International trends help to

2013 is upon us and with a new year comes a time of planning for the coming year. So what are some of the key trends internationally that may help you to strategise your business’ growth in 2013?

B uying locally grown produce and locally sourced meats and seafood is a key international trend already gaining traction here. Local farms and food producers have become an important

source of ingredients for chefs and restaurateurs wishing to support their business community and highlight seasonal ingredients on menus. And it can be highly cost effective. We’ve noticed some taking this a step further with a hospitality businesses developing their own gardens, a movement called “hyper-local” sourcing. You can’t get much fresher than that!

Restaurant gardens are also a way to minimize your carbon footprint, which links to another key trend – environmental sustainability. If this is your focus start by addressing some of your biggest environmental impacts: food purchasing (as above), the use of energy, waste and water, packaging and use of toxic cleaning chemicals. To get started check out Conscious Consumers—a way for you to gain environmental accreditation and promote your green sensibilities to consumers.

A recent American survey which asked how to best handle the increasing cost of ingredients found that only 4 percent said that raising menu prices is the best strategy. However a key trend to come as a result of increasing food prices (and the economic difficulties of the past few years) is the use of different, or new, cuts of meat. Culinary creativity is also a factor driving this trend.

Social media, loyalty programmes and the use of table technology are also key technology trends internationally. With this in mind the Association is running a social media webinar and working with EFTPlus, who offer a sophisticated loyalty programme to help drive loyal customers to your business.

Not every international trend can be adapted locally, however it pays to look overseas at some of the key factors influencing business to see how you may use them to effect in your operation.

new year goals for small businesses With each new year comes a new set of goals. In light of this yearly tradition of creating lists, here are five attainable new year business goals for the small business owner.

07

preparing for the new alcohol rules To assist operators to prepare for the new rules around the sale and supply of alcohol we look at some of the key implications for businesses over the coming months.

22

who can enter a business on business

26

set strategies for 2013

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

think your café is the best?

16

are your employees entitled to work here?

TH

E V

ELV

ET R

OO

M,

SA

LE

ST,

AU

CK

LA

ND

02

SA

LE

ST,

AU

CK

LA

ND

proud ly b rought to you by Outdoor Concepts

November 2011 09 ceo update

FROM THE CEO’s DESK

F igures released in January by Paymark, which

processes about 75 per cent of all electronic

transactions in New Zealand, show that December 2012

spending was up on the year previous. The seasonally

adjusted total spend through the Paymark network

increased 0.5 per cent from November to December

2012, the third consecutive monthly gain.

Annual spending growth throughout December was high

amongst:

cafes and restaurants (+7.1%)

liquor retailers (+8.0%)

department stores (+6.3%).

Nationwide, during December, the volume of card

transactions was 3.6 per cent higher than a year ago,

with debit card value (+3.1%) increasing faster than

credit card value (+1.4%).

This information confirms the conversations I have had

with many members about how the summer season is

going. There is some light at the end of the tunnel, which

is great news. Many are still struggling out there but it’s

great to hear some positive stories to start the New Year.

www.dinefind.co.nz

We have started the year off at full speed with our (and

your) new www.dinefind.co.nz dining guide nearing

completion. It would be great if you could please take the

time to update your business’ details and send through

some photos, so we have all the information we need to

launch the site. A reminder has been sent to everyone via

email this week.

Gift vouchers and restaurant gift cards

We will also use this site as a platform to promote the gift

voucher and gift card programmes. A reminder about

these schemes – they are one of the ways we aim to drive

potential customers to your business, so make sure you

are signed up to accept both the vouchers and restaurant

gift cards. If you are not sure whether you are set up just

give us a call.

The year looks like it is off to a good start for many... BY MARISA BIDOIS

Submissions and advocacy

The Association have also submitted a recommendation

this month to Watercare in Auckland who are undergoing

a review of their wastewater tariffs. Currently hospitality

businesses pay a wastewater tariff calculated on 100% of

the water that flows through their meter. It is our

recommendation that this calculation should be reduced

by at least 25% as hospitality business use a large

amount of water in the preparation of food and drink.

Please let us know if you notice something up for review

in your local area. We can sometimes miss things. It

would be great to have some of our members more

actively in the lobbying action. If you are particularly

passionate about an issue affecting the industry let us

know, so we can get you more involved. We have had

interest from some of our members lately and I would like

to open this up to all. It’s great to have our members

involved in the issues that are affecting our industry.

