I had been to Helm Bar before, but never to eat, and never on a Tuesday night. For some reason my mind
always thinks Darling Harbour bars will be deserted on a weekday, obviously, however, Helm Bar is doing
something right as there were quite a few people sitting down enjoying cocktails and having dinner.

Sitting down by a window under the warm heaters I had a glorious view of Darling Harbour as I listened to the
water lapping and watched people walk by. What a truly relaxing way to spend an evening after a hard day of
work.

Looking around at all the cocktail glasses on other tables I had a sudden urge to see what the fuss was about,
I couldn’t decide between a Sexy Saint and a Ginny Hendriks, so the bartender suggested I try the Sexy Saint
(her favourite, but also $7 on a Tuesday). Made with St Germain liquor with chilli, lemon juice and honey (what
a fabulous combination) the Sexy Saint is delicious. The perfect winter drink to warm you up with that hit of chilli
and warmth from the honey, keeping the cold away.

My date started with a Red Hot Mexican, mixed with 1800 Anejo tequila, chocolate liqueur, and dressed with
fresh chilli. A wonderfully warm blend of flavours to invigorate on a cooler night.
To start the evening off, I absolutely had to begin out meal with Mussels, filled to the brim in a Belgium pot, and
served with a Mariniere sauce (white wine, onion and parsley). There is something to be said of a meal that can
be shared, using food to bring people closer together. Mouthwateringly divine!

As our pot of beautiful empty Mussel shells was being cleared away, the soothing sounds of Ginny Hendricks
were coming from within. Served with Hendricks gin, Aperol, muddled with cucumber, lime juice and sugar
syrup and topped with ruby red grapefruit juice. Looking like candy, my eyes deceived me on just how tart and
scrumptious this cocktail would be.

An Oriental Sweet Tart, shaken with gin, lychee and pear liqueur with lemon juice and orgeat syrup was moreish.
Sipping on my cocktails I saw a Mojito being savoured at the next table over, and grew decidedly jealous. I
forgot to order my staple cocktail.

Within seconds it had passed out my mind completely when my paella, fresh, fragrant and fabulous was sat in
front of me. Complete with mussles, calamari, and prawns, all succulent and perfectly cooked. The chorizo, full
of delicious heat and flavour, was a perfect accompaniment to the seafood and tomato sauce.

Also delicious, but not in front of me, was a Black Angus Sirloin Steak served with hand-cut chips, a beautiful
salad with beetroot and bocconcini and topped with a butter sauce (or peppercorn if you are that way inclined).
At the end of the meal I didn’t have any room left for the Flourless Orange and Blueberry Cake ( White Chocolate
and Orange Ganache) or the Decadent Chocolate Cake. I may need to escape the concrete jungle one lunchtime
and treat myself to a slice. Or two.

Helm Bar & Bistro
1 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour Sydney Australia
+61 2 9279 0593

On my latest visit to Ocean Room Sydney, mixologist Jack Butcher created a new and original Japanese inspired cocktail just for me!

Caipirigato

A twist on the popular classic, the Caipirinha, the Caipirigato replaces Cachaca with the Japanese spirit Shozu (show-choo).

The name intertwines the first sound from the classic, with the Japanese word for thankyou.

6 muddled lime wedges
60ml Araroka brown sugar Shozu
20ml sugar syrup

All shaken and served with dirty ice in a rocks glass.

And yes, Jack made this up on the spot, with no pre-warning when I asked him to start my night, with a new Japanese inspired drink. Arigato Jack.

Ocean Room
Ground Level, Overseas Passenger Terminal Circular Quay West, The Rocks, Sydney NSW Australia
+61 2 9252 9585

Sake vs Cocktails. While Ocean Room is all about the Japanese inspired food (or should that be inspired Japanese food? or both?) it is still necessary to choose a beverage. As a regular patron I’ve always selected sakes (plural… ) Sometimes there’s even been a sake class. Last year I also got to drink with the visiting microbrewers. That was an honour. Always, I’ve enjoyed the food. In fact, on this particular evening, I restated my opinion; Raita Noda’s food is excellent and it is under-rated.

We decided on Raita’s Tasting Menu – 12 courses.

But what to drink?

“The Ocean’s Dozen premium cocktail collection captures the sweet and savoury flavours of Japan has been created to go beautifully with the stunning modern Japanese cuisine. They have been created with a culinary sensibility, balancing exotic fruits, herbs and spices with premium spirits, underpinned by classic cocktail methodology…”

Cocktails it was. Now as I write, a few days later, looking back on my photos (and notes) from the night, I realised I’d drunk six cocktails. (Was it really that many?) My companion drank two. All were most enjoyable. Like any good customer, I left the matching of my cocktails to my tasting menu food, to the mixologist: Jack Butcher.

