Gilmours, the cash‘ncarry wholesale warehouse operation owned by Foodstuffs (Auckland) Ltd, is moving to a new way of operating which will bring renewed benefits for the Gilmours business, staff and customers.

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At last, the perfect New Year’s resolution - get your teenagers to cook the family meal once a week.

“This is a win: win for both parents and teenagers; parents get a night off and the teenagers gain a skill for a lifetime”, says Glenda Gourley, director of a new website, blog and e-recipe book www.itsmyturntocook.com.

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Fresh to Go has just introduced Lite n’ Lean Salads which are high in protein and have a low GI. This means you feel fuller for longer plus you get to chow down on delicious vitamin and mineral-packed salads. Each salad contains less 5g of fat, and they are also low in sodium and sugars.

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Year 1 and Year2 Diploma in Patisserie and certificate students at Auckland University of Technology recently completed their end of year assessments, which you will see from the photographs speak for themselves in expertise.

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A new venue partnership was launched in Marlborough recently when Continental became the exclusive catering providers at Blenheim’s Montana Brancott Winery.

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New York, N.Y.—Kentucky’s favorite chefs will be working side by side with the James Beard Foundation and celebrity chefs from around the United States during the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, which will feature eight world championships in equestrian sport at Lexington’s Kentucky Horse Park from September 25 through October 10, 2010.

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Melbourne: January 15, 2010 - New product marketers can look forward to a number of new trends in the coming decade, from more humane meat and poultry products and plastic packaging that won’t last forever to skincare products you can wear.  Datamonitor’s Product Launch Analytics, which tracks new product launches in food and drinks around the world, takes a look at these and other trends in consumer packaged goods that will be hitting supermarket shelves in the coming year.

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The Rugby World Cup 2011 is only 18 months away; will you be ready for it?

The Restaurant Association Auckland branch is holding a breakfast meeting on February 2 at Eden Park Stadium to give the hospitality industry a chance to be more informed about this major event.

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Ralf Hübner, chairman of the Internorga Exhibitor Council is optimistic: “Internorga will give important stimuli to the catering and food service industry. It is the leading international trade show and an ideal presentation platform for companies. This is where the industry can display their innovations to an audience of experts, set new trends, and make contact both within their own sector and beyond it.”

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Saturday May 22, 2010 Bluff will open its doors to thousands of festival goers for the annual Bluff Oyster & Food Festival.

The 2010 Festival will take place at the Stewart Island Experience site on Foreshore Road, Bluff where it has been held for the past two years.

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UK: The hospitality industry was well represented in 2010 New Year’s Honours list, with a number of familiar names recognised.

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UK: Industry leaders have urged the Government to go “back to basics” after a report warned that more than £50m has been wasted on efforts to improve hospital food.

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Wellington caterer Ruth Pretty has been awarded a New Year Honour making her a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

The citation reads: Mrs Ruth Jane Pretty, of Te Horo, for services to the food industry.

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It’s getting close to that time when businesses have to schedule work on and around public holidays and summer annual leave. The Holidays Act 2003 provides for 11 public holidays.

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Every year, over summer time, the Department of Labour investigates increased numbers of work-related deaths.

For anyone not directly affected by such a loss it is hard to comprehend the enormity of such workplace fatalities – for families and loved ones; for colleagues; for employers; and for communities.

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UK: Medirest, Compass Group's healthcare division, has won a new £135m contract to provide catering and supply services at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in South London.

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WOBURN, MA  – Daimer Industries® Inc., a global source for plant-based green cleaners, green cleaning products and green chemicals, is now selling Eco-Green® Stove Hood Degreaser and Duct Cleaner, a bio-based degreaser created to break down residues found in stove hoods and ducts.

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Two Radius Residential Care rest home facilities have scooped ‘Excellence in Food Safety’ awards at the 2009 Food Safety Awards held in Hamilton in early December.

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Celebrity foodie Peta Mathias is in unlikely company with Peter Leitch and Rodney Hide on Diabetes Auckland's new website diabetesconnect.org.nz.

A number of prominent Aucklanders shared their favourite healthy recipes and advice for a new website, which informs people about how to prevent and manage diabetes.

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A mango and chilli chicken sausage made by Peter Timbs Meats in Christchurch has been judged the Supreme Award Winner in The Great New Zealand Sausage Competition.

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Domino’s Pizza is dishing out dinner to deserving families in the lead up to Christmas.

“The Christmas period is a stressful time for many people and this year the impact of the recession may make it even harder for some New Zealanders.  We want to help take the pressure off Kiwi families by providing dinner on Domino’s, delivered right to the door,” says Ryan Bohm, general manager, Domino’s Pizza New Zealand.

