Published since 1976

Vol 38 June 2013

BEYOND BALI Tapping Indonesias enormous appeal

LETS GET PHYSICAL Why your property needs a gym even if your guests dont use it

Hong Kong SAR HK$50 China RMB50 Singapore S$15 Malaysia RM30 Thailand Bt300 Rest of Asia US$10

SAVOUR THE FLAVOUR Condiments are king in Asia

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The online MBA from Glion is a perfect match for busy hospitality professionals anywhere in the world...
Philippe Le Bourhis General Manager, Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square, Thailand, Glion Online MBA student

elcome to the June issue of AHCT, the most trusted source of information on what is happening in Asia-Pacifics hospitality industry. Its an obvious statement perhaps, but technology is changing everything. Whats interesting is the different ways in which this is taking place. In this issues design feature on p20, for example, we look at the way the hotel business centre once a mainstay in any upscale property is becoming slowly redundant. Mobile and wireless technology means hotels

can bring the services available in business centres to their guests, as Byron Wong of MOHG points out. The location of a business centre becomes irrelevant, as its services are anything, anywhere and everywhere. Meanwhile our report on point of sale technology highlights how it is becoming much more than just a way of billing a customer, now taking in issues including business intelligence, cloud computing, social media and more. Also in this issue condiments, gym

equipment, buffets, Indonesia beyond Bali and much more. We need to hear from hospitality professionals about the constant developments in the industry, good or bad, so please do send your comments and suggestions in to: daniel@thomsonpress.com.hk

ENDORSEMENTS
EDITOR Daniel Creffield Design by Koon Ming Tang production@thomsonpress.com.hk Contributors Victoria Burrows Don Gasper Zara Horner Rebecca Lo Michael Taylor Andrea Zavadszky Associate Publisher Sharon Knowler sharon@thomsonpress.com.hk Circulation Executive Becky Chau enquiries@thomsonpress.com.hk Chairman JS Uberoi Director Gaurav Kumar
Hong Kong Hotels Association Hong Kong Chefs Association Federation Of Hong Kong Restaurant Owners Baking Industry Training Centre The Federation Of Hong Kong Hotel Owners Association Of Thailand

Association Of International Hoteliers Shanghai

Singapore Chefs Association

Hong Kong Bakery & Confectionery Association

Hong Kong Maitre Dhotel Association

Singapore Hotel Association

Hong Kong Bartenders Association

Shanghai Chefs Association

Myanmar Chefs Association

Malaysian Association Of Hotels

MacauHotel Association

Club managers Association Hong Kong

Asian Hotel & Catering Times is published monthly by Thomson Press Hong Kong Ltd (TPHK) The opinions expressed in Asian Hotel & Catering Times do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher or the publication. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this publication, no responsibility can be accepted by the publisher, editors and staff, agents and contributors for omissions, typographical or printers errors, inaccuracies or changes howsoever caused. The editors reserve the right to edit any material submitted at their discretion. All materials published remain the property of TPHK. Reproduction without permission by any means is strictly prohibited. Correspondence should be addressed to The Editor, Asian Hotel & Catering Times, Room 1205-6, 12/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2815 9111 Fax: (852) 2851 1933. Fantasy Printing Ltd. 1/F, Tin Fung Industial Mansion, 63 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong. All rights reserved (c) 2013 Thomson Press Hong Kong Ltd

Glion Institute of Higher Education Ranked number 2* among all international hospitality management schools in the world for an international career, Glions 100% online programs are dedicated to developing executive talent for the global hospitality and wider services industry. As a market leader in hospitality management education and with close ties to the industry, Glion delivers tailor-made online programs for corporate partners and individuals. Contact us for more information.

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AHCT June 2013

CONTENTS
Volume 38 June 2013

MANAGEMENT 10 Unlocking Indonesia MARKET REPORT 14 A grand vision for India TECHNOLOGY 16 Central banking

EQUIPMENT 32 Beautiful buffets 36 Hotel gyms: why they are essential

Metropolitain restaurant Hong Kong (photography Koon Ming)

NEWS INDUSTRY Hiltons 100th; good news (and views) from Kempinski; and who made it to the Top 50 Worlds Best Restaurants

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The future of PoS

PRODUCT 40 Minibars, storming amenities and how to make your 10,000th pot and pan washer that little bit special CULINARY 42 Lots of wine, some unusual caviar and healthy coconut water from the Philippines

EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS 45 Events calendar 46 FHV reviewed 47 HOTELEX Shanghai reviewed APPOINTMENTS 53 Whos moving where

Now on iPad

Available on App Store

20
DESIGN 20 Hotel business centres transform FOOD 24 Condiments: small servings, big business DRINK 28 Purees, flavourings and syrups

New vision of the business centre

July Integrated resorts Philippines Cloud computing Swimming pool design Cheese Fruit juice In-room amenities Knives August Green issues/sustainability Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia Social networking Kitchens Ice cream Tea and coffee Ice machines Cleaning/hygiene solutions

Advertisers Index
Alpha International IBC Athena Tableware 35 Bragard 21 China Intl Laundry and Dyeing Industry Exhibition 43 FHC 49 FHM 48 HICAP 50 Hotel Expo Macau 53 Laureate Higher Education Group IFC Life Fitness 39 PAR Springer-Miller 19 Pevonia 12 & 13 SweetN Low 27 Technogym OBC Tiger 31 WMF 23 Zieher 33

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Top 21
An independent panel of judges comprised of internationally recognised food facilities consultants, multi-unit executives and design experts selected 21 award recipients to be showcased in the interactive Kitchen Innovations Pavilion at the 2013 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show at Chicagos McCormick Place. Among those on show were Franke Coffee Systems Americas: FoamMaster; Master-Bilt: Parallel Glycol Rack System; and Strahman Valves, Inc: Vari-Spray Pre-rinse Nozzle.

Hilton hits a century

Hilton Worldwide has opened its 100th property in Asia Pacific the DoubleTree by Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok in Thailand. Hilton Worldwide has been operating in Thailand since 1983 and we are delighted to celebrate this key milestone in our companys history with the opening of this amazing property in Bangkok, said Martin Rinck, president, Asia Pacific, Hilton Worldwide. Thais are renowned for their warm hospitality, and Bangkok has always been an important regional hub and a popular destination for both leisure and corporate travellers. The 23-storey hotel features 177 modern and spacious 28 square meter guestrooms including 10 38 square meter superior rooms and five 58-squaremeter suites.

A room with a view

Kempinski Hotels, Europes oldest luxury hotel group, is presenting a Room with a View highlighting panoramas from Kempinskis many exotic and unusual destinations from around the world, ranging from London to the Arabian deserts of Dubai and Chinas many cosmopolitan cities. Kempinskis property portfolio compromises 75 five-star hotels in 31 countries and continues to add new properties in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Each one reflects the strength and success of the Kempinski brand without losing sight of its heritage. The groups properties in Asia include Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa

Centre, Kempinski Hotel Chengdu, Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi, Kempinski Hotel Haitang Bay Sanya and The One Executive Suites by Kempinski, Shanghai.

Past, present and future A perfect wine moment

The Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) has launched a One Moment One Bourgogne Wine initiative in Hong Kong, encouraging enjoyment of Bourgogne wines at any time - and not only as a traditional complement to fine dining. The campaign was mounted with a guided tasting of a broad cross-section of Bourgogne wines from 11 domains from Crmant de Bourgogne to Village 1er Cru Appellation. BIVBs latest research revealed that mainland China and Hong Kong together make up the fourth biggest market for Bourgogne wines exports almost equally sharing sales of two million bottles a year worth 34 million. In 2012, sales grew in China by 44% in value and 18.5% in volume, and in Hong Kong by 14.9% in value and 25.3% in volume. In Hong Kong, the market is mainly focused on top of the range wines but, since 2010, the Appellations Rgionales Bourgogne have become as much sought as the highest value appellations. This month, the winners of a design competition will be announced by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hong Kong. The competition forms part of the hotels 50th anniversary celebrations this year. Last March, 39 environment and interior design year-two students from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University were set, as part of their thesis, a sevenweek programme to design certain areas

of Mandarin Oriental for the future, including rooms and suites, lobby and reception, spa, food and beverage outlets and function rooms. The students were encouraged to incorporate the history of Hong Kong, the surrounding area and the design elements that the iconic hotel is famed for, in their design work, given that Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group believes in offering guests a sense of place within each of their hotels around the world. The winning designs will be put on display in the hotels Clipper Lounge in July.

Chic and creative Balinese oasis: Super Soori

Located on Balis southwest coast within the luxury resort Alila Villas Soori, The Soori Estate is the largest residence of its kind spanning an area of 5,250 square metres. The estate can host celebrations, weddings, family getaways or group retreats. This opulent estate is perfect for private events, accommodating up to 200 guests. Its exclusive location creates possibilities for live entertainment such as fireworks, traditional Indonesian dances and performing artists. In addition, a dedicated personal wedding concierge will provide assistance with all requests during a couples planning process and to assist with ideas. The spacious villa consists of 10 elevated bedrooms, all offering uninterrupted views of the peninsula overlooking the Indian Ocean. Two master bedrooms and adjoining suites are situated on the upper level; the additional six bedrooms are located on the ground level, together accommodating up to 20 adults. Le Mridien Bali Jimbaran, which combines chic, modern design with a passion for the arts, culture and creative cuisine, opened last May. The hotels 118 guest rooms and suites feature modern batik motifs and striking liquid art imagery by German artist Markus Reugels. Ground floor guest rooms open directly onto a unique 1,300 square meter organic form saltwater lagoon pool. Le Mridien is experiencing a year of significant growth, said Brian Povinelli, global brand leader, Le Mridien and Westin. With a refined Le Mridien brand positioning focused on unlocking the destination and our best portfolio and performance levels ever, we are proud to return to Bali in such an ideal setting as the culturally-rich Jimbaran area.

Spot the difference: the hotel in 1963, and 2013

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The proof of the pudding...

Two Hong Kong restaurants won places in S.Pellegrinos annual list of The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants. In 39th place was 8 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, while Amber at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental claimed the 36th spot. Ambers Dutch chef, Richard Ekkebus, said: My team and I are extremely honoured that our consistently high standard of food quality, evolution of the dishes and service excellence have been recognised by the distinguished panel of over 900 international food critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded foodies from over 26 separate regions around the world for the third consecutive year. This distinctive recognition is a wonderful validation of our entire teams hard work. It motivates us to work even harder to perfect our execution and deliver the greatest overall dining experience to our guests.

HOFEX is a hit
The 15th edition of HOFEX, one of Asia-Pacifics largest food and hospitality tradeshows, took place in Hong Kong in May. With an exhibition space covering more than 60,000m2, the show occupied 13 halls on three levels, and saw more than 1,900 international suppliers and distributors of food, beverages, foodservice equipment, hospitality design and technology showcase their products. This largest-ever HOFEX drew over 37,817 buyers from across the industry and saw a 49% increase in international pavilion participation, with 40-plus represented. These included Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UK and the US, among others. The Philippines, Scotland and Wales made their first appearance at the show. Events taking place at HOFEX included the state-of-the-art technology showcase AHTEC, taking in PoS system, in-room systems, cloud computing, payroll systems, security solutions and more; the Hong Kong International Culinary Classic 2013; Allworld Open Cup Creative Classic & Bartending Flair; and the Grand Barista Championship.