To start, my dining companion chose the very Japanese Sashimi-tini (Beefeater gin, Lillet Blanc, ginger liquer, wasabi dust rim, cucumber, salmon roe)

“Jack, can you make me a sake cocktail?” I asked.

Instead he created a Shozu twist on a classic. Blush. Especially for me.

We moved on. I sipped concoctions of bourbon, plum wine, gin, house made wasabi syrup, tamari, Cointreau and the like. Caipirigato. Plum & Cardamom Manhattan. Wasabi Collins. Mint Julep. White Lady. Champagne Cocktail. (It doesn’t sound so much if you, gulp, say it quickly.)

Although this is supposed to be a cocktail article, it is just not possible to go to Ocean Room without eating. Well you can if you like. There’s a bar. But for me that would be an impossible task.

During the twelve courses, we oooed and ahhed. For an egg-maniac, Raita’s Uni Tamago was a moment of bliss. My favourite foods – sea urchin with the eggs – served together, and treated with respect. The egg was only just warm, only just coddled. Gooey runny egg, with creamy luscious sea urchin. A tang of salt offset. I wanted to let the egg miss my mouth, be unrestrained, run down my face, to display my passion.

Each course delivered joy. There were other stand-outs.

The curing lifts the tartare to a heavenly bite. The toasted nori raises it higher. Add to this, as also in the case of Uni Tamago, that we enjoyed the childish pleasure of eating the Tuna Tartare with our hands.

We needed a spoon though for the sensational Spanner Crab Bonito Consomme. When Chef Raita Noda joined our table after dinner, he confided that this is his favourite dish. I concur.

Apparently the Tasting Menu is changing soon, with the seasons. Might be time to slip on back into Ocean Room when it does. That might however provide me with a challenge; my normal decisive self will have to again internally debate – sakes or cocktails.

Rebecca Varidel was an appreciative guest of Ocean Room.

Ocean Room
Ground Level, Overseas Passenger Terminal Circular Quay West, The Rocks, Sydney NSW Australia
+61 2 9252 9585

Caffe Sicilia is delighted to announce its first ever collaboration with OzHarvest. They are offering an exclusive ‘OzHarvest Menu’ in the month of May to help feed those in need. $30 from each $60 menu sold will be going straight to the charity – which is the equivalent of providing 30 meals to one Australian in need.

OzHarvest founder and Australia’s Local Hero 2012 Ronni Kahn will host a special closing gala dinner on Wednesday, 30th of May. The dinner will see the announcement of the funds raised together with Caffe Sicilia from the month of May, and other future charitable initiatives. This interactive event will also encourage guests to get their hands dirty with Caffe Sicilia’s chefs teaching them how to roll pasta and pipe their own pastries. The pasta and pastries made by guests on the closing gala dinner will then be picked up by an OzHarvest van the next day to help feed those in need. Limited tickets are available for this event.

Only available in May for dinner, this ‘OzHarvest Menu’ is a three-course Sicilian inspired menu. Dishes include homemade egg pasta filled with prawns and cuttlefish with Chardonnay wine reduction to start, succulent pork belly in Sicilian spices and herb infusion as a main, and finishing off with Sicilian pistachio tart with mascarpone mousse. Vegetarians are not ignored with a special menu also available upon request. OzHarvest’s very own wine label ‘Harvest’ will also be on offer in May to go with the menu.

OzHarvest
Website – http://www.ozharvest.org
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/OzHarvest-Sydney
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/OzHarvest

Caffe Sicilia
628 Crown Street, Surry Hills NSW Australia
+61 2 9699 8787

Website – http://www.caffesicilia.com.au
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/Caffe.Sicilia
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/caffesicila

One of the highlights, in Adelaide this year from Tasting Australia, was the black tie Best of British dinner at the Hotel InterContinental. Either side of the dinner, I got to know visiting Chef Mark Hix while we explored the wine and produce of South Australia. Hix cooked the main course for the dinner and kindly shares his thoughts and recipe, for this British classic.

Lamb Cutlets Reform

Serves 4

Soyer invented this dish at the Reform Club – the late arrival of a tricky and hungry club member and an ingenious chef who had to make the most of what he had in his kitchen might explain the creation of this somewhat strange concoction. But the tangy sweet and sour sauce works and is one of Soyer’s best-known dishes. It’s in danger of becoming a forgotten classic, but I think it’s worth reviving. When I was at catering college we’d often have to make dishes in breadcrumbs like this one. I guess it goes back to the days of disguising inferior cuts of meat – the gentleman’s club equivalent of the fish finger or fried chicken, I suppose.