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Two Radius Residential Care rest home facilities have scooped ‘Excellence in Food Safety’ awards at the 2009 Food Safety Awards held in Hamilton recently.

Radius Maeroa Lodge and Radius St Joan’s Care Centre were selected from more than 750 food operators to receive the awards that recognise a standard of excellence in management and maintenance of a registered food premises.

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Kapiti Food Fair 2009 celebrates the food culture of Kapiti. It features international food stalls, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting and food sampling, life entertainment, and a charity lunch involving Martin Bosley and local celebrity chefs. The event attracted 5000 visitors last year.

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These have been interesting times which have seen businesses operating in a much more challenging environment.

Now it is time to celebrate and honour the businesses that have helped you in business in the 2010 Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards!

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Queensland chef Ross Howell from Ross Howell Catering has won the 2009 Pacific Rim Regional Final of the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) Global Chefs Challenge.

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If you think fries can’t get any better, think again! Wattie’s has launched Beer Batter Steak Cut Fries, made using premium beer, and delicious Kiwi potatoes – a combination set to be a New Zealand favourite!

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Auckland, New Zealand, September 2009 – Pavé Consumer Brands has released  Sushi Co's Frozen Authentic Sushi. 

Now any foodservice business can serve authentic sushi that tastes delicious, in just 30 minutes.

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Brian Edwards and a number of prominent New Zealanders will help launch the new interactive website for Diabetes NZ Auckland on October 15.  The event will be held at St Paul Street Gallery and will feature an exhibition by renowned Kiwi artist Colin McCahon.

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During the month of October, a rose hue will descend on the signature afternoon tea at The Langham, as the Pretty in Pink Afternoon Tea is served in support of Breast Cancer ACTION Month.

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Judges have named the final four chefs who will cook-off in Auckland in the Great Potato Challenge 2009. 

Each chef will cook their dish and present it to judges before it is tasted and marked against strict criteria. Before the winner is announced, each chef will also need to speak about their dish for two minutes before an audience from the potatoes industry.

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Edmonds is excited to announce the introduction of the Edmonds Vinegar range to the Food Service market.

Victoria Cooper, brand manager for Edmonds, explains the benefits the range brings to the market, insisting that it offers a great balance between Food Service professionals’ functional requirements as well as being real vinegar’

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Whether it’s Colonel Sanders or a famous soft drink, iconic food and beverage brands usually have one thing in common – a secret recipe.

Now Hansells is set to dust off one of its own hidden gems which will feature on a new website aimed at encouraging people to divulge their baking secrets.

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Cooking classes and food demonstrations are on the menu at Otago Polytechnic’s Cromwell campus following the recent launch of Gourmet Central – a new culinary concept which focuses on hands-on learning.

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For a vanilla product that really packs a punch, look no further than Hansells Chef’s Strength Vanilla Paste.

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Queensland chef Ross Howell from Ross Howell Catering has won the 2009 Pacific Rim Regional Final of the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) Global Chefs Challenge.

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Check out the a complete list of of all the winners. There are also heaps of pictures from the event.

Check it out here.

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Expect to see a delicious new Superfruits™ range from Fresh ‘n Fruity hit supermarket shelves this month in fresh stand out packaging, the first change in ten years.

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UK: A campaign calling on restaurant operators to offer diners doggy-bags to take home left over food has been met with a mixed response from the industry.

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UK:  Sodexo has won a £12m contract to supply catering services to Richmond, the American International University, based in London.

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The Lesnies 100% New Zealand Bacon Competition results are out, recognising New Zealand's best bacon makers
New Zealand's tastiest bacons were revealed today as the winners of the Lesnies 100% New Zealand Bacon Competition received their awards.

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Entries are now open in a new national on-line competition to find New Zealand’s favourite recipe.

The competition is open to amateur home cooks of all ages to enter their best recipe at the web site www.nzfavouriterecipe.co.nz and have the New Zealand public vote for their favourites.

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October is the month to visit Sydney with the launch of Crave - a major new festival offering visitors 31 days of food, entertainment, art, comedy and music events.

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Three up-and-coming hospitality students from Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) have taken out top honours at the prestigious student culinary competition - Nestlé Toque d’Or - held in Auckland on 24 August 2009.

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The competition heated up when the National Culinary Fare hit Auckland on 23-25 August.  In its 17th year, the New Zealand Culinary Fare is believed to be the world’s largest annual competition of its kind.

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Spain: The International Projects make a significant contribution to consolidating the Alimentaria brand as a major gathering for food and beverage manufacturing and distribution from around the world. In addition, these undertakings are crucial to establishing Alimentaria as a platform for internationalisation

                 for the Spanish agri-food industry.

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The date for the 2010 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival has been set. Saturday 22 May is the day that Bluff will open its doors to thousands of festival goers next year. 