Happy Cru
To celebrate the second anniversary of Cru magazine, 300 wine lovers were invited to the ballroom at the Langham Place Hotel in Hong Kong to sample a selection of first-class wines.

8 Otto e Mezzo Bombana

Amber at Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong

The Scotland pavilion at HOFEX

Regal relaunch
The newly renamed Mezzo at Regal Kowloon Hotel in Hong Kong is now serving American Italian cuisine with a strong emphasis on freshly made pastas and pizzas. With a view to attracting a younger demographic and group gatherings, Mezzo was revamped to become a casual dining restaurant.

Rock on
Innovative new cocktails, popular sake tasting sets and award-winning Japanese ales are creating a novel venue for afterwork, pre-dinner or cinema drinks at Hong Kongs Pacific Place robata grill Roka. A recently expanded cocktail menu features 10 new listings that utilise fresh ingredients with traditional Japanese wines, liqueurs and spirits such as umeshu, sake and Rokas signature spirit shochu, an ancient spirit distilled from grains such as barley and rice. Rokas signature cocktails are prepared using the freshest tropical seasonal fruits and premium brand spirits and are based on Japanese culture.

Indian Galaxy
Worldhotels has continued its expansion in India with The Galaxy Hotel & Spa joining its First Class Collection. The hotel is located in the heart of the Millennium City of Gurgaon, an industrial and financial hub 30 km south of New Delhi. This boutique hotel features 80 guestrooms and suites and is replete with modern facilities including restaurants and bars, conference and meeting rooms, an event venue accommodating up to 1,000 guests, as well as a spa and retail options. Worldhotels executive vice president Asia Pacific, Roland Jegge said, Having a rich variety of business and entertainment options, The Galaxy Hotel & Spa is set to draw both business and leisure travellers exploring the city of Gurgaon to our portfolio of hotels in India. We are looking forward to further expanding our footprint in this fast-developing India market.

Secret and luxurious

Secrets Retreats has partnered with Luxury Health Retreats to formulate a specialised programme encouraging the reconnection of mind and soul, whilst taking care of the physical well-being, all in some of the worlds most luxurious settings. Daniel Remon, founder of Luxury Health Retreats commented: Luxury

Health Retreats are more than just a holiday; more than just a relaxing spa experience; more than just a packaged tour. Luxury Health Retreats incorporates everything you need for an exciting wellness oriented experience taking health retreats to a whole new level. With the three unique properties of Tugu Lombok, Tugu Bali and Tree of Life being the first to handle these luxurious health retreats, Secret Retreats and Luxury Health Retreats promise their guests total transformation.

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Beyond
s Indonesia the new China? In tourism terms, the country as a whole is overshadowed by Bali, which is routinely ranked as one of the worlds top travel destinations. With 13,667 islands, however, the sprawling archipelago is like a giant sleeping dragon about to wake up to its massive, yet largely untapped, tourism potential, and investors both domestic and international are starting to take note. Indonesia is currently undervalued and is now positioned where China was 10 to 15 years ago in terms of its economy, says Josephine Lim, regional director for South East Asia, Preferred Hotel Group. The country is seeing tremendous growth as it has the right factors to fuel progress, such as a large local population, natural resources, low labour costs and a low currency value. As China is now becoming more expensive with its own rapid growth over the last decade, more businesses are looking to Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia as alternatives for investment and manufacturing. Take Jakarta, the nations capital, for example. The citys hospitality industry has been robust over the last 12 months, with the average daily rate (ADR) showing an average growth rate of 10% year on year. It is currently a market with remarkable growth potential with strong international corporate business travel into the capital city of Jakarta, and this influx has also benefited other secondary Indonesian cities such as Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, and closer to Singaporean shores the Indonesian island

Bali
I
cities of Bintan and Batam, Lim says.

A sleeping dragon is about to awaken as investors discover the largely untapped tourism potential of the worlds fourth most populous nation, Michael Taylor writes
growing country in Asia in this sector. Alila has two hotels in Jakarta and four in Bali. It has yet to expand into other parts of the country. Occupancy in 2012 performed at 72%, and it is expected that 2013 will show a similar figure, Faivre says. The average rate will continue to go up and is expected to reach IDR 750,000 (US$77) 7% or 8% up from the previous year. Despite the fact many new properties are coming on line, Faivre does not expect this to result in lower room rates. If anything, he expects them to rise. New properties will increase the inventory in a market that is already very price sensitive, Faivre says. Rates are bound to go up because of the increase of the minimum wage as well as utilities.

Hotel Mulia Senayan Jakarta

Josephine Lim the country is seeing tremendous growth

Price competitive

Compared with other regional gateways, Jakarta still has one of the lowest room rates in Southeast Asia, making it an attractive MICE destination. This will also impact the leisure travel market in Indonesia and may in turn fuel the demand for other Indonesian destinations such as Bali and Yogyakarta, Lim says. According to the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, at least 45,000 new hotel rooms will be added to the mix this year, an increase of 30,000 from the 15,000 rooms added in 2012. This is significantly higher than the general 5,000 to 15,000 additional rooms a year for the past several years, Lim says. The new supply would thus increase the total number of hotel rooms to approximately 285,000 nationwide by the end of 2013. It would be interesting to see how this additional room inventory would impact the hospitality industry as a whole in Indonesia over the next two years in terms of keeping up with the projected increase in demand and the possibility of rising labour costs that may subsequently push ADR upwards. Eric Faivre, general manager of Alila Jakarta, agrees that the Indonesian hospitality sector is on a roll. And he reflects the view that ADR is headed north. The hospitality industry is booming, both for restaurants and hotels, Faivre says. Statistics show that Indonesia is the fastest

Eric Faivre, Alila Jakarta the hospitality industry is booming, both for restaurants and hotels

Alila Jakarta the group has two hotels in Jakarta and four in Bali

Investment opportunities

Inspiration for the three hotels in one Mulia project in Bali, which opened in December 2012, came from the success of the groups flagship property in Jakarta, the Hotel Mulia Senayan, which opened in 1997. Bali is more than just a tropical paradise, says Rainata Tjoa, director of communications, The Mulia, Mulia Resort & Villas Nusa Dua, Bali. It is a unique destination within Southeast Asia that will continue to be a lucrative destination for high end travellers. It made perfect sense to extend our success from Jakarta to one of the most popular destinations in the region. But if Bali is unique, other parts of Indonesia offer tremendous investment

opportunities, as well. Indonesia offers everything: a magical beach holiday in Bali, astonishing cultural diversity and heritage wonders, fantastic shopping at great prices in Jakarta and Bandung, world class golf with no waiting and reasonable fees at international class courses through the country, marvelous spas with traditional Indonesian health and beauty treatments; marine tourism, diving, cruising, diverse cuisine and overall, a safe, family-oriented environment in an enchanting archipelago of 13,667 islands, Tjoa says.

At this time, Montigo Resorts, Nongsa, is the only five-star resort operating in Batam, but it is highly unlikely that it will be the last. We would welcome the opening of more international resorts on the island because they would contribute to the visibility of the destination, Singh says. We strongly believe theres a lot of potential for tourism in this region. In addition, other sites such as Lombok, Lake Toba and Central Java have lots of tourism potential.

30 minutes from Singapore

Infrastructural improvements needed

KOP Hospitality operates Montigo Resorts, Nongsa in Batam, which is just 30 minutes from Singapore. Since its soft opening in June 2012, demand has been very promising, especially during the weekends when guests from nearby Singapore enjoy the resort as a short getaway, says Dalip Singh, managing director at KOP. We provide easy access as we operate our own yacht to shuttle guests to and from Nongsa. Our plans for expansion include extending our footprint to Bali.

Many factors are affecting investment opportunities in Indonesias tourism industry. One of the major concerns of investors has long been the countrys infrastructure, which sorely needs to be improved. The speed of growth of its development should be parallel with improvements in infrastructure such as airports and roads, Singh says. The supply of manpower should also be considered. Then theres traveller dynamics, and its better to have a good mix of travellers from different countries rather than relying

Dalip Singh strongly believes there is a lot of potential for tourism in the region

on just a few markets. These are all in addition to the common topics of safety, security and political stability. Even as investors start turning their attention to other Indonesian travel destinations, Balis unique allure will remain. Tourists will continue to travel to Bali, Singh predicts. New markets will continue to emerge one after another with this kind of demand, but multinational investors will continue to be attracted to invest in Bali.

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Trident Hilton Udaipur (pic: Vismedia)

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Holiday Inn Express, Ahmedabad IHG launched its first HIE hotel in late 2012 (pic: Vismedia) Grand Sarovar Premiere Mumbai

Park Plaza Bengaluru

Optus Sarovar Premiere Gurgaon

Infrastructural

imperative
The Indian market needs better and more consistent regulations and standards especially in the face of rapidly increasing costs if the industry is to reach its full potential, writes Victoria Burrows
he hotel market in India continues to expand at a healthy rate, especially in the budget and midrange business hotel sector, but the country remains a difficult place to do business. The lack of industry standards is holding back construction, impacting management processes and denting profitability, according to both local and international hoteliers. While every month a major hotel company announces plans to enter or further expand its foothold in the Indian market, the growth belies the underlying struggle hoteliers face in a market still defining best practices. In addition to the spiralling cost of land and building materials, and limited space for hotel development in certain markets especially the main metros of New Delhi and Mumbai everything from working with inexperienced property owners and finding the right project managers, to getting the hundreds of licenses required, can be fraught with difficulties. There is a growing sense from hoteliers that a more productive and streamlined set of processes needs to be implemented in the market as a whole before it can further mature. Sohrab Dalal, managing director of Delhi-based Designplus Architecture, sees a whopping 50% of hotel projects derailed due to rising costs, something he believes could have been avoided with better planning and project management. He points out that this happens frequently in India as there are so many individual property owners, who, when looking to build a hotel for the first time, are not realistic about the level of hotel to match the site and their budget. The most difficult first step in designing and developing a hotel is educating the property owner, says Dalal. A five-star hotel needs to be in a five-star location that will attract the appropriate guests. A five-star hotel will also rack up commensurate costs in building and fitting out the rooms and all the rest of the public areas of the hotel.

Vasundhara Sarovar Premiere, Vayalar Kerala

While the costs involved in building a hotel in India remain a fraction of those in the West, prices are rising. Expectations of how quickly a hotel can be built and be up and running are another problem, again especially with inexperienced property owners.