The recipe has been altered over time – I’ve even seen black truffle included – but this is pretty close to the original. I wouldn’t suggest using cheap meat of course, but coating the cutlets in breadcrumbs keeps them juicy and seals in the flavour. I quite like to keep the garnish separate so it can be eaten as it is or mixed into the sauce.

8 or 12 lamb cutlets, French trimmed (ie. with the fat taken off) and flattened slightly
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
50g cooked ham, very finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped parsley
60-70g fresh white breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil for frying
A good knob of butter

For the sauce:

2 large shallots, peeled and finely chopped
Half clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
A good pinch of cayenne pepper
60g butter
2tsp flour
1/2tsp tomato purée
2tbsp tarragon vinegar
1tbsp redcurrant jelly
300ml beef stock, made up from a good stock cube will do fine
40g sliced tongue or ham, or both, cut into thin 3cm strips
1 small cooked beetroot weighing about 70g, peeled and cut into strips like the tongue
2 large gherkins cut into strips like the tongue
White of 1 large hard boiled egg, shredded into strips the same size as the tongue

First make the sauce: gently cook the shallots, garlic and cayenne pepper in half of the butter for 2-3 minutes, stirring every so often. Add the flour and tomato purée and stir well. Add the vinegar and redcurrant jelly and simmer f for a minute, then add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Season to taste, and whisk in the remaining butter.

Meanwhile, mix the breadcrumbs with the ham and parsley. Season the lamb cutlets and pass through the egg then the breadcrumbs. Heat a couple of tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a frying pan on a medium heat and cook the cutlets for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden, adding the butter towards the end.

To serve, add the shredded tongue, beetroot, gherkin and egg white to the sauce, or mix and serve separately. Eat with potato dauphinoise.

Many thanks to Chef for kind permission to publish this recipe. Photos courtesy of Tasting Australia

http://www.hixoysterandchophouse.co.uk/

A very warm welcome to the Autumn edition of the CIRA newsletter. I’d like to start by introducing myself, I am Giovanni Pilu from Pilu at Freshwater and am the newly elected President of CIRA. I must admit I am a little overwhelmed by this title following in the footsteps of our illustrious former presidents Paolo Totaro, Armando Percuoco and Lucio Galletto. At the recent AGM held on 15 March both Lucio and Armando decided after many years of dedication to the association, which they indeed founded that they would take a break from the Executive Committee. To say that we will miss them is an understatement. I would personally and on behalf of the Executive Committee like to recognise their undying passion for CIRA, Italian food and the Italian restaurant industry. They have been and will continue to be my mentors and whilst they are taking a break from the committee they have expressed their interest in being involved and providing guidance to the new committee for which we are most grateful. I would like to welcome to the committee Eugenio Maiale from ‘A Tavola’, Piero Tantini from Godot Wines, Luca Ciano, consultant chef and Anna Pavoni from Ormeggio at the Spit and Spiedo Restaurant and Bar, – they bring a wealth of talent, knowledge and passion for Italian cooking to the table. Remaining on the committee, now as Vice President is Alessandro Pavoni and returning to the committee as Secretary is Marilyn Annecchini. We also welcome back Danny Russo and George Pompei as sub committee members. I am particularly excited to be working with such a passionate and committed team and look forward to a great year ahead for CIRA.

We are so grateful to Roberta Muir, Robert Goldman and Janni Kyritsis for their contributions to the committee. Roberta’s energy and devotion to the success of GUSTO is most appreciated and we remain indebted to Janni for instigating the Young Chef Award and thank him for his dedication in encouraging young chefs to follow their passion for Italian cooking.

This year we will once again be focusing on the CIRA Cooking School and hope to encourage many more chefs to become involved in sharing their talent, recipes and passion for Italian cooking. Please let me know if you would like to be involved in the cooking school – it’s very rewarding to be able to spread the word on Italian cooking and you’ll also have fun doing it.

We have decided to take a break from running Gusto this year but will bring it back in 2013. The CIRA Gala Dinner will be held later in the year and we are also working closely with the Crave Sydney International Food Festival as their focus for this year will be Italy. We are honoured that CIRA has been invited by the Italian Consul General to cater for the upcoming Italian National Day on 1st June at the recently renovated Cultural Centre, The Forum. If you are a chef and would like to lend a hand, please let me know.

I’d like to share with you an article I came across through the social media channels. It’s calledIn Italian Food, What’s Authentic and Does It Really Even Matter? By Sara Jenkins, a journalist for The Atlantic in Washington. I have included an excerpt but you can read the full article here http://www.theatlantic.com/health/print/2012/02/in-italian-food-whats-authentic-and-does-it-really-even-matter/253346/.

Italians are passionate about their food culture, but the ingredients we eat and how we eat them are constantly evolving and changing over time.

