and healthy choices that local event-goers now have
a real alternative. Fruit combi’s, sandwiches, salads, soup, wraps, baking, cold
drinks, hot drinks…there is nothing else quite like it” Lacoua says. The mobile
store is set to be welcomed by families too. “Parents now have the chance to
offer their children a fresh juice or nutritious sandwich when they’re out and
about”.
The company’s commitment to fresh and healthy food is illustrated by its own
nutritional strip - The Wishbone Strip™. This is an easy-to-read device featured
on Wishbone’s packaging to help customers tell the difference between low fat,
dairy free, low G.I, gluten free and meat free options.
In addition to plans to open more CBD stores this year, the company believes
there is demand for Wishbone beyond the CBD. “Wishbone on Wheels is an ideal
way to utilise our existing production facilities while satisfying a market currently
not catered for” says Lacoua.
Asked how much product the new mobile store Lacoua claims “A lot! Enough breakfast,
lunches and dinners to keep 100’s or 1000’s of hungry people happy for hours,
or even days!”
Having just hit the road in Wellington at events including Starry Nights in Frank
Kitts Park and Round the Bays in Kilbirnie, Wishbone on Wheels is already proving
to be popular amongst the crowds. To book Wishbone on Wheels for a future event
or to find out where it will be open next, visit www.wishbone.co.nz or
call 0800 4 WISHBONE.
 2009
Food and Wine Show – Gourmet Experience (18 Feb 09)
The Food and Wine Show – Gourmet Experience – will again take
place in Hawke’s Bay, at the Pettigrew Green Arena, Taradale, Napier on Saturday
18 April & Sunday 19 April.
A spokesperson for the organisers, the Rotary Club of Taradale, enthused about
the new show format and the huge interest from exhibitors with most stands already
booked.
We have a revised layout around the Celebrity kitchen & theatre area with “all
day lunches” being served. Exhibitors from as far away as Kerikeri in the north
and Christchurch in the south will have their gourmet products on show and on
sale.
Plus of course many stands featuring Hawke’s Bay’s best.
This Food and Wine Show is the annual major fund raiser for the Rotary Club of
Taradale and all proceeds go back to the community. Over the years the Club’s
various major events have raised over $1.0 million.
This year, 2009 is the 50th jubilee of the Club and the ongoing support of the
public for the Club’s efforts are much appreciated.
Open from 10 am to 5.00 pm each day the entry fee is just $10 for an adult and
$5 for a child under 14 with a family pass (2 adults & 2 children) just $25.
ends
For further information contact Waren Cooper Ph 844 7438 or
027 248 2835, email
warren.cooper@xtra.co.nz
 Seeking
the country's best steak (17 Feb 09)
Mouths are watering as the Steak of Origin challenge looks for New
Zealand’s
most succulent sirloin steak.
After the success of last year’s competition, which attracted nearly 300 steak
entries, beef producers nationwide will be eager to defeat last year’s grand
champions, Angus farmers, Alistair and Patricia Sharpe of Waihi.
The competition, run by Beef and Lamb New Zealand on behalf of Meat & Wool New
Zealand, is proudly supported by PGG Wrightson and Pfizer Animal Genetics and
has been running for 6 years.
Meat & Wool New Zealand Chief Executive, Dr Scott Champion, said the competition
encourages farmers to make the link between the beef they produce on their farms
and the end consumer.
“This competition is a great way of drawing together the whole experience from
paddock to plate,” says Dr Champion.
The competition is open to beef farmers, wholesalers, foodservice and retailers
with the chance to enter one of four classes: Best European Breed; Best British
Breed, Best Crossbreed and Best Brand.
Once a farmer has selected their prize animal(s), they are processed at a participating
plant including those of AFFCO, AgResearch, Ashburton Meat Processors, Auckland
Meat Processors, Canterbury Meat Packers, Land Meat NZ Ltd, Silver Fern Farms,
Taylor Preston and South Pacific Meats.
A whole sirloin is removed for analysis at Lincoln University. There, they are
measured for marbling, pH, % cooking loss. Semi-finalists are verified by a tenderness
result as determined by a tenderometer, a mechanical ‘tooth’ that bites down
on the steak.
Up to a third of the top entries will be tasted at a semi-final in Christchurch
on Thursday 30 April by a panel of ten judges. They will choose the top four
in each of the four classes, which then go to the final at Beef Expo, Manfeild
Park, Feilding on Monday 11 May.
Entries are now open and close Friday 13 March at 5pm.
For more information or an entry form, contact Fiona Greig from Beef and Lamb
New Zealand on (09) 489 0877 or email fionag@beeflambnz.co.nz.
Entry
forms can be downloaded on the competition page of www.beeflambnz.co.nz
Fast
food firms hit by minimum wage rise (11 Feb 09)
Fast food giant McDonald's says it may be forced to increase prices and review
plans for expansion owing to the Government's decision to raise the minimum
wage.
McDonald's New Zealand managing director Mark Hawthorne said
the wage rise, combined with other cost increases, was forcing the company to
review plans to open
a further 30 outlets over the next three years.
Another fast food company, Domino's Pizzas, said consumers would not stand for
a price rise but the wage increase would cut operators' profit margins, possibly
squeezing some out of business.
The fast food sector accounts for a sizeable share of the 70,000 to 100,000 workers
on the current minimum wage of $12 an hour, and of the 120,000 earning less
than $12.50. Mr Hawthorne said McDonald's stores employed 8000 people, with
a majority of them on the legal minimum and the rest affected through relativities.
He said labour made up 25 per cent of the cost of sales, so the 4.2 per cent
wage increase would push up total costs by about 1 per cent, or $4 million
a year.
The increase comes on top of much bigger wage rises last March, when McDonald's
lifted all its youth workers on to adult rates, and follows an 8 per cent increase
in food and paper costs last year when commodity prices were booming.
More at NZ
Herald.
MORE NEWS: All News this month :: Industry :: Issues :: Food
Safety :: Nutrition :: Research & Education :: Foodies :: Food
Service :: Grocery :: Awards & Competitions :: Archived News (12 months)
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