When it comes to F&B, local hotel brands have always understood how important they are here; international brands are learning Philip Logan, Formule1 Accor India
managers and setting up efficient processes. Finding the right project managers and other staff can, however, be difficult. Bakaya, who has worked in Australia, Africa, France, and the UK, as well as in India, goes so far as to say that he hasnt come across an effective project management company in India so far. Indias as yet developing hotel and hospitality industry also means that on-site skills may be lacking. Hoteliers are finding that they need to take this into account when planning new properties. Andrew Linwood, who has opened a New Delhi office for his project management firm Areen Hospitality, says that it makes business sense to scale down design plans. In the Indian context, you have to be aware that building skills often arent as developed as in the West, he says. There is no need to compromise on design, but keep the detailing simple. This keeps costs down, too. the local market. Shobhit Khatri, director of development at the InterContinental Hotel Group, says that the Holiday Inn Express brand traditionally sticks to core services, cutting out F&B offerings. In India, however, restaurants and bars are so important to guests that they had to adjust the brand to fit the market. The brand outsourced its F&B to local players who would know the local flavour. Formule1, part of the Accor group, also turned to outsourcing: guests order inroom from local South Indian specialists Swagat and the restaurant chain delivers to their door. When it comes to F&B, local hotel brands have always understood how important they are here; international brands are learning, says Philip Logan, vice president of Formule1 Accor India. While best practices are developed in response to the hotel industry as a whole, hoteliers in India as with anywhere ultimately need to tailor each development to the particular site and requirements. Bakaya points out Sarovar change their business model according to each city: Our Chandigarh property is bigger than the citys Taj property, for example, he says. Its what the city called for. Accor also adapts each of its brands to the site; in some of its Indian ibis properties, for example, they have meeting rooms and wedding halls, while their midscale Mercure property in Hyderabad has a ballroom all catering to different budget levels of the huge weddings, and the growing meetings and events markets. And while building and running a hotel in India has its frustrations, the country also offers some unique strengths. Logan points out that Indias innate service culture means that guests often get much more than they pay for, especially in the budget sector, than they would overseas. While the industry standard in Europe is one staff member per 10 rooms, in India the ratio tends towards two to five staff per 10 rooms, or sometimes even per 10 guests. In the economy, budget, and midscale sectors, service is generally excellent in India, he says. At Formule1, Ive often had very happy comments from guests about how excellent the service is.

Double dates

There are two dates for opening a hotel in India: the realistic opening date and the date the property owner dreams up, says Ajay Bakaya, executive director of Sarovar Hotels, which operates 60 hotels across India. But the blame cant all be laid on property owners. Cyril Jacobs, managing director of international project management firm Archetype, says the process as a whole needs to be addressed. The quality of a new hotel depends on three things: time, money and wisdom. Whoever is employed to oversee the entire project needs to have done it before. The problem in India is that one cant seem to get the right processes in place, he says. In Dubai, for example, an owner is generally on site every three months; In India, you sometimes get the owner stopping by three times a day. But its changing and Im seeing more private equity firms behind new-builds asking for feasibility studies and employing project

F&B fundamentals

Food and beverage is an area in which hoteliers need to be particularly aware of

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screen. Because of the complexity of the applications it can be a bit daunting for the larger F&B operations in terms of both cost and training. But, in many cases, changing payment settlement requirements and options are forcing the issue. Smaller F&B operations i.e. pop ups, food trucks etc that dont require complex menu databases and kitchen printer routing are increasingly taking advantage of mobile applications.

Protect and serve

POSitive
Squirrel Professional PoS software shown on a terminal and iPad

progress
Leading industry specialists provide a snapshot of the current issues surrounding point of sale technology, including the cloud, business intelligence, security and more
arry Hall, president & CEO of PAR Springer-Miller Systems, says cloud platforms have enabled a massive increase in the breadth and depth of web services applicable to traditional point of sale (PoS) functions. Creativity, coupled with the feature velocity achieved by using the latest technologies, means hotels and F&B operators have a never-ending list of new capabilities to deploy. However, one must proceed with a certain degree of caution. New, low cost cloud platforms mean small start-ups can bring disruptive web services to market very quickly, but they can also go out of business just as fast. One does not need to look too far beyond the app market to find examples of this point. He adds that some of these providers of innovative or creative web services may cut corners for the sake of speed to market and leave an operator exposed to intrusions and data security issues.

While the idea of innovative web services applied to PoS platforms open up a new world of customer service, operating efficiencies and customer relationship capabilities, operators need to remind themselves to conduct the appropriate level to diligence before they proceed with any service that exposes their data third parties. PAR Springer-Millers ATRIO PoS (launching June 2013) is the newest addition to the ATRIO Hospitality Management Platform, a next generation point of sale system for hotels. With ATRIO, PSMS pioneered and delivered a new generation of technology for the industry by moving the hospitality industry to the cloud, creating a new user experience. The company says that ATRIO PoS, the next generation point of sale system, reduces the total cost of ownership for hoteliers and management companies by embracing true cloud computing, minimising on-property technology, and reducing implementation and training costs to increase staff efficiency and productivity.

Benefit of intelligence

Bernard Ellis is vice president of industry strategy, hospitality, with Infor, a technology company providing services to 10,000 hospitality properties worldwide. He makes the point that point of sale has come to be viewed by operators as something of a cigar box, and that its the business intelligence that its data can enable in terms of tracking sales, forecasting future trends, knowing what menu items have been

successful, and correctly aligning staffing levels to expected business as well as maintaining your online social reputation that can be truly beneficial. In terms of some of the specific current issues surrounding PoS systems themselves, he lists security as a priority. The payment card industry has advocated different solutions to address this in the different regions, but ultimately the result has been drastic reduction in credit card fraud. They all generally involve a way to encrypt or tokenise the credit card number, which is no longer even held in the PoS, but rather is stored in a third-party vault. The merchant usually has levels of compliance they can pursue with their technology, and the more secure the option they pursue, the lower the discount rate they pay to their processor. And he adds that in terms of credit card security, Europe has led the way with chip and pin systems. The US banking industry has been slower to push for this technology, but is coming around. Other developments Ellis sees in PoS are in cloud technology. Its here to stay many issues are solved by this technology, he stresses. If you are opening a new operation, for example, you can now do this much faster by utilising cloud technology. For example, staff training can take place at the employees home before they even turn up to start work, saving an organisation time and money. He says other advantages of cloud technology are not needing so much hardware in hazardous food and beverage environments. You no longer need to poll systems one by one to roll up data centrally its basically already there! However, in terms of migrating PoS systems to portable devices, he believes larger F&B operations that require complex applications continue to find it hard to get everything they need onto the small

InterContinental Hong Kongs IT manager Stephen Fung says that in terms of data security, InterContinental Hotels Group has the responsibility to protect guests and brand reputation from credit card fraud. All our systems, including PMS and PoS, must comply with PCI DSS. This is the system that encrypts the transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks in order to protect this data. There is a huge scope of work, including building and maintaining a secure network, implementing strong access control measures, regularly monitoring and testing networks, maintaining an information security policy, etc. InterContinental Hong Kong is using a PoS system, table management system and F&B online web booking system provided by Infrasys International. It has also appointed Trustwave, a global leader and provider in PCI DSS compliance management solutions, to provide periodic network scans and penetration tests. As the propertys approved scanning vendor and security assessor, Trustwave provides additional post assessment to possible remedial gaps if required. In this property, we try to minimise the PCIs scope of work on PoS, so we have chosen the most secure option to combat security

Larry Hall, PAR Spinger-Miller cloud platforms have enabled a massive increase in the breadth and depth of web services applicable to traditional PoS functions

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Infor HSP tablet

We consider major changes and if any new features are beneficial for operations or if any of the upgraded hardware or systems can improve our guests experience. We provide operational training for our staff for example, how to order food, how to settle/process billing, room postings, F&B menu inputs, report printing etc. Through our Squirrel Mobility solution, Squirrel Professional Bernard Ellis, Infor cloud technology is here to stay can operate on multiple mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, and Windows, says Jasmine Cruz, marketing director at Squirrel Systems. This provides the ability to manage operations from anywhere in a hotel, which is especially useful in larger properties. Operators also have the flexibility to mix and match devices and platforms since what works best in one area of their business may not be right for another. For example, the smaller form factor of the iPad mini might be better for servers while a manager may prefer a larger Android tablet to view reports. Serving the hospitality industry since 1984, Squirrel Systems offers a range of customisable point of sale systems to meet different needs and budgets, whether single location or multi-unit operation. Powerful software, reliable and design-focused hardware and industry leading support combine to offer a flexible, turnkey PoS system.

DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE.

ATRIO is making hospitality more hospitable for your staff with a new next-generation point-of-sale system that drastically reduces training while boosting staff efficiency. ATRIO POS builds on ATRIOs purpose built-for-the-cloud platform and intuitive user experience to reduce your technology footprint and operational costs.

Guest Experience Management.

Flexible approach

InterContinental Hong Kong considers major changes and if new features are beneficial and can improve guests experience

issues and liability; and that is to use a standalone dial-up credit card processing terminal. Some might think that is a technological step backward, as this terminal does not connect to the computer system, he observes. It is necessary for the cashier to enter the total sales by hand. This requires that the total amount in the standalone credit card terminal must match the total in the PoS system. This is more secure for the business than when credit cards are run through a computer system. With a standalone terminal, once the transaction is settled, the cardholder data is erased. In general terms, Fung says that systems are all based on user requirements. Secondly, they fully integrate with the property management system, which allows service staff to check the room number of any in-house guest and settle/add the bill to the room bill. We dont have regular upgrades except the hardware, he adds.

Learn more at ATRIO.com

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The business of space

As the nature of business evolves, hotel business centres are following suit by diversifying to other parts of the property and offering more to help get the deal done, says Rebecca Lo

With technology shrinking, allowing people to become more mobile, guests are now working everywhere and in more casual environments. They are also doing more for themselves. CEOs and chairmen may still have assistants to help stem piles of administrative tasks, but many are perfectly happy to whip off their own emails on smart phones. And while some of the more conservative industries still require enclosed rooms, suits and ties for doing deals, many in creative and technology industries are comfortable with signing on the bottom line in cafes, lounges and other informal settings.

Anything, anywhere and everywhere

Langham Place Beijing Capital Airport lobby

f there was a poster child for todays business hotel, it would be Courtyard by Marriott in Shatin. Opened in March 2013, the 539-room property with interiors courtesy of Hong Kongs Perception Design is conveniently located near the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Science Park, two complexes that have the potential to keep it consistently occupied. Its business centre is an open, self-service area off the main lobby. One side consists of several flatscreen Apple Macs in semiprivate stations, while a serpentine bench is outfitted with sockets for guests to recharge handheld devices. A bar off to the other side provides refreshments. On the other side of the concierge, a GoBoard Marriotts one-stop self-serve information hub lets people check flight details, breaking international news and recommended restaurants in the area. A 515 square metre ballroom on the level above can be subdivided into three units and accommodates up to 28 tables of 12 laid out banquet style it is already proving to be a popular venue for weddings and MICE events. On the top floor, its executive lounge contains soft seating for groups of two to six, three additional Mac stations, a boardroom to seat 10 that can be booked for private meetings and a staffed reception area that will attend to guest needs. Wrap around full height glass walls offer views overlooking the green mountains of Ma On Sha and the Shatin racetrack. Courtyard Shatin shows that the business centre is no longer a bunch of meeting rooms staffed with secretaries and equipment.

We are no longer building huge business centres, admits Byron Wong, head of design and regional director of technical services for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (MOHG). Instead, we bring the services available in business centres to our guests. The location of a business centre then becomes irrelevant, as its services are anything, anywhere and everywhere. Unlike many other operators, MOHG does not have an executive floor with an executive lounge. Instead, guests pay a premium to use the club lounge and have the option to stay in any of the rooms throughout the hotel. There is a higher level of service in our club lounges, says Wong. Depending on the individual property, we offer at least two meeting rooms that guest can reserve. In Tokyo, for example, the meeting rooms are situated elsewhere in the property. Tom Schmidt is an architect who has been working on the operational side of hotels for decades, repositioning, adapting and renovating them to suit owners and operators latest agendas. He feels that people work better in more casual environments, and that the traditional business centre is now a waste of real estate as they are often under utilised.

Photography courtesy GHC Asia and Cohn & Wolfe-impactasia

BRAGARD is now back to Asia!