I pride myself on having a profound understanding of what Italian food is and what makes it authentic. I know the difference between carciofi alla giudea, twice-fried artichokes in the style of the Roman ghetto, and carciofi alla romana, braised artichokes with garlic and mint in the style of Rome. I know that acqua cotta, one of the classics of Tuscan cooking, comes in at least three radically different versions depending on what part of Tuscany you are in. I know that even if an Italian would never sprinkle grated Parmigiano over his shellfish pasta, he would happily eat crostini with melted mozzarella and anchovies. I know that asparagus and tomatoes are not cooked together, because wherever you are on the boot they are not in season together. I know that long cooking of vegetables is a hallmark of Italian food wherever you are: no barely blanched green beans or asparagus for Italians, please!

I believe that my understanding of the flavor combination of fresh mozzarella, sun-ripened tomatoes, basil, and olive oil is a foundation that can steer me to many plates beyond the simple classic insalata Caprese I first ate, still sticky with salt from a morning in the water, at a beach-side restaurant in Capri. I laugh to myself at the many ridiculous combinations I come across outside of Italy, knowing that nobody with any understanding of Italian food would ever combine nettle-ricotta ravioli with puttanesca sauce.

And yet, I ask myself, what is authenticity and does it really matter? Italians are, of course, passionate about their food culture and ready at all times to chastise a foreigner for not understanding that right combinations or sequences of flavors. Salad always comes after the entrée — never before. Pasta and soup fill the same slot in the meal, so you eat one or the other and not both. Plum tomatoes are for pasta sauce, globe tomatoes are for salad. And so it goes, a dizzying array of rules and regulations for how you eat. But still I wonder, what is the importance of authenticity?……

Food is not static. What we eat is constantly evolving and changing. New things become available. When I was a child in Rome, cilantro, limes, and yams were unknown and unavailable; today, thanks to immigration and the global produce trade, you can probably find all three at the corner vegetable stand. …….

Much as Italian food was changed by the discovery of the Americas and recently by immigration and a global market, Italian immigrants who came to America 100 years ago were influenced by the new ingredients and the lack of availability of ingredients that were common back home. Is it inauthentic to use Vietnamese fish sauce when we are pretty sure that 2,000 years ago the ancient Romans made and consumed fish sauce themselves?

Recently, I had an Italian chef in my kitchen who requested Worcestershire and Tabasco to put in her tomato sauce. Is that inauthentic? Or is it simply adapting in the same way that people adapted new products like corn to their traditional dishes of grain gruel made with millet, barley, or farro? Do I really care if someone sprinkles mint over fried artichokes? It actually sounds good. I have found the combination of soy sauce and extra virgin olive oil to be delicious. Is that a bad thing? It’s certainly inauthentic right now, but will it be considered a standard element in Italian cuisine 50 years from now?

I think that as a non-native Italian it has been tremendously important to me to define my understanding of the cuisine as an understanding of the traditions that go into the food. It becomes terrifically important to be able to say “I might not have an Italian name or been born in Italy, but my ability to know and cook what is authentic means I am just as Italian as Luciano Pavarotti.” I do believe that often there is a reason behind many of the dishes we love and cherish and revere as authentic to us. And I do believe you have to really understand the classics in anything to start rearranging them. But food is not static, and our tastes are not static. And perhaps if I was Italian to the bone I would feel freer to add Worcestershire sauce to my tomato sauce. Maybe I would roast sweet potatoes with rosemary and garlic and not think twice about it.

When I taste traditional French food with its flour-thickened, rich, long-cooked sauces, I don’t enjoy it. It tastes old and stale and boring. I don’t agree that innovation for the sake of innovation is necessarily a good thing, and I don’t enjoy molecular gastronomy necessarily any more than I do classic haute cuisine French food of the 1950s. But for me a truly confident chef is able and eager to appropriate new ingredients and techniques. Things change, our palates change and what was new today may become the tradition of tomorrow — a tradition so ensconced that the minute you think of that cuisine you think of the dish, the way pasta with New World tomato sauce or New World polenta immediately makes you think of Italy.

Regardless of whether you agree with Sara Jenkins or not, I love the fact that it gets people talking about Italian food. Let’s keep the conversation moving, healthy debate about innovation and tradition can only be a good thing for Italian food.

Finally, I’d really like to see an increase in CIRA memberships, please spread the word to your chef and restaurateur friends and colleagues and encourage everyone who is passionate about Italian cooking to join. For the month of May we would like to offer a 2 for 1 membership deal. Please emailcira@cira.com.au for more information.

Our newsletters will be electronic from now on. Please feel free to share them with fellow “Italophiles”.

Grazie and buon appetito!

Giovanni Pilu

(CIRA is the Council of Italian Restaurants in Australia.)