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Wellington On a Plate event organisers have been adding to the festival schedule to meet overwhelming demand.

Sarah Meikle, spokesperson for the inaugural Wellington On a Plate festival which was officially launched last night, said a number of festival events had already sold out and restaurants involved in the DINE Wellington showcase were reporting strong advance bookings.

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Pre-dinner canapés or a cocktail party – when it comes to serving mini morsels there are a lot of things to consider. At the same time, trying to keep ahead of your opposition in trends and styling takes considerable effort. According to Steve Barton, executive chef at Ellerslie Events Centre, the most important factor is to know your clientele.

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To the delight of food lovers everywhere, a wide variety of authentic ethnic cuisines have now become available in New Zealand. From Thai, Chinese, Malaysian and Japanese cuisines, to even Korean and Indian foods – the varieties are endless. Today supermarket chains and distributors have aisles dedicated to a wide range of authentic ethnic flavours in the form of prepackaged meals, prepared sauces and ground spices; and restaurants specialising in Asian cuisine have become popular choices amongst New Zealanders.

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Mudbrick caters for weddings with the same elegance it applies to fine dining. The upmarket vineyard and restaurant, located on Waiheke Island, 35 minutes by ferry from Auckland city, offers a personalised experience in an authentic, relaxed and stunningly beautiful environment.

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Scented flowers, white linen with orchids placed delicately on starched napkins. A gentle breeze softens the air through the marquee stretched out across the lawn. The garden in splendor graces the historic nature of Highwic House in the Auckland suburb of Newmarket.
Champagne flutes are being filled as the final touches are put in place for the arrival of the bride and groom and their guests.

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At the Mudbrick vineyard and restaurant, there is a real commitment to going green. Geographically isolated on Waiheke Island, the restaurant has adopted a natural, cost-effective and easy-to-use method to manage its commercial kitchen waste: the Bokashi composting system.
“We’ve been using this system for two years now and it works very well,” says Mark Robinson, Mudbrick head gardener.

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SKYCITY Auckland is today throwing out the challenge to other major corporates to get on board with Cupcake Day on Monday 31 August in support of the SPCA.  The day will see young and old alike don their aprons, bake cupcakes and descend on their schools, work places and social groups, selling their goodies to raise funds for the SPCA.

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Landsberg am Lech, July 2009 – For a second time following the 2007 survey, 1500 chefs and kitchen managers across the whole of Germany were asked to say what they thought to be the most successful product innovations of the last two years.

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SKYCITY chef Thomas Townsend will join a team of 17 New Zealanders heading to Calgary, Canada to compete in the 2009 Worldskills competition from  September 1 - 7.

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Pak World Ltd has become the first packaging company in New Zealand to gain FSC accreditation. FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not for profit organisation established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.

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UK: Contract caterer Sodexo has won a three-year deal worth £3.7m with mobile phone giant Nokia to provide soft services at five sites in the UK.

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A sold out, seven course degustation dinner delighted guests of the Molyneux training restaurant in Cromwell on July 30.

The ‘Celebrate Central’ evening was the grand finale of the Otago Polytechnic’s Level 4 professional cookery course and was a huge success according to the students’ chef lecturer and award-winning Kiwi chef Debbie Crompton.

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A group of seven New Plymouth Girls High School students have come up with a rather healthy business project idea.

Known as iCook, the idea is a website for university students to be able to access basic cooking recipes and download them onto MP3 Players and iPods for oral instructions while they cook.

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Chefs and caterers looking to easily produce delicious, well presented pies or quiches can now purchase Grandelby's freestanding Pie Pots, from leading Auckland catering product suppliers, Lincoln Bakery.

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An exclusive preview of The Great Room at The Langham was showcased last week to New Zealand based PCOs, meeting planners and also local and international buyers attending the annual MEETINGS 2009 trade show.

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A survey of residues on New Zealand-grown celery and spinach has produced mixed results with six out of 48 samples showing residues above the permitted level. The residue levels did not pose a risk to human health.

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The Food Show Auckland, 30 July – 2 August, ASB Showgrounds

It is The Food Show Auckland’s 10th birthday, and have they got a show lined up for you! Below are the top ten reasons (from literally 100’s of others) why you must join The Food Show Auckland in celebrating ten years of eating, entertaining and downright deliciousness…

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US organic grocer Whole Foods Market has launched an iPhone and iPod Touch application to allow users to locate store information using post code information.

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Landsberg am Lech, June 2009 – To ensure healthy food it is not only important to select the raw ingredients carefully and to use gentle preparation methods. Compliance with hygiene regulations and, in particular, regular cleaning of the cooking appliances in the kitchen are also essential.