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur business center

Nicolas Dujardin + 971 50 149 05 35 Middle East and Asia area manager

For any enquiry, please contact:

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Just taste! The new WMF 8000 S

Marriott Courtyard Sha Tin, Hong Kong executive lounge Langham Place Beijing Capital Airport Club L Replay area

With labour costs continually rising, business centres are now often combined with the reception, administrative offices or executive lounges and share staff Tom Schmidt, architect

Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, meeting room

Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo ballroom theatre

The best type of business centre for me is an open lounge or workstation, he says. It could have sliding panels or glass walls for privacy but it shouldnt be cut off from public areas. With labour costs continually rising, business centres are now often combined with the reception, administrative offices or executive lounges and share staff. Meeting rooms are geared for hourly use and are more flexible. For impromptu meetings with less than an hours notice, guests will go to executive or lobby lounges. They dont necessarily need a lot of privacy but want the interaction of other people and some F&B service. When in Chinas capital, Schmidt makes use of the lobby lounge at Langham Place Beijing Capital Airport. It works well because there are a lot of nooks and crannies for checking emails or [holding] an informal meeting, he says. Its close to the bar and offers some high communal tables. Its a good set up for solo business travellers. He believes that in major cities across Asia, the trend is for shrinking business centres with the exception of mainland China. There, you will still find secretaries typing for executives, he notes.

The business centre is really a box for hotels to tick off so that they can get a certain domestic star rating. He feels that a way forward is for voice and optical character recognition software to help out old school executives who rely on their secretaries in order to work more independently. This allows them to dictate letters or hand write documents that are converted into soft files. Other gadgets more prevalent in hotel business areas are high quality printers and scanners along with fast, reliable Wi-Fi. Plug and play with universal sockets are also the way to go it avoids people having to muck around with adapters, Schmidt says. Screens should be sizeable and flat; touch screen table tops may become more popular if their prices go down. And in fabrication centres such as Guangzhou, 3D printers let manufacturers quickly produce a prototype of any new idea even from halfway around the world although I dont know of any hotel right now that can afford it.

Rethinking space

Workspring, a furniture and partition solution by American manufacturer Steelcase, has been in installed in Marriott Redmond Town Center and is a way to rethink how people work today with flexible spaces for groups and individuals to do their jobs more efficiently. Although global roll out is far in the future, it gives food for thought to the traditional American business centre model. In the recently open Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou, Tony Chi has devised a multi-functional meeting table that consists of two overlapping circles of different heights for working, dining or anything else they may fancy in the privacy of the guestroom. People dont want to work in an office type of environment, says Wong. In Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, our lobby is small but we find that people meet in the facilities throughout the hotel, such as the Clipper Lounge or Caf Causette. Guests use the entire hotel as their place to entertain whether for business or pleasure.

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o o d

Condiments whether international standards such as ketchup and mayonnaise or Asian favourites like soy sauce are big business and getting bigger, writes Daniel Creffield

A world of flavour
Knorr recently launched Mala Chili Liquid Seasoning to help chefs create Chinese Chuan flavour cuisine

Condiments at Metropolitain restaurant:

Lavender dressing for goat cheese salad (see box)

Pickles for cured meat platter

o o d

Heinz ketchup

Dijon mustard

Homemade chutney for cheese and foie gras, containing dried apricots, prunes, raisins, vinegar and sugar Tartar sauce for steak tartare, containing gherkins, onion, capers, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, ketchup, eggs and Dijon

Fish tartare, made with gherkins, onion, capers, parsley, Dijon mustard, olive oil and eggs

Star anise and nutmeg (used in chutney)

Sauce vierge, used with sea bass, made with yellow and green zucchini, tomato, red onion, black olives and olive oil

Heinz Ketchup the worlds best-selling brand

Lee Kum Kee has been producing sauces for more than 100 years and is now one of the biggest international brands

sian consumers, as with their counterparts anywhere else in the world, love to squeeze on the ketchup, splash on the balsamic and dip in the mayo. They also adore their indigenous soy, oyster, sweet and sour and spicy sauces. You have to be aware of your customers preferences, wherever you are in the world, asserts Frank Lebiez, executive chef at Metropolitain (part of French Creations restaurant group) in Sai Ying Pun an up-and-coming area in Hong Kong. Local people dont always like gherkin flavour so I reduce that. My fish tartare is twisted slightly to give it an Asian angle people are going crazy for it at the moment. Lebiez, who spent four years working in his native France and seven in London before arriving in Hong Kong in 2010, focuses on authentic French recipes with a Provenale influence. His colourful cuisine utilises traditional vegetables from the south such as eggplant, zucchini, tomato, pepper, herbes de Provence and extra virgin olive oil and his philosophy is to produce great food without altering the original products taste. People want combinations of flavours so we add Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, more spice here and there. However this is a

bistro, so you cant twist too much diners have expectations. They have been to Paris, theyve had a croque monsieur, they want the feeling of when they were there. Lebiez says that while he loves experimenting with exotic condiments, there is always room for the classics. Mustard and ketchup are also important! Ketchup for fries, mustard for salad dressing. If you serve steak tartare you will add ketchup at some stage. Customers ask for things sometimes, oil and balsamic for example. Of course they have seen this many times. However, they dont always understand some of the things we do here [in terms of condiments] until they try!

restaurant include mirin, miso, sake, shiso (a culinary herb belonging to the mint family), yuzu (an aromatic citrus fruit and plant), olive oil, pepper and sea salt. Were Japanese fusion, so we can blend these ingredients we tend not to use ketchup but we do sometime use Kewpie (Japanese mayonnaise typically made with apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar)!

Sauce solutions

Japanese influence

Oscar Luzon de Arcos is head chef at Roka, a restaurant with locations in Hong Kong and London, serving contemporary robatayaki cuisine. We are not offering traditional Japanese food, so we can use any product we want, he stresses. Everything is very tasty, with strong flavours our black cod cooked with soy sauce, for example. As well as soy sauce, primary condiment ingredients used in the

From an industry point of view, Ivan Tsang, category mix leader with Unilever Food Solutions based in Hong Kong, one of the clusters of Unilever Food Solutions covering markets including Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, says chefs need solutions that really help them run the kitchen in a faster, simpler and yet lower cost way while delivering great tasting food. He says: We have over 500 chefs globally working for Knorr, all driven by the passion for taste. And we talk to thousand of fellow chefs or cooks everyday to understand their needs with the aim to provide better product and services to them. Unilever brands include Knorr & Best Food/Hellmanns, offering a wide range of products such as bouillon, seasoning, Asian and Western sauces, dressings and more, catering to wide range of Chinese, Western and quick service restaurants, hotels, clubhouses, canteens and local food shops. Condiments and sauces are of interest to multinationals, chain restaurants and caterers, adds Tsang. The trend for healthy eating is also influencing condiment trends, for example, oil and vinegar-

Frank Lebiez, Metropolitain restaurant People want combinations of flavours

Oscar Luzon de Arcos, Roka

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Flower power
Metropolitain bistro in Hong Kongs executive chef Frank Lebiez has developed a distinctive lavender dressing which he has been serving with his goat cheese salad for more than 10 years. Its from the south of France, he explains. Its light and healthy. I discovered it almost by accident I actually made a mistake while making something else, but when I tried it, it was good! It matches my goat cheese salad perfectly. Frank Lebiezs lavender dressing: Take fresh lavender marinated in alcohol vinegar Blend with olive oil, sunflower oil and water Add salt and pepper to taste

You have to be aware of your customers preferences, wherever you are in the world ... local people dont always like gherkin flavour so I reduce that. My fish tartare is twisted slightly to give it an Asian angle Frank Lebiez, Metropolitain
based salad dressings are getting more popular in some markets as mayonnaise-based salad dressings are perceived as less healthy. Chefs appreciate products that inspire them to create exciting cuisine. For example, Chuan cuisine (combining the cooking styles of Chengdu and Chongqing) is very popular in China. This trend has also travelled to other Chinese markets. Knorr recently launched condiments such as Mala Chili Liquid Seasonings to help chefs capture the Chuan flavour. Chefs are very creative, and often when we speak with them we hear new ideas about how they use our products. Its really a cross-fertilisation opportunity to talk to chefs, learn from them and spread these good ideas to help more chefs.

Lavender dressing

Sweet sauce
As well as being the most popular sugar substitute used in hot beverages, SweetN Lows Spoon for Spoon 200g can also be used for creating desserts, beverages, soups, salads and dressings, appetisers, breads and cakes as well as condiments. The SweetN Low website lists various condiment recipes, including for those for apple cranberry relish, barbeque sauce, corn relish, frankfurter relish, Jiffy catsup, oriental vegetable marinade, pepper-onion relish, sweet and sour sauce and vegetable marinade. With one sachet equaling two teaspoons of sugar, SweetN Low is suitable for any type of diet; is gluten-free, sodium free and suitable for both hot and cold drinks. The SweetN Low and distinctively pink product series also includes Sachets 50s, Sachets 100s and Sachets 1000s. Sole agent for Hong Kong, China and Macau: Wing Kee Produce Ltd. Tel: 852 2796 3111.
SweetN Low can also be used for enhancing a wide range of foods

For more information: www.sweetnlow.com

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r i n k

r i n k

Drinking in the flavour

Purees, flavourings and syrups are a high profit food sector. Zara Horner says increased consumer awareness and demand for better quality products are pushing bars and restaurants to seek out better quality ingredients
Emporium Hotel Cocktail Bar

s cocktails and mocktails, coffee and desserts become more sophisticated and popular in the region, bars, restaurants and cafes have to search out ever wider and more exciting ranges of ingredients used in their production. To help, purees, flavourings and syrups are now available in hundreds of flavours, and manufacturers say they are constantly striving to stay one step ahead of demand. This year we are introducing new packaging for our Special Barista range, says Christian Para, export manager with French company, Teisseire. The one-litre PET packaging is anti-UV and multi-layered to preserve the taste and colour of the syrups. Theres also no Bisphenol A and the packaging is extremely light at just 52g a bottle, Para continues. The bottles are transparent to accentuate the liquid, and are 100% recyclable as well. They are easier to handle and the hinged cap means flow is better controlled. The latest range comes in nine core flavours with caramel, vanilla and hazelnut available in a sugarless variety. Teisseire also produces a Special Barman range of syrups, which are fruit based. Our formulas are designed to
Syrups from Giffard

complement any hot and cold drink recipes, Para says. French fruit products manufacturer Ravifruit has also concentrated on new packaging. Our frozen ready to use puree blends now come in squeezable 450g bottles, a company spokesman tells AHCT. With no artificial colourings or preservatives, the purees are 90% fruit and 10% sugar, and are great for cocktails, milkshakes, smoothies and granitas. The bottles have a measuring cap and dosage nozzle so they are easy to handle and accurate. Including newly launched pomegranate, six flavours are available: strawberry, raspberry, mango, passion fruit and white peach. Advancing our policy of supporting sustainable farming practices, we have also introduced an organic fruit range, Ravifruits representative says. The organic purees come in strawberry, raspberry and mango varieties. The spokesman goes on, We recently launched a range of vegetable frozen purees. Made from 100% vegetables with no added salt, sugar, flavourings, colour or preservatives, the vegetables have been steam

cooked to preserve their nutritional value, aromatic intensity, and colour. These are available in parsnip from Flanders, red pepper from Andalusia, winter and butternut squash from Provence and carrot from les Sables des Landes. We also have powdered zests, which are easy to use, and save time, says the spokesman. Our granulated lemon peel has been re-formulated and now has a crunchier texture, yellower colour and sharper taste. And we recently introduced Prigord strawberry puree, which is a mix of Charlotte and Mara des Bois strawberries from the Dordogne. With the taste of wild strawberries this puree has a powerful aromatic quality and pleasant texture.