“They’re not compound butters” I was reminded, when it was hands-on recently at Pepe Saya. I was at Tempe to get the behind the scenes story of the new Saya et Susman fancy butters.

Saya and Susman combines the talents, knowledge and creative efforts of two friends and two of our beloved Australian food industry experts: Pierre Issa (Pepe Saya) and seafood guru John Susman.

Yes, they are friends, and they’re friends of mine. They greet each other with names (I’ve been told) that I’m not allowed to repeat here.

If you’re reading this, then most likely you are already familiar with the stunningly beautiful, single origin, local Aussie butter: Pepe Saya. So, the story goes, that a little while back John Susman was hanging out at Tempe, trying to get his friend Pierre (Pepe) Issa to make garlic butter to go with his award winning Kinkawooka mussels. (A “petit bouchot butter love in” he later tweeted me.) Then they got serious. Issas says Susman has “about 6,000 ideas a minute” but after they talked about working together on this project, he told John “you know what I’m holding you to that.” And so this amazing partnership was born.

The real story of the fancy butters is in the making.

Let’s look inside the wrapper. It’s our turn to hang out and investigate the making of the first three varieties of Saya et Susman fancy butters.

The first three varieties the boys are making and selling are:
Bottarga
Anchovy
Roast Garlic

Like the butter that forms the base, these are extraordinary. The combined skills of Susman and Issa have sourced only the very finest ingredients for their prize.

Take the Bottarga; it’s from Pilu (Chef Giovanni Pilu). Susman rates it as the best Bottarga in the world and “better than the one his (Pilu’s) cousin is making in Sardinia.” Finely sliced Bottarga is added to the centre of the butter, and the hand-rolled butter ball is also crumbed in the grated air dried mullet roe. They add “a little bit of salt, because it’s quite bitter and the salt balances” out the flavour, Pepe shares with me. “Does it work?” he adds more rhetorically than questioning. I can’t share with you the sounds I made when I tried (first a quarter, then another half of) the Bottarga fancy butter straight up; I could risk getting arrested.

We were still making Bottarga fancy butter when Pepe asked me “can you smell the garlic roasting in the oven?” Saya et Susman have again sourced the best; they are using local Barrington River Organic Farm garlic for their Roasted Garlic fancy butter. Barrington River Organic Garlic is grown by Jan and Lesley Gorency at their Barrington River Organic Farm, nestled in the pristine foothills of the Barrington Ranges in NSW.

The farm is Certified Biodynamic on 250 acres of lush, fertile riverfront soil . The holding includes Devon cattle, olive trees, garlic, tumeric, black walnut trees and a small orchard. All garlic is hand cleared and prepared for market. Jan Gorency says he is honoured to be partnering Pepe Saya by providing Barrington River Organic Garlic for Pepe Saya’s Organic Butter. “Pepe is of like mind in his care of produce and in marketing directly to prime outlets. We are delighted with his choice of Victor Churchill Butchers shopfront in Woollahra as an exclusive outlet”

Last but least we make the Anchovy. Like the others, the additional flavours are hand wrapped. Again only the best ingredients are selected. The anchovies are Ortiz. “Caught off the Cantabrian coast of Northern Spain these delicious plump anchovies are cured in salt for five months before being hand
filleted and packed by hand into oil or whole packed on salt. The salting process has just enough salt added to the anchovies to give intensify and enhance the characteristic natural flavour. In barrels, anchovies are arranged concentrically between layers of salt, where pressurized and the barrells sealed for approximately six months for maturing.” I’m in anchovy heaven.

So, this little piece is more a pictorial than anything else because I just can’t get the superior flavours across to you in words. But what I can suggest is if you’re in Sydney, get yourself down to Victor Churchill (where Saya et Susman are sold exclusively) next Friday 25th May 2012 2pm to 6pm for a free in-store tasting of the new Saya and Susman range.

“We are ranging Pepe Saya butters because they are an amazing accompaniment to a wide range of our products, from a quality supplier who understands the important of provenance and traceability in the creation of his butters.

We feel very privileged to be the exclusive distributor of these limited release fancy butters (Anchovy, Roasted Garlic and Bottarga) to sell at Victor Churchill. It is an amazing opportunity for us to stock a delicious product that complements our range of meat (and Iggy’s bread!!) in our Woollahra store where people expect nothing but the best….”

Saya et Susman fancy butters
Pepe Saya
Unit 4, 3 Wood Street, Tempe NSW Australia
+61 2 9519 2793

OUTTAKES…

Last night (Wednesday May 16), Dan Murphy’s took out top honours in the prestigious BRW & AMP Capital Shopping Centres 2012 Retailer of the Year awards at a sell-out gala event at the Hilton Hotel in Sydney.