Webinar series and professional development

Our webinar series starts again in March and we are very

excited about this. With webinars everyone across the

country can log in and join in on the learning, wherever

you are! Have a look at the list of great topics—the latest

professional development calendar is included with this

issue of THE Thymes. You could even get a group of staff

members together and join in as a group.

Our breakfast seminars are hitting the main centres this

year too. Make an effort to come along to these as they

are a great way to get updated

on important issues and at the

same time meet some of the

hospo professionals in your

neighbourhood.

As always we are working on new

ways to help you save money in

your business too and look

forward to releasing more

benefits in the coming months.

Marisa Bidois

advertisement

02 THE THYMES February 2012 ceo’s update

T wice in a month our sector made front page news,

relegating the murderers and rapists to the inside

pages. Who would have thought the closure of a 35 seat

bistro in Petone would warrant front page headlines and

photos!

Another impact was the constant barrage of various

discount deal offerings. These companies have no long

term stake in our business and swoop in to prey on the

vulnerable with a quick fix of cash flow which leads to a

minor influx of low, or no, margin business. Often

referred to as “crack cocaine for business“ these quick

and immediate highs come with a price. The following

20th of the month you realise you barely covered your

cost of goods, and maybe the wages, and there was

nothing left for overheads. You are then forced to go

back to these dealers for another dose the next month.

The ramifications of these discount merchants affect us

all. Operators report that even though they never offer

these deals they still receive enquiries every day asking

“what sort of discount deal are you are offering”. It’s as

though a segment of the market have been weaned off

ever paying regular prices at any time. Whilst these

professional bargain hunters are not our target market,

as discounting is unsustainable, nevertheless the rise in

the numbers of these sites in 2012 was disconcerting.

The good news is that I believe they are a passing fad

and already in the USA, Groupon, the Chicago company

that started this trend off in 2009, is in deep trouble as

they have found that very few merchants in our sector

willingly go back for a second dose. As a result they are

fast running out of restaurants and cafes to offer up.

Another worrying trend in 2012 was the change in

attitude to honouring bookings over the Xmas period.

Operators reported that bookings either cancelled at the

last minute, reduced their numbers with very short notice,

or just turned up with less in their party. It seems as

though there has been a change whereby we should all

be grateful for any business they give us and if they chop

and change without notice so be it. I guess the way to

counter this is to take deposits and have stricter terms

and conditions but this can put potential customers off.

On a more positive note; the team at the Restaurant

Association have had a great year. Marisa has shown

great leadership in building a fantastic culture within the

organisation. The team as always have provided

invaluable assistance and support to our members as

well as growing the memberships and providing effective

advocacy to the powers that be.

One of the coming challenges this year is the new

Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act which gives individual

territorial authorities the power to set certain things such

as hours of operation and fee structures for licensing and

relicensing. In Wellington the council have initiated a

licensee forum whereby a group of industry stakeholders

as well as police and city officials come together to work

on a mutually beneficial framework that we can operate

under. It works really effectively and there is much greater

understanding of our needs as small business operators

as well as wider understanding of our responsibilities of

reducing the harm caused by alcohol.

I would encourage other regions to follow this model as

we have already seen good results, including the

reassignment of obstructive individuals from the

bureaucracy. The realisation that our sector plays a role

in the vitality of a region and that we are to be

encouraged to thrive and innovate is a refreshing

change .

I wish all of our members a prosperous 2013 and hope

that there is an oversupply of hungry and thirsty

customers for us all to share as well a constant supply of

motivated, friendly, well spoken, trained and hardworking

hospitality professionals to assist in our quest for

consistently excellent service and cuisine.

PRESIDENT’S VIEWPOINT 2012 WAS TOUGH YEAR FOR MANY OPERATORS HERE IN WELLINGTON AND AROUND THE COUNTRY.

THE LOCAL MEDIA LOOKED TO PROFILE OPERATORS THAT HAD EITHER VOICED AN OPINION ON THE

TOUGH MARKET CONDITIONS, OR WERE CLOSING. BY MIKE EGAN

proud ly b rought to you by S ta r l ine

advertisement

THE THYMES February 2013 03 president’s viewpoint

...don’t forget to support the people who support your Restaurant Association key partners... associate+ partners...

SAVE WITH THE COKE VIP PROGRAMME +receive a $200 membership credit!

The Restaurant Association is focused on providing members with

relevant services and benefits to add