Emporium Hotel Passionfruit Chi Chi

Fruity fashion

For Jared Ashdown, Syrups and purees have changed, and there are a lot more exotic flavours available. The cocktail bar manager at Brisbanes Emporium Hotel says many bars create purees and syrups in-house now as direct access to ingredients has improved. Increased consumer awareness and demand for high quality products has forced bars and restaurants to look for better quality ingredients, Ashdown says.

They steer away from overly sweet and artificially flavoured cocktails, which has led to smaller syrup companies springing up to provide more artisanal and handcrafted syrups and purees compared to thick, syrupy and artificially sweetened syrups that dominated in the past. The Emporium uses syrups and purees to impact flavours that cannot be replicated via either alcohol or fresh fruit, Ashdown says. Purees are great for being able to use seasonal fruit all year round and they provide consistency compared to seasonal fruit. The quality of these purees varies,

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Britvic Teisseire Barista range in new one-litre PET pack

Frozen sweetened blackcurrant fruit puree from Ravifruit

Monin Salted Caramel the new musthave flavour for all drink creators

Increased consumer awareness and demand for high quality products has forced bars and restaurants to look for better quality ingredients syrups and purees have changed, and there are a lot more exotic flavours available Jared Ashdown, Emporium Hotel Brisbane
some brands are better than others and many are too sweet. We look for 100% fruit rather than say 50% fruit, 50% sugar, which taste more like a cordial than real fruit puree. More bars are looking for quality and authentic flavours today, where as in the past convenience and cost effectiveness dominated. Chocolate cookie, pink grapefruit, mojito mint, and cucumber are some of our latest big hits, he says. From classic cocktails, to flavoured coffee and tea, sodas, and ice cream toppings We adapt ourselves to our customers in order for them to fulfil the expectations of their guests, Talman says. For 2013, the company has launched three extra syrup flavours: gum, praline and salted caramel. Gum syrup is made of gum Arabic and is used in similar applications as pure cane sugar, Talman explains, while adding a very subtle taste coming from orange blossom. Made from almonds and caramelised sugar, praline syrup is for hot or cold applications, such as lattes, chocolates, mochas, cappuccinos, and flavoured whipped cream or cakes. It is also a perfect match with Monin banana fruit mix in mocktails, according to Talman. He goes on, Salted caramel is the new must-have flavour for all drink creators. The combination of the smell of burned sugar and the taste of salt is unique. It is also a great match with fruity flavours such as passion fruit syrup. With a shot of cold espresso it provides a very pleasant surprise! There are also nine new fruit mixes and three sauces to be launched this year. And we have a new range of frappe powder for hot and cold coffee, smoothie and milkshake applications in seven flavours: vanilla, chai, white chocolate, non-dairy, yoghurt, chocolate and coffee, Talman says. These are very easy to use by simply adding water or milk and blending with ice. They can be used solo or enhanced with syrups or fruit mixes. Monin will also unveil a new green apple fruit mix and a new outstanding sauce by the end of the year, Talman teases. Another French syrup producer, Giffard, started life in the late 1880s when a pharmacist produced a drink to bring

relief from the hot weather. The white mint liqueur is still produced today. Latest range additions include white chocolate, watermelon and violet syrups, a company spokesman says. The company also produces speciality liqueurs, eaux de vie and bigallet. We have just introduced Woodruff syrup to our range, Giffards representative says. Made from the flowering undergrowth perennial of the same name, with a hint of lemon juice, this syrup will bring sweet notes to lagers or dry white wines.

The woodruff syrup is highly flavoured and a deep green colour. With fruity notes of vanilla, apple and grass it has hints of cinnamon and liquorice with a very slight bitter after-taste.

Keeping it real

The Emporium Hotel has made a name for itself for creating unique and fresh cocktails and drinks, says Ashdown. We make a lot of our own syrups, starting with a simple one part sugar to one part water ratio with flavour combinations

including vanilla, cinnamon, lemon myrtle, chai, coffee, spiced, rose, apple cider, rosemary and pineapple. By making them in-house our team can create a more authentic flavour. With these syrups we aim to compound flavours and add complexity to drinks by balancing the acidity. The Emporium uses some Monin syrups. We buy their caramel, white chocolate and orgeat (almond), which are not only more cost effective but also difficult to replicate, Ashdown explains. The hotel also uses a white peach puree from France by Boiron and a passion fruit pulp from a local fruit supplier. Emporium Hotel only supplements with syrups to create unique and fresh drinks for our guests, says Ashdown. If a supplier makes a good quality product, which is cost effective we will look at using this. But some bought syrups are often thick, sweet and artificially flavoured, which not only takes away from the quality of the drink, but overly sweetens the final product.

Color above all, perhaps more than drawing, is a liberation.

Henri Matisse

All in the research

Tiger, the color Tiger, the color of your buffet! of your buffet! www.tigerbuffet.com
www.tigerbuffet.com

To ensure we provide what our customers need before they need it, we have four research and development centres worldwide, says Floride Talman, marketing manager at Monin Asia. All our beverage innovation managers keep a very close watch on local trends which enables us to be accurate in the choice of flavours we create. Basic flavours such as hazelnut, vanilla and caramel never go out of style, Talman says but increasingly customers are looking for something a little different.

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China Factory and Sales Myungjin Tableware Ltd 06.Hongsheng Road Jinnan Beizhakou Industry Park Tianjin China China Ph. +86 22 8851 6661 Fax +86 22 8851 6663 lionchang@tiger-ltd.co.kr

Tiger Europe Yegam s.r.l. www.yegam.it

Tiger USA Smart Buffet Ware www.smartbuffetware.com

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Coffee & Tea Pots

Buffet Display

Trolleys

Accessories

q u i p me n t

Patrice Falantin, executive chef, Brisbane Sofitel getting the buffet equipment right has become a science we tend to stick with equipment for several years and would only really change if there is a complete design or style alteration

q u i p me n t

Tigers modular buffet concept, Domino, offers flexibility and versatility and is made from 18/10 stainless steel

Buffing

up

operator and user. And, they provide the opportunity to be more creative in the design of the buffet service areas, says Slater. CookTek has developed induction buffet equipment specifically for front of house service. Our focus is providing energy efficient technology while maintaining food safety. The elimination of steam and solid fuels goes a long way to providing ideal solutions on both counts, he says. Latest developments include the CookTek Incogneeto range, which eliminates the need for holes to be cut in tables or tops, even those made from granite or marble. We also have traditional drop-in style induction warmers called Silenzio, the biggest feature of which is the elimination of noisy fans as we provide units that use low energy while being extremely efficient in delivering the warming medium. For Slater, when customers are looking to buy new, or update buffet equipment, the criteria can vary greatly. However, we are seeing a trend towards life-cycle cost, and energy efficiency.

Indispensable for breakfast

Design, quality, and function, are top of the priority list for Bavarian company Zieher. There has always been a great demand for items that can be used on the buffet, executive director marketing and design, Oliver Zieher says. Especially where breakfast in concerned, the buffet is indispensable. Zieher goes on to note that in recent years buffet sets ups have changed dramatically.

While restaurants are increasingly incorporating live cooking stations into the mix, buffets still play an integral part in hotel and restaurant food service, writes Zara Horner
staple and popular dining option for business lunches, family brunches, casual get-togethers and any party or celebration, buffets need to provide safe, and effective serving solutions. Energy conservation is also an increasingly important consideration. This requires a wide range of service tools, with displays and servers having to cater to a wide range of cuisine.

The players

Miyoun Chang, executive director at Korea-based manufacturer Tiger, says buffets in Asia have grown very important in the hotel and catering industry, and as a result, a lot more companies are coming up with buffet items and collections. In this hugely competitive sector of the industry, and one which is constantly changing, Chang says there are recent developments from the client side as well, such as those which reflect the importance of presentation. There are a lot of small gadgets being demanded at the moment. Items such as risers, cubes and different shapes of bowls and platters help display food to its best advantage. Tiger has recently introduced the modular buffet concept, Domino.

Buffet menus change from breakfast to dinner. Therefore, equipment flexibility and versatility is very important to be cost effective, Chang says. The Domino range has been developed to meet this requirement. Made from 18/10 stainless steel, the interlocking system is durable and easy to construct in any design preferred. Domino can use canned fuel or electricity. Matching accessories are in continuous development, Chang points out. The overriding criteria Changs clients have when making buffet equipment purchases are that it is attractive and modern looking, is stackable, and always price. With a philosophy which aims at higher productivity, energy savings, and safer cooking environments for its clients, CookTeks director of sales Asia-Pacific, Christopher Slater says, We see our equipment regularly specified by consultants and operators alike now. The buffet experience needs to capture guests imaginations, and as a result buffets now tend to be more creative and dynamic. This has had a knock-on effect with how the food is presented, Slater says. It has changed over the years from traditional bain marie style and solid fuel warmers, such as our Sterno units, to more innovative design offerings to fit the dcor of the hotel and the level of dining experience delivered to guests. Induction technology ranges have played a big part in this, Slater says. Faster than gas and more efficient than electricity, induction units are easy to control and allow for precision cooking, while surfaces remain relatively cool reducing the risk of injury and making them easier to clean. Our products are more energy efficient and safer for both

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Athenas latest offerings includes a system of natural slate platters, glass platters, and small portion wares in porcelain and glass

Innovative presentation with Ziehers Fingerfood Tree

The variety of buffet items has increased, individuality and flexibility are now the focus Oliver Zieher, Zieher
The variety of buffet items has increased, individuality and flexibility are now the focus. As a result, stylish, yet safe food presentation has become increasingly important, he says. Formerly big bowls and jars were used, but this has changed and the bowls have become steadily smaller down to miniature size. The buffet needs to get refilled more often, but always kept fresh, appetising and tidy. Cooled areas and chafing dishes for warm food remain an important part of the buffet, but even here the trend is towards smaller units. Zieher buffet ranges focus now on size, and materials used in production. Systems are made of carbon, wood, glass, and come in a concrete-look finish, as well, Zieher explains. The food can be arranged very flexibly and in amazing ways using the Zieher classic Skyline or the newly developed Squareline, which comes with optional LED lighting fixtures and which we call the buffet with a thousand faces. The Stablo range is made from high gloss finish stainless steel to display big bowls and dishes, and can be placed directly on the floor.

CookTeks philosophy aims at higher productivity, energy savings, and a safer cooking environment for its clients

Another highlight is the Fingerfood Tree, Zieher says. This presents miniatures, and more, in a whole new way.