The liquor retailer took out the ‘Outstanding Retailer of the Year Award’, ahead of other finalists in the category including Australian Geographic, Crust Gourmet Pizza Bars, Grill’d Healthy Burgers, Oroton Group, Salvos Stores and Telstra.

Announcing the award winners with MC Sonia Kruger, BRW Editor Kate Mills says, “It was exciting to see the calibre of entries this year. It is a tough time in retailing yet our award recipients have flourished and found new and innovative ways of doing business. Innovation is the name of the game as a technological revolution enables new ways of reaching out to ever-more dollar conscious consumers. Dan Murphy’s achieved outstanding results and were the unanimous choice to take out the top gong. We’re thrilled to be able to recognise and celebrate the achievements of all our winners and finalists through these awards.

The use of technology to aid business was a common thread amongst finalists for the BRW & AMP Capital Shopping Centres 2012 Retailer of the Year awards. Kate Mills adds, “Technology has created the biggest opportunities for retailers to reach out to their customers in more ways than ever before. Omni-channel high-tech retailing allows customers to buy goods across a variety of channels and receive a seamless service and, enables the smartest retailers to revolutionise back-end operations to optimise inventory and supply chain processes.”

Stuart Langeveldt, Head of Property Marketing for AMP Capital says, “We feel that it is important to celebrate the best in retail in Australia and showcase retail innovation for an industry which accounts for 4.3% of the countries GDP and employs over 1.2 million Australians. AMP Capital congratulates all the finalists and winners in this year’s awards”.

Now in its second year, the Retailer of the Year awards reward and recognise the best of Australian retail across seven categories – with the winners announced tonight – prior to the release of the special flagship edition of BRW tomorrow, Thursday May 17.

The award categories and winners are:

OUTSTANDING RETAILER OF THE YEAR – Dan Murphy’s

NEW RETAILER OF THE YEAR – Sneaking Duck

MULTI-CHANNEL RETAILER OF THE YEAR – The Body Shop Australia

SUSTAINABLE RETAILING – Woolworths

INNOVATION IN RETAIL – Sneaking Duck

SUCCESSFUL RETAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR – Bankwest

BEST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR – Aussie Farmers Direct

Of Dan Murphy’s unanimous win, retail consultant and one of this year’s judges Stephen Kulmar, says “It (Dan Murphy’s) is best in class worldwide for what it does. It takes advantage of a growth category and delivers the most dominant and well-considered product offering on the market. It compromises on nothing, whether it’s an $8 bottle of wine or a $1000 bottle of wine.”

Although Woolworths-owned, Dan Murphy’s general manager Martin Smith says it has always been run as a separate business and attributes its success to the culture the founder built. “Murphy, by himself, fostered a focus on wine and wine education with a lowest price guarantee,” Smith says. “That combination of a great product range with staff who know their stuff and a determination to make it available to the general public not just the affluent is something we’ve worked to maintain as we’ve expanded.”

Since its inception Dan Murphy’s has not wavered from its commitment to give consumers the lowest prices on the market. Smith says that price guarantee matters because of the trust it engenders with customers more than any dollar value they save.

Dual winner Sneaking Duck also rates a special mention with judges – taking out two of the seven retail awards. The online prescription glass retailer only entered the ‘new retailer’ award category but blew the judges away, leading them to give Sneaking Duck the award for ‘innovation’ as well. In the innovation category Sneaking Duck was up against some big name competitors including Gloria Jean’s Coffees and Sportsgirl.

International keynote speaker Michael Bergdahl, former director of people for Walmart, senior sales executive of PepsiCo’s Frito-lay and most recently a business turnaround specialist holding the role of VP of HR at both American Eagle Outfitters and Waste Management, will gave his view about succeeding in today’s retail world at the gala event, which also saw guests enjoy a special 3-course Luke Mangan menu and a performance by Australian rocker Diesel.

Full details on the awards are in today’s issue of BRW magazine, and the award results can be followed at #retailawards12

“For me it has been a fascinating to see the depth of creativity and vision across labels and packaging and how design brings a bottle to life in wine bars, restaurants and at wine cellars. We look forward to offering some of these wines across our venue to further showcase excellence” shared Keystone Group Sommelier Sarah Limacher.

Last night, I had a ball with Sarah and others at the Australian Wine Design Competition Awards 2012. The awards were hosted by Keystone Group at The Winery in Crown Street, Surry Hills. Spotted in the crowd was Keystone Group Director Paul Schulte (who chatted with me about his plans to revamp the Newtown Hotel), Lisa McGuigan and a number of Australia’s top wine makers, graphic designers, media and industry,

Lisa McGuigan, who chaired the national judging panel, presented the winners with her usual flair in the eclectic surrounds of The Winery’s upstairs space. As I stood next to Troy Kalleske, waiting for the announcements, I joked with him, that he would win as I’m a lucky charm. Somehow I always seem to be in the right place at the right time.