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HSI, the hospitality industry’s training organisation, has launched someadditional support for the industry through the current difficult trading period. 275 4474

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MELBOURNE - Fine Food Australia, to be staged at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre September 7-10, is shaping up to be a showcase for everything new in natural foods for retail and hospitality businesses, according to exhibition manager, Minnie Constan. 

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Multi award-winning Kiwi chef Mark Sycamore has become one of the select few to have featured as ‘guest chef’ at the prestigious Hong Kong Golf & Country Club.

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For the second year in a row, the exceptional people and establishments that make up our hospitality industry in Hawke’s Bay have been announced.  The Hospitality Awards are FOR the industry BY the industry. 

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Cheese makers and cheese lovers start salivating – locally-made unpasteurised milk cheeses may soon be available in New Zealand under new rules proposed by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA).

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 Fine Food Australia to be staged at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre September 7-10, is set to be of ‘great benefit’ to food and hospitality businesses, according to exhibition manager, Minnie Constan.  

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UK: Compass Group has made three of its business and industry contracts “centres of excellence” in a bid to showcase the best of its workplace catering offer.

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Adding fibre to meals has just been made a whole lot easier thanks to Wattie's new High Fibre Mix.

Nutritious, flavourful and fuss-free, Wattie’s new high fibre mix of frozen vegetables is set to transform meals.

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Hospitality organisations from Whangarei to Invercargill will compete for top honours at this year’s prestigious HSI Excellence in Training Awards.

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HSI, the hospitality industry’s training organisation, announced on May 18 additional support for the industry through the current difficult trading period.

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UK: The hospitality industry cannot afford to cut back on training if it is to recover from the recession, sector skills council People 1^st has

warned.

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UK: Contract caterer BaxterStorey has officially launched its Barista Academy, in a move it claims places coffee “at the heart of its business”.

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UK: The hospitality industry is missing out on an estimated £100m a year by failing to provide safe, gluten-free options for people with coeliac disease, campaigners have warned.

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Get ready bacon lovers…New Zealand’s best bacon will soon be revealed!

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The National Junior Hospitality Challenge sees 15-18 year old hospitality students from across the country compete in a range of live cooking, static food display and food and beverage events.

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The Ice Cream Awards, which were instituted in 1997, are being held again this year.  The specific objective of the Awards is to raise the of standards and promote the quality of New Zealand ice cream.  The results will be announced at the New Zealand Ice Cream Manufacturers’ Association annual conference in Palmerston North on May 28.

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UK: Although contract caterers are by no means immune to the looming recession, with client pressure to cut costs and food inflation very much on the agenda, the sector perversely finds itself, in many ways, well-placed.

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Madonna is strictly macrobiotic, with a penchant for traditional Japanese food. Rihanna likes her fish steamed and rice boiled, but scoffs hot wings in her dressing room; one of the Eagles eats only canned food on tour. One Auckland chef, who has cooked on their tours, says he would stand side-by-side in the kitchen with Madonna's personal chef, astonished at her very specific demands.

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It was a still summer’s evening, though officially the end of spring (November 29), a perfect evening for a significant moment to make history. So significant that the day the website went live to promote this auspicious event, the tickets sold out within hours - all 2000 of them.

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Lunchtime at Lollipops Educare in Botany Town Centre is a very well-organised affair. And when Catering Plus called in, there were lots of very happy smiles as the children were enjoying their all-time lunch favourite – tuna pasta salad.

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New Zealand has its first Cheese Master, with the qualification being officially awarded to New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association secretary Dianne Kenderdine. Mrs Kenderdine has been secretary of the association since its inception in 2003, and has also been a member of the awards organising committee since the first awards in the same year. Awards organiser Vikki Lee Goode said she couldn’t think of a more fitting person to be named New Zealand’s first Cheese Master.

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An innovative text-based customer feedback system is giving restaurants a vital opportunity to improve their service offering. Humble Kiwis generally don’t like to complain about a bad service experience, but they’re more than happy to relay the experience to scores of friends and family, or even the media.

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UK: Contract caterer Restaurant at Work’s newly-formed education division has picked up its first school dinners contract in a deal worth £360,000 in total turnover. The new division, Restaurant at School, will run the school dinners service at Sheen Mount Primary School in East Sheen, Richmond, in a three-year deal worth £120,000 in annual turnover. The contract began in January after the school’s kitchen was refurbished.

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Food prices increased 0.2% last month, Statistics New Zealand said on Thursday. The most significant contribution to the increase came from the non-alcoholic beverages subgroup (up 1.7%), which was driven by higher prices for soft drinks (up 2.7%)

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A new food safety guide designed for marae cooks will be officially launched at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia today (Tuesday).

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Do you have an eye for detail and can you turn a creative theme idea into a stunning table design? Or perhaps you are interested in design or sustainability. If so Catering Plus wants to hear from you.

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