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ago, Falantin says he has seen a lot of changes in the way people approach food, and their expectations. Television and magazines have had a big influence in getting people interested in what they eat, where it comes from, and how it is presented, Falantin says. The general public is highly educated when it comes to food now, he says, making for a very interesting and creative work environment. We create events around food, Falantin says. We have themed parties, invite guest chefs to come and cook, and even showcase private collections such as Chanel last year and the Queensland ballet this year, all centred around buffet-style food presentation. Catering for around 60 to 80 buffet covers a day and up to 300 for themed events, Falantin says there are two considerations when designing a buffet. First, the volume of food has to be properly managed for the number of guests so there can be frequent, but not wasteful replenishment. Secondly, buffets allow for the creation of all sorts of different dishes. You can really get creative with everything from hot dishes and salads to desserts. Sourcing local ingredients as much as possible is also important to Falantin. We go local for freshness, he says. We are conscious that if we buy internationally costs increase, the product may not be as fresh as we want it to be, and there are environmental considerations we increase our carbon footprint. We are very lucky here in Queensland as meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits are produced on the doorstep.
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Seafood is a highlight of his buffets, Falantin says. Queenslanders are very proud of their high quality seafood and we work very hard to ensure consistently top quality seafood selections at the buffet. We have to get the seafood right! Getting the buffet equipment right has become a science, agrees Falantin, in terms of how many utensils are required, how well the units do what is needed of them, and how durable and cost effective they are. Budgeting is all-important, Falantin concedes. So we tend to stick with equipment for several years and would only really change if there is a complete design or style alteration. We want everything we use to be robust, yet elegant. We recently replaced all our induction units after five years. We chose a brand from China, based on cost, but we had a mechanical problem as the hinges started failing within a few months. Falantin realised to get what he wanted from the units and for them to be properly sanitised the lids had to change from oil pressure closing to a mechanical closing structure. It was a big learning curve. For Falantin the successful buffet must be inviting. It must be laid out so that food is easily accessible, with no traffic snarls. Variety is key, so there must be a regular change of selection. We change the whole buffet every two weeks. Falantin says buffets have been completely revamped since they first became popular in the 1970s, but that one thing never goes out of style with buffet food. We may be the most expensive buffet in town, he says. But diners know they will always get top quality.

Feeding the masses

Sales figures have been increasing directly related to new hotel openings in the region, says Raymond Tam, director Asia at Athena Tableware. The buffet is the most convenient yet presentable way to serve a big number of guests, he goes on. And equipment can be easily upgraded, then designed to fit catering requirements. Tam says what clients demand from and for their buffet units keeps changing. F&B managers and chefs are very open to new concepts and different designs as they realise that is the key to attracting diners. Buffets have to be user friendly, eye catching and new in form. One of the concepts which manufacturers have had to respond to is the tasting menu, Tam says. A lot of sexy and handy portion wares are being created. Eye catching, handy and flexible for different settings are the characteristics needed. Among Athenas latest offerings is a system of natural slate platters, glass platters, and small portion wares in porcelain and glass. All of which is designed to enable chef to display his creative work in his most desirable expression while it is totally flexible in size and form of setting. When it comes to buying buffet equipment, Tam says clients who are buying new have more flexibility and buy according to the design and style of the fine dining outlet within the property. But if it is for replenishment or enhancement for a venue, the top criteria will be flexibility and ease of use.

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The sharp end

Patrice Falantin has been executive chef at Brisbanes Sofitel property for a little over five years. Arriving in Australia from Europe 16 years

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Life Fitness believes that technology which seamlessly allows guests to be connected and entertained while tracking their progress is the hot item this year

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Healthy bottom line

While most guests dont use the hotel gym, it is nevertheless one of the most demanded amenities at a property, reports Andrea Zavadszky

automatically for guests who carry radio frequency identification enabled hotel keys or mobile devices. Simone Niccolai, Technogyms Asia Pacific director says, Technogyms new cardio ranges are equipped with VISIOweb, an integrated display offering internet, TV and iPhone connection during the workouts, all connected to the Wellness Cloud. Technogyms Wellness Cloud allows users to access their training data anytime, wherever they are. They can select their training programme from a predefined library or their personal trainer can set the programme and monitor development as well. They can also save their data on a Wellness Systems key. Technogyms recently launched Forma Line has a docking system that allows users to play their own content through an iPhone or iPad, and even use Skype while running or pedalling. The company offers existing clients a software upgrade from Run Personal to Run Personal VISIOweb. Precor International recently unveiled three new enhancements to Preva, the industrys first open platform networked fitness solution. Guests can create their own Preva workout account, set up their workout goal and track the progress, while watching workout guide videos or entertainment programmes, says Florence Wu, marketing manager Asia Pacific, Precor International, which works with many upscale international chains, including Mandarin Oriental, Starwood, Accor, Hilton, Four Seasons and IHG. Guest experience is the key. More and more hotels see fitness services as one of the driving force of business growth, she says. At the same time, networked solutions also benefit owners and operators. With customised network content they can directly reach their gyms clients with messages or advertisements and collect user patterns and feedback. With the help of an up-to-the-minute reporting system, they can better plan, budget and manage the gym, achieving better guest retention and financial results.

A TripAdvisor survey of 1,400 American travellers discovered that although more than a third took gym gear with them on their trips, 27% of those never made it to the gym and another 26% rarely did so

ooking at the proliferation of neighbourhood gyms, the growth of membership and the number of those using the services of personal trainers, there is no doubt people are becoming more health conscious and want to beat the bulge. In particular, frequent business travellers who spend countless hours cooped up in the air, eat hearty buffet breakfasts and live on restaurant food aim to keep fit by regularly training on their trips. They often make a good gym a prerequisite for booking a hotel. For international business guests having a gym is very important, as we are often asked about it at the time of reservation, says Minako Hayata, director of communications, Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo. But does the initial determination actually translate into action? A TripAdvisor survey of 1,400 American travellers discovered that although a third (33%) took gym gear with them on their trips, 27% of those never made it to the gym and another 26% rarely did so. Hayata says about 7% of their guests use the gym, mostly business travellers. The way many hotels get around this conundrum is to open up the gym for outside members. The Regent Taipeis Health Club and Sauna accepts Silks Club members and American Express Card holders. Compared to hotel guests, far more club members use the

gym, notes Mike Huang, membership relations assistant manager of the Regent Taipei. The Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai, which targets youthful and spirited business and leisure travellers, has facilities that cover three floors on 8,000 square metres. It caters for its target clienteles lifestyle needs with a wide range of facilities and offers gym membership to outside members. One of the reasons business travellers do not use the gym is long working hours, frequently encompassing business dinners. To accommodate this, some gyms, such as the Shangri-La Tokyo and The Kerry Hotel Pudong, are open around the clock.

Making the fitness connection

Following the abundance of recent technological innovations, the theme for the year is versatility and connectedness. Technology, which seamlessly allows guests to be connected, entertained and track their progress is the hot item this year, says Gene Harper, general manager, Life Fitness Asia Pacific. Wi-Fi enabled equipment allows customers a whole new level of interaction with our equipment, their exercise, trainer, friends and family. All big suppliers now offer networked, cloud-based solutions that help guests stick to their workout plans, no matter how many days they spend on the road. Harper says their equipment can recognise, welcome and set up
Technogym Recline Personal Life Fitness Synrgy

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THE FUTURE
Introducing Discover. New technology that allows users to change up their routine at the swipe of a finger. Move from laps to emails to movies in seconds. This innovation in cardio training will keep them energized, motivated and up-to-date with their life online. CHOOSE YOUR OWN GO.

TOUCH

Sofitel So Bangkok So Fit

Guest experience is the key. More and more hotels see fitness services as one of the driving force of business growth Florence Wu, Precor International

However, it may take some time for the newest technology to infiltrate the market, as the life span of cardiovascular equipment is typically four to five years, and strength equipment five to seven years. The lifespan is set to reduce as technology really becomes an integral part of the exercise experience, Life Fitness Harper notes. According to hotels, the treadmill is definitely the most popular equipment. Suppliers add that a good balance between cardiovascular and strength equipment is a must, and versatile, multifunctional exercise machines are the most user-friendly for small spaces. Choosing to include Wellness Balls and Wellness Pads allows you to create a solid stretching zone, Technogyms Niccolai says.

In-room innovation

Precor supplies gym equipment to fitness clubs, hotels and spas around the world

Other trends include making fitness available at the guests fingertips, such as providing an in-room wellness set that can include a yoga mat, weights and aromatherapy set, or small wellness pods on floors. [The idea of ] offering specific fitness equipment in guest rooms is still evolving, and the best hotels [set the standard] with this service, Harper explains. Hotel gyms also offer a variety of classes. At the Regent Taipei, we see a need for offering more diverse and varied health-related classes, Huang says. The hotel has more than 20 classes a week. Kerry Pudong has introduced a breakfast club that includes a 30-minute high-energy exercise class starting from 6:30am and a low calorie healthy breakfast for its business travellers. While suppliers offer a wide choice of colour and material for the equipment, they find most hotels go for traditional combinations and only some boutique hotels are daring enough to make a bold statement. Turnkey solutions are important, from site investigation, proposing the gym layout and machine profile, installation and after sales service, Precors Wu says, emphasising that hotels choice of supplier is usually based on consistent service standards and global service network.

Touch the future at WWW.LIFEFITNESS.COM/FUTURE

852.2575.6262

2013 Life Fitness, a division of Brunswick Corporation. All rights reserved. Life Fitness is a trademark of Brunswick Corporation.

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Maximising minibars
Bartech, which specialises in automatic profit-generating minibar solutions for the hospitality industry, has installed its ethernet-connected, energy-efficient automatic minibars in all 367 guestrooms of the luxury Parkroyal on Pickering in Singapore. All Bartech products, including the C32 Glass Door automatic minibars installed at Parkroyal on Pickering, offer fully bespoke design customisation. Bartech is also the only minibar provider to incorporate three different types of sensor technologies into their advanced product design, including infrared, magnetic and micro-switch. This allows Bartech minibars to use the most effective and reliable technology for each type of product dispensed, maximising reliability and efficiency of the minibar operation and minimising guest disputes. For more information: www.bartech.com

Raising a storm
Ming Fai Enterprise International, which specialises in hotel amenities and accessories, has teamed up with Storm of Britain, whose products include watches, jewellery, bags, eyewear, sleepwear and fragrances. The Storm hotel collection is inspired by the unique designs that have appealed to enthusiasts and others with an eye for detail and style. In addition, the classic Chypre scent is the key note for Storm hotel amenities including natural beneficial essences such as ginseng root extract and hydrolysed pearl protein, which effectively conditions the skin as well as enhancing blood circulation. For more information: www.stormwatches.com www.mingfaigroup.com

Nespresso expressions
Three different Nespresso machines each provide something extra when making that perfect cup of coffee. The new Pixie Stainless Steel machine can brew Grand Cru in just 25 seconds. It also automatically switches off after nine minutes of inactivity and notifies you when its time to refill it with water. The Maestria machine features a retro design that adds flair to any kitchen. It is also equipped with an authentic baristastyle milk steaming wand. And CitiZ Red brews perfect, cafestyle coffee with an exquisite crema with just a touch of a button. Its compact, modular design allows the machine to fit easily into smaller urban spaces For more information: www.nespresso.com

Green in the Black Forest

The international certification organisation Tv Sd has certified Hobart based in Offenburg, Germany for its exemplary energy management system in accordance with ISO 50001:2011. Hobart has also been certified by Tv Sd Management Service GmbH, a part of the Tv Sd Group, for its environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001:2004. Together with the re-certification of its quality management system in accordance with ISO 9001:2008, for Hobart these three certifications form the basis of a sustainable and efficient integrated management system. With its energy management system in accordance with ISO 50001, Hobart constantly and systematically optimises its energy performance in order to keep reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In the production of its dishwashers, Hobart