“Chatting w Troy Kalleske at Australian Wine Design Awards – Sydney Owner/winemaker visiting from Barossa Valley.” I typed onto twitter.

“He won! Troy Kalleske – wine label design open class fortified. Designer himself! Impressive!! (+ congratulations Troy)” also went onto the iPhone.

Then I spread the news in real time; “Taylors Clare Valley SA scooped the Australian Wine Design Awards winning 3 awards.” @frombecca

Australia’s Best Wine Bottle
Taylor Wines Winemaker’s Project Clare Valley GSM 2010

Boutique Sparkling Wine Trophy
Niccolo Sparkling Prosecco Adelaide Hills 2011

Boutique White Wine Trophy
Single Vineyard Chardonnay McClaren Vale 2010

Boutique Red Wine Trophy
Smith and Hooper Merlot Wrattonbully 2009

Open Class Sparkling Wine Trophy
Grant Burge NV Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay Barossa and Eden Valleys

Open Class White Wine Trophy
Yalumba Cristobel’s Barossa Classic Dry White

Open Class Red Wine Trophy
Peter Lehmann Eden Valley Shiraz Eden Valley 2010

Open Class Dessert Wine Trophy
Kallesek JMK VP Shiraz Barossa Valley 2009

Over 500 Ton White Wine Trophy
Taylors Crooked Horse Semillon Sauvignon Blanc Clare Valley 2010

Professional Designer’s Original Concept Trophy
Virgin Wines Australia Wandering Frenchman Pinot Noir Mornington Peninsula

“The more crowded and competitive the market becomes the more pressure there is on getting the packaging right… each brand has to give out a quality message or be lost in the hurdy-gurdy of hyper activity.”
Judith Kennedy, CEO Association of Australian Boutique Winemakers Inc.

The much anticipated Eat Art Truck, fusing progressive street food with some of the country’s coolest street art, will open its windows to the public on Wednesday May 23 from 6pm at Queen’s Square (corner of Macquarie St and St James Rd, Sydney) with renowned street artist Phibs as the launch artist.

Former Tetsuya Sous Chef, Stuart McGill, is behind the burners with former Quay chef, Brenton Balicki,by his side in one of the 10 food trucks selected and issued with a license by the City of Sydney. The well-credentialed truck will be feeding hungry Sydney-siders dishes rangingfrom $6 to $12 using seasonal produce including pulled pork buns, twice cooked beef served ‘ssam style’, karaage prawns, sides of seasonal pickled vegetables and desserts like Japanese favourite ‘annindofu’.

Street artist Phibs, whose works are seen all over Melbourne and Sydney and have been acquired by the National Gallery of Australia, will craft one of his signature artworks on the truck’s huge removable canvas on May 23. Diners will be able to watch live as the artwork takes shape and then tours the streets of Sydney.

A mix of up and coming and well-respected street artists have been invited to paint the truck’s canvas over coming months, with a new artwork featuring on the truck at least once a month.

Stuart’s menu, influenced by his time in some of Australia’s best kitchens as well as time spent living in Japan, will push the boundaries of street food with regularly changing dishes depending on season, the best ingredients available and influences from the artists who paint the truck. His dishes will challenge the limits and demonstrate that food truck fare can be innovative and impressive.

The custom made truck is equipped with a state of the art Electrolux kitchen, (provided by Electrolux as a sponsor of Eat Art Truck) and especially designed for the limited space, including cutting edge induction cooktops and combination steamovens, giving Stuart all the appliances of a full sized, well equipped kitchen for cooking his exciting new dishes. The truck is powered by the most advanced point of sale system engineered and supplied by ImPOS, utilizing the latest software platforms andintuitive menu design to ensure Eat Art Truck fans spend less time in the queue.

Eat Art Truck will be feeding hungry Sydney-siders at confirmed sites including:

Queens Square in Sydney CBD
Hyde Park in Sydney CBD
Belmore Park in Haymarket
Victoria Park in Camperdown
Federal Park in Glebe
Sydney Park in Alexandria
Macquarie Place in Sydney CBD
Customs House Forecourt in Sydney CBD
Pitt Street Mall in Sydney CBD

You can find Eat Art Truck’s vending locations and times on Twitter, Facebook and its website:

Twitter:@eatarttruck
Facebook: Eat Art Truck
Website:www.eatarttruck.com

Brewers and beer lovers will make tracks to Thirlmere on August 25 for greater Sydney’s first ever winter themed beer event – the inaugural Trainworks Winter Beer Festival, a celebration of great beer and the craftsmanship, artistry and passion that goes into its creation.

The Trainworks Winter Beer Festival will unite some of the state’s best boutique beers and hearty winter fare at the stunning Trainworks site in Thirlmere, located about 90km southwest of Sydney, an easy one hour drive from the CBD.

The Trainworks site will be transformed into a beer lovers’ paradise as the exhibited locos and diesel engines give wide berth for a family-friendly celebration of great beer, good food and live entertainment. A designated kid’s area and an exciting line up of live music and beer-related entertainment make the single day festival great value.

Beer Diva Kirrily Waldhorn, ambassador for the Trainworks Winter Beer Festival, says the event will be a celebration of the versatility of beer as the ultimate Australian beverage – regardless of season.

“There are a number of fantastic beer events on the calendar every year, but I can’t think of another one that occurs during winter, and that celebrates beer’s excellence as a partner to hearty winter fare. Beer, whilst often regarded as a perfect summer refresher, equally shines as a winter warmer,” says Ms Waldhorn.

“With the popularity of craft beer surging in NSW, beer drinkers are embracing good beer with new-found fervor. This creates a wonderful opportunity to showcase beer’s ability to match any occasion and flourish at any time of the year.”

With its modern, expansive facility and rich heritage, Trainworks creates the perfect setting to launch NSW’s first Winter Beer Festival. Trainworks’ historical relics of engineering and craftsmanship reflect the history and heritage of beer whilst also acknowledging the innovation and modernity that breweries are bringing to beer today.

Trainworks Winter Beer Festival Ticket Details:

• Saturday 25th August 2012, 10am – 5pm

• Adult entry only – $25.00
• Minors 13-17yrs entry only – $25.00 (must be accompanied by an adult)
• Children 12 and under – free (must be accompanied by an adult)
• Adult tasting ticket – $35.00 includes entry, tasting glass, program and 5 tasting tokens
• Adult entry & transport ticket return – from Sydney $49, from Campbelltown $47
• Adult tasting & transport ticket return – from Sydney $59, from Campbelltown $57
• Minors 13-17yrs entry & transport ticket – from Sydney $44, from Campbelltown $42
• Children 12 and under entry & transport ticket – from Sydney $24, from Campbelltown $23

Bookings are now open for breweries to reserve exhibitor space and explore sponsorship packages.

Expressions of interest – exhibitor booking and sponsorship packages:
Kirrily Waldhorn, Beer Diva. 9918 9819, 0419 786 101, kirrily@beerdiva.com.au

I’m impressed with the energy and enthusiasm that, newly appointed Group Executive Chef, Carl Middleton is bringing to the Sydney Hilton. I caught up with him a few days ago over breakfast in glass brasserie, listened to his vision and devoured the first of the changes already implemented.

The appointment heralds a return to the Hilton for the British chef, who started his career at The Langham Hilton, London. Those of us who eat out in Australia, would more likely have eaten his food most recently at Lilianfels.

Middleton and I sat next to each other at breakfast. His ideas were inspiring. His first step is already in place (but more of that later when we eat his signature breakfast dish). It was my first time eating a hotel breakfast in Sydney, although through frequent travelling over the years, I am no stranger to hotels. It’s buffet. There’s the usual suspects and some nice additions: eggs cooked to order and freshly squeezed juices. (1st year apprentice Hamish made mine – watermelon with passionfruit – yes please!)

And here is the news. The Hilton Sydney Hotel has a smoker. You know the type?

And the new breakfast signature dish is: Beach wood house smoked salmon with English potato scones, pan roasted asparagus, free range scrambled eggs & baby watercress.

Just as I’m no stranger to hotels (or hotel breakfasts) I also know my smoked salmon. This is a very fine example indeed. Chef explains his dry cure (with more sugar than some) comprises equal parts salt and sugar. (That’s more like a cure for a gravadlax – which explains the slight sweetness in the dish.) After 24 hours the cure is rinsed off and the salmon is cold smoked in the hotel kitchen. It’s exquisite in flavour and texture, both results of the dry cure as well as the smoking. I’d also say the quality has something to do with the sourcing of the fish.

So what other plans does Middleton have when he really gets his feet under the kitchen bench?

He’s talking about beehives on the hotel roof, as well as a vegetable garden. I smile widely with delight. There’s no lipservice here to fresh, local and seasonal. Middleton knows his stuff and I can see already that he’s going to lift the roof off the Hilton Sydney restaurants (room service – which will feature family recipes of hotel staff – included.)

Rebecca Varidel was a guest for breakfast of the Hilton Sydney.

Hilton Sydney Hotel
488 George Street, Sydney Australia
+ 61 2 9266 2000