Going for gold

Granuldisk of Malm, Sweden, marked the manufacture of its 10,000th Granule pot and pan washer with a special edition. Decorated with golden details and Swedish folk art, it was sent to the Centre Hospitalier Emile Durkheim in Golbey, France. The historical pot and pan washer was fitted with a golden door handle and a golden control panel. CEO Peter Schn unveiled the machine in the presence of invited guests Jean Luc Nicolas and Gauthier Valence from the French dealer Synergie Maintenance, and Granuldisk France sales manager Patrick Soubies. Granuldisk pot washing machines use granules (tiny, blue plastic pellets) and water to mechanically scrub pots and pans clean. The blasting power combined with high temperatures washes hygienically clean in a matter of minutes, using far less water, energy and chemicals than traditional pot washing methods. For more information: www.granuldisk.com

ADA extra
Naturals from ADA Cosmetics are now also available in 150 millilitre flacons. The composition of Naturals is based on carefully selected natural plant oils and extracts of organically cultivated sun-ripened olives, lemons and oranges. A special preservative makes these products especially suitable for sensitive skin. To further increase the products tolerability, the use of chemical, synthetic colours has been avoided entirely. For more information: www.ada-cosmetics.com

has for years demonstrated a responsible and extremely economical attitude to energy consumption. Since 2011 Hobart has only used renewable energy for its plant in the Black Forest and is thus making a significant contribution to environmental protection. For more information: www.hobart-export.com

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Hardy in Hong Kong

Australian winemaker Bill Hardy personally unveiled the new William Hardy collection of wines while on a visit to Hong Kong. This newest sub-brand will sit at the top of the Hardys core range, ahead of Hardys Nottage Hill, Stamp and VR. The wines are aimed at providing a more premium, elegant expression of Hardys winemaking with ideal structure and balance. The initial release of the William Hardy range in Hong Kong is made up of two varietals: Chardonnay and Shiraz. The William Hardy 2012 Chardonnay shows intense aromatics of melon and white peach, coupled with a fresh and lively palate, rich with peach, stone fruits and lemon zest. The judicious use of oak provides the structure to ensure an attractive, generous and lingering finish. The William Hardy 2012 Shiraz is an excellent example of a South Australian Shiraz, resulting in a deep red colour, vanilla, plum, blackberry flavours and fine soft tannins. The wine is a mirror image of the fruit, with a vibrant core of colour, sweet flavours and a long flavoursome palate. For more information: www.hardys.com.au

Say hello to Jax Coco Bulgarias best

Jax Coco is produced from the finest coconuts in the Philippines. The coconuts are cracked, emptied and the water is micro-filtered to ensure a fresh and smooth taste. With no added sugar or sweeteners, coconut water is packed full of essential electrolytes including magnesium, sodium, phosphorous, potassium and calcium. It also contains lauric acid, which supports the immune system, removing toxins and increasing the digestive tracts ability to absorb nutrients. Interestingly, coconut water shares the same electrolytic balance as human blood and it is the ultimate hydration for the body whether at work or play. Naturally free from fat, gluten, cholesterol and preservatives, coconut water is low in calories a 200-milliltre glass contains just 3648 calories (nearly half the amount of orange juice). For more information: www.jaxcoco.com InterCuisine Ltd. has agreements with 15 Bulgarian wine producers and will be distributing their wines and other products such as brandy, vodka, grappa and balsamic vinegar in Hong Kong and Macau. The winemakers include: Katarzyna, located in the southeast Thracian Valley near the Greek border, a relatively new winemaker; Black Sea Gold, the biggest wine producer on the Black Sea coast, established in 1900. However, winemaking in this region dates back 3,000 years. Black Sea Gold is also well known for its brandy and grappa; and Zagrei a small family-run new vineyard in the Thracian Valley, showcasing good quality, affordable prices and certified organic cultivation. For more information: www.intercuisine.hk

A vintage family
Chne Bleu, one of Frances premier boutique wines, is now available in Greater China, via Sarment (Hong Kong and Shanghai) and Perfect Vintage in Macau. Serious wine aficionados can enjoy their award-winning biodynamic wines including two 2007 flagship reds, Ablard and Hlose; their direct press 2011 Ros; and whites: the 2009 Aliot and 2010 Viognier. Chne Bleu is an exciting new wine, served at restaurants across the world from London (Sketch, Bar Boulud, Nobu) to New York City (Ai Fiori, Bouleys brushstroke), San Francisco (Saison and RN74) to Hong Kong (Alfies, Kee Club, Caf Gray, Pierre, Cpage, Zuma). It recently came 59th in a new book The Top 100 Wines in the World judged by a panel of top independent international and Chinese sommeliers. La Verrire, the property that produces Chne Bleu wines, was founded nearly 20 years ago by Xavier Rolet (CEO of the London Stock Exchange), his wife Nicole, Xaviers sister, Bndicte, and brother-in-law Jean-Louis Gallucci. For more information: www.chenebleu.com

California dreaming
Altaya Wines is showcasing some distinguished wines from the Peter Michael Winery in California. Established in 1982, Peter Michael Winery is modelled after the French tradition of wine growing, relying on traditional, hands-on winemaking methods including French oak aging, a weekly btonnage (stirring while in barrel) and native fermentation. It also infuses a few modern influences, using a non-interventionist, neo-classical approach to ensure the grapes perfectly make it into the wine press. The wines include Cabernet Sauvignon Les Pavots 2009, LApres-Midi Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille 2010 and Ma Danseuse Estate Pinot Noir 2010. For more information: www.petermichaelwinery.com

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Not chocolate or clocks, but caviar

Oona pure Swiss alpine caviar is the first and only Swiss caviar. It is produced in the land-based aquaculture of the Tropical House Frutigen in the Kandertal. The Siberian sturgeon the suppliers of the caviars swim in pure, naturally warm mountain water of the Ltschberg massif, which flows out as clear mountain source water due to the Ltschberg base tunnel at Frutigen. Optimum modern husbandry conditions as well as sustainability are top priorities in the breeding of the sturgeon and extraction of the caviar. For more information: www.oona-schweiz.ch The easy-to-use frozen dough discs are ready to thaw, stretch into shape and top; the par-baked bases also available gluten-free come with or without the signature sauce, simply add toppings. Sugo tus frozen shelf life is six months, and it is available in 170g, 200g and 250g packs. For more information: www.uppercrust.asia Kong imported an estimated HK$2.2 billion (US$283 million) of Victorian food and beverage products last year, driven by local demand for high quality, nutritious food, processed foodstuffs and fine wines. Patrick Stringer, commissioner to Greater China and Mongolia said, Hong Kongers penchant for fresh food and a growing desire for Australian produce have meant that the Victorian food and beverage industry is catering to an everincreasing market at multiple levels. Victoria, often termed the food bowl of Australia, accounts for only 3% of the countrys land mass but is responsible for 25% of Australias economic activity, with an economy bigger than Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand. Victoria produces around 30% of Australias food produce and currently exports to over 100 countries with food exports alone accounting for A$6.8 billion (US$7 billion). Dairy, Victorias largest single export sector, represents around 10% of all globally traded dairy products, accounts for 87% of all Australian dairy exports, and includes fresh milk, cheese, yoghurts and infant formula. Victoria produces 45% of Australias lamb and mutton some 110,000 tons. The state is home to a number of speciality producers from almond growers in Sunraysia to craft cheese makers in Gippsland. Victoria is also home to an internationally acclaimed wine industry with over 3,000 growers across 21 wine regions, 850 wineries and an annual turnover of US$221 million representing 11% of the wine industry nationally. For more information: www.vic.gov.au

Date Event June 27 29 Aug 15 17 Sep 3 5 Sep 3 5 Sept 17 20 Sep 28 30 The 11th Guangzhou International Hospitality Equipment & Supplies Fair China Import & Export Fair Complex Guangzhou China HKTDC International Tea Fair Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Wanchai Hong Kong Restaurant & Bar Hong Kong Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai, Hong Kong Asian Seafood Exposition Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai, Hong Kong Food and Hotel Malaysia 2013 (FHM 2013) KLCC Convention Centre Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The Hotel Show Dubai World Trade Center, UAE

Details HOSFAIR Guangzhou has been successfully held for 10 years with 30% rate of growth every year, becoming one of the biggest and most international hospitality fairs. Attendees are related to kitchen and catering, tableware, hotel furniture, hotel textiles, cleaning and laundry, interior supplies, coffee and food, wine and market research. HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair is the flagbearer for Hong Kongs pre-eminent position in tea trading, bringing together industry players from all over the world as vendors and buyers of tea, processed tea and all kinds of tea-related products. Currently in its 11th year, Restaurant & Bar Hong Kong has a growing reputation as the biggest and best niche gourmet hospitality event in the region. The Asian Seafood Exposition is the premier seafood trade event in Hong Kong and connects buyers with seafood suppliers from around the world. It is colocated with Restaurant & Bar Hong Kong. FHM 2013 will feature a series of seminars and workshops, including Culinaire Malaysia 2013, and celebrity cooking demonstrations. A one-stopresource centre for the food, hotel and hospitality industries. After 13 successful years The Hotel Show has become one of the most important business events within the hospitality, hotel and tourism industries for the MENA region. The Hotel Show provides a vibrant showcase of luxury and contemporary interiors, essential equipment, and the newest technology suppliers making it a key meeting place for leading suppliers and buyers. HOSFAIR Shenzhen is a platform for the industry, gathering together many professionals related to hospitality from all over the world.

ORGANIsER Guangzhou Huazhan Exhibition Co., Ltd 9H, Jinsui Tower, No. 900 Guangzhou Ave. Mid, Guangzhou, China Tel: +86 20 38910875 Fax: +86 20 22223568 hosfair@hosfair.com www.hosfair.com Hong Kong Trade Development Council Tel: +852 1830 668 Fax: +852 2824 0026 Email: exhibitions@hktdc.org Diversified Events Hong Kong Tel: +852 3105 3970 Fax: +852 3105 3974 www.restaurantandbarhk.com Diversified Business Communications Tel: +852 3105 3970 Fax: +852 3105 3974 www.asianseafoodexpo.com Malaysian Exhibition Services Sdn Bhd Tel: 603 4041 0311 Fax: 603 4043 7241 enquiry@mesallworld.com www.foodandhotel.com dmg events Dubai LLC Tel: +971 4 438 0355 Fax: +971 4 438 0358 Email: rogercardoso@dmgeventsme.com www.thehotelshow.com

Pizza perfection
The families behind pizza dough brand Sugo tu have been baking since 1792. Using traditional Italian methods to produce unbaked and par-baked dough bases, Sugo tu prides itself on the creation of full authentic flavours every time. Using only 100% natural ingredients, the pizzas are preservative free, suitable for vegans and vegetarians, and bake in as little as 90 seconds.

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The 2nd Shenzhen International Hospitality equipment and supplies fair Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center Shenzhen, China Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) InterContinental Hong Kong 18 Salisbury Road Kowloon Hong Kong FHC China 2013 Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China

Guangzhou Huazhan Exhibition Co., Ltd Tower H, Building 9, No. 900 Guangzhou Avenue Middle, Guangzhou (510620) Tel: +86 20 38910875 Fax: +86 20 22223568 hosfair@hosfair.com, www.hosfair.com HICAP c/o BHN 2900 Bristol Street, Ste. D101 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 USA Tel: +1 714 540 9300 marketing@burba.com www.HICAPconference.com Lily Zhu China International Exhibitions, Room A2402-03, Singular Mansion, No.318-322 Xian Xia Road, Shanghai 200336 China DID: +8621 6209 5209 Fax: +8621 6209 5210 fhc@chinaallworld.com www.fhcchina.com Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd Room 1503, 15/F, Taiping Finance Tower 488 Middle Yincheng Road, Pudong New Area Shanghai, 200120 China Tel: +86 21 6160 8555 Ext: 209 / 229 Fax: +86 21 5876 9332 texcareasia@china.messefrankfurt.com www.texcare-asia.com Coastal International Exhibition Co., Ltd. Tel: +852 2827 6766 Fax: +852 2827 6870 general@coastal.com.hk www.hotel-exhibition.com

Asias largest and longest running hotel investment event. HICAP gathers hotel investors, financiers, and leading industry professionals from across the Asia-Pacific region.

FHC China is the biggest international trade show for food, wine and hospitality equipment in China. It features ProWine China 2013, Meat China 2013 and Tea and Coffee 2013 specialist areas, with Olive Oil China, Ultimate Barista Challenge China, Ice Cream University, Wine Seminars, China Sommelier Wine Challenge, FHC international cooking competition and more. As the number one destination in Asia for modern textile care products, services and technologies, Texcare Asia International Trade Fair for Modern Textile Care is a rendezvous for thousands of professionals from a broad range of industries, including laundry, dry cleaning.

Victorious
Following a record HK$4.8 billion (US$618 million) worth of commodity exports to Hong Kong in 2012, the Australian state of Victoria believes the HKSAR will be an even more important destination for foodstuffs this year. Hong

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Texcare Asia 2013 Shanghai New International Expo Centre Shanghai, China

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The 9th International Hotel Expo The Venetian Macao, Macau

As the largest, longest-running and most comprehensive hospitality exhibition in Macau, International Hotel Expo has been well rooted with solid reputation earned from the hotel industry in the Greater China and Southeast Asia, gathering the managerial class of the leading hotels and the attendance of groups led by hotel associations.

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Quality exhibitors and visitors at FHV

Shanghai sensational success for HOTELEX

s the seventh edition of Food&HotelVietnam (FHV) drew to a close on April 26, 2013, exhibitors both local and foreign, visitors, VIP delegations and seminar speakers all had just one thing to say FHV has outdone itself yet again! Among the total 12,394 attendees at FHV2013, the show saw an increase in quality of both exhibitors and visitors. This is a testament to the importance and value FHV brings to the food and hotel industry of Vietnam, and cements its place as the premier gateway for international companies looking to enter the local market.

OTELEX Shanghai 2013 was a great success for all concerned. Co-organised by Shanghai Tourism Bureau, China Tourism Hotel Association and Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo, the expo concluded successfully on April 3 at Shanghai New International Expo Center, having welcomed more than 70,500 visitors to an exhibiting area of 130,000 square meters.

More visitors, more exhibitors

Satisfied visitors

Visitors to FHV2013 hailed from all over Vietnam and neighbouring Cambodia and Myanmar. From hotels chains and service residences to restaurants, airline caterers and supermarkets, some notable companies making their biennial buying pilgrimage at FHV2013 included Big C Supermarket, Cambodia Air Caterer, Dominos Pizza Vietnam, Duxton Saigon, Equatorial Hotel, MOF Japanese Sweets and Coffee, Paris Baguette Viet Nam, Rex Hotel Saigon, Shop & Go, Yeebo Restaurant and Vietnam Air Caterers among many others. FHV also set a record of 19 group pavilions from 14 countries/regions. Covering four continents, the pavilions included Belgium, Bulgaria, the European Union, France, Germany, USA, Argentina, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey and Australia.

The number of exhibitors reached over 1,500 with a promising 30% growth covering 11 halls. HOTELEX also created an International Premium Area at Hall E1 catering to first-tier industry players. The number of professional visitors also saw impressive growth with a 36% increase over the 2012 edition within the threeday exhibition. HOTELEX 2013 has also initiated several VIP programmes involving professional buyer groups with tailor-made procurement meetings.

Eminent ideas from industry opinion leaders

Culinary and barista skills on display

COMING NEXT Food&HotelVietnam 2014 Ho Chi Minh City April 21 23, 2014 www.foodnhotelvietnam.com

Fierce competition brewed among Vietnams top chefs and baristas at the third Vietnam Barista Competition, first Latte Art Competition and fifth Vietnam Culinary Challenge. Supporters cheered as Ho Quoc Tuan from Highlands Coffee claimed the coveted title of VBC 2013 Champion, and the honour to represent Vietnam at the prestigious FHA Barista Challenge 2014, which will be held at Food&HotelAsia2014 in Singapore. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan from Caf Me and Truong Thanh Trung from Tuno Coffee came in second and third place respectively. Quoc Tuan also took top honours in the first ever Latte Art Competition. FHV2013 saw 110 chefs displaying their skills and creativity to compete over the three competition days. Nguyen Van Truong Giang from Equatorial Hotel claimed the title of grand champion, and his team from Equatorial Hotel bagged the award for best culinary establishment.

COMING NEXT HOTELEX Shanghai 2014 Shanghai New International Expo Center March 31 April 3, 2014 www.hotelex.cn

Professional guests are undoubtedly an essential part of the competitive advantage of HOTELEX. This year HOTELEX managed to attract many industry opinion leaders and trendsetters to share and inform. The Foodservice in the 21st Century forum heard industry pioneers elaborate on how catering owners and operators can stand out from fierce market competition with distinguished service and progressive concepts. Speakers such as Jane Gannaway from Yum! China, Robin Ashton from Foodservice Equipment Reports Magazine, Don Fisher from Fisher-Nickel, Francois Tesniere, award-winning architect and visionary designer, kept audiences engaged and inspired throughout the day. Fascinating industry competitions for top-notch contenders. At HOTELEX 2013, the competition area was a hot zone with the most foot traffic and frequent bursts of applause and cheering. China Barista Championship once again proved its popularity among coffee professionals and enthusiasts with 50 regional winners representing 24 cities in China. The honours went to Wu Yalian, of Xiamen, who went on to attend the World Barista Championship in Melbourne in May.

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A HCT June 2013

AHCT June 2013

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p p o i n t me n t s

At Kirimaya Golf Resort Spa, Nammon Dachajornsook is the new director of sales. She returns to the property, where she was previously assistant director of sales, after working at the Ramada Hotel & Suites Bangkok. She holds a BA from Bangkok University with a major in tourism and hotel studies and a minor in public relations.
Nammon Dachajornsook

Haruethai Kruanakphan

Also boosting Kirimayas sales team, Haruethai Kruanakphan has started work as assistant director. Her extensive career in the hospitality industry has taken to many of Thailands top destinations including Pattaya, Trang and Hua Hin. She holds a bachelor degree of business administration from the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. Known to one and all as Ben, Siwat Korsem has been appointed executive chef of the Koh Thai Restaurant Group. His signature dishes are now being served at the groups restaurants together with other specialities such as roasted beef tenderloin, pork ribs in tamarind chilli jam and prawn egg curry.

Siwat Korsem

Akshay Moza has taken on a new role as regional director of sales for Absolute Hotel Services India. A British national, he has notched up more than 12 years experience in sales and marketing working for many wellknown hotel chains in London, including Hilton, Sol-Melia Group and Millennium & Copthorne.
Akshay Moza

Andrew Donadels staying in Singapore, but has moved from Ascott Raffles Place (where he was general manager) to head up the newly opened Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach Road. An Australian, he has previously worked in Sydney and Montreal, and is fluent in French and English.
Andrew Donadel

Building on a career that has taken Anupam Banerjee to many of the worlds top kitchens, he is now headed for the Ritz-Carlton Bangalore, where he will be executive chef. The hotel is due to open this summer, and he will have overall charge of seven restaurants and bars, in-room dining, catering and special events.
Anupam Banerjee

AHCT June 2013

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p p o i n t me n t s

Brayna Tolledo has been named the new group communications and loyalty programme manager for Swiss-Belhotel International, based in Jakarta. She has extensive experience in the public relations and sales and marketing fields, most recently with a hotel chain in the Philippines.
Brayna Tolledo Michele Lasio

Having worked and gained numerous awards in Europe, Australia and the Middle East, and after spending several years in Thailand, chef Michele Lasio has assumed responsibility for Brio, the Italian restaurant at Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort & Spa. Born in Latina, central Italy, he grew up on the homemade specialities of this region.

Solutions for merchandising & the service of wine

Apple Tree Group is strengthening its presence in Laos with the appointment of French native Coralie Vongsouthi as sales and marketing manager for boutique resort Villa Maly and eco-retreat Kamu Lodge Experience. Previously, she founded the French eco-tourism and eco-volunteering association Gondwana, and served as vicepresident of the Noria Project. Chef Grant MacPherson has been appointed the global culinarian for Beech Ovens, Jade Range and Viking Commercial Range. He has been executive chef of Viking Commercial since 2010. A native of Scotland, his career has spanned 30 years and five continents, cooking for a multitude of A-list celebrities in the world of business, entertainment and politics. Jan Kirstein, a native of Sweden, has taken on the role of general manager of Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort & Spa, as well as the brands area general manager with responsibility for overseeing Anantaras owned properties across Thailand.

Veteran hotelier Murlidhar Rao has been appointed estate manager for the new hideaway property, The Sanchaya, on Bintan, which is slated to open in the second half of this year. He brings over 25 years of extensive hospitality experience in India, Maldives, Indonesia and Singapore.
Coralie Vongsouthi Murlidhar Rao

Rakhi Purohit is the new regional director of revenue and distribution for Absolute Hotel Services India. She comes with the experience of 16 years including more than five years in the UK. Her last assignment was at Lords Group of Hotels as cluster revenue manager.

Grant MacPherson

Rakhi Purohit

Global marketing expert Sean Dee has joined the Outrigger executive team as executive vice president and chief marketing officer. He joins Outrigger from Anschutz Entertainment Group Worldwide, where he was executive vice president and chief marketing officer and subsequently president of global branding.
Jan Kirstein Sean Dee

Pierre Gagnaires Michelin-starred signature restaurant, Pierre, at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, has welcomed Jean-Denis Le Bras who was born and raised in Brittany as the new chef de cuisine. With a background in Michelin-starred and Rosettewinning restaurants, he will liaise closely with Gagnaire to create and launch a new series of dishes. Mark Heather, who was previously managing director for Absolute Hotel Services India has relocated to Hanoi, Vietnam as country manager for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. He will also be involved in developing new business opportunities for Absolute Hotel Services Indochina.

Annalisa Gorelli has taken the newly launched luxury Alila Purnama on its maiden voyage around the islands of Indonesia as cruise director. Gorelli brings 11 years of international experience in hospitality to her role, having worked at the Siladen Resort & Spa in Sulawesi.
Jean-Denis Le Bras Annalisa Gorelli

Combining high quality, luxury materials, ShowCave has given the wine cabinet a facelift. Innovative, with a capacity for 180 bottles, it boasts high-tech features and a bold design. Designed to showcase your best vintages, ShowCave will appeal to both wine professionals and connoisseurs.

In Indonesia, the boutique east coast resort of Alila Manggis has appointed Putu Susenayasa as general manager. An Alila stalwart, Senas previous management positions include stints at sister Alila properties such as Kemang Icon in Jakarta and Alila Ubud.

Mark Heather

Putu Susenayasa

S how c ave
Made in France

For a free brochure containing full detail, please contact: Alpha International Food Services 909, Chai Wan Industrial City, Phase 2, 70 Wing Tai Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2889 2123 Fax: (852) 2889 1757 http://www.eurocave-alpha.com Email: alpha@eurocave-alpha.com

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AHCT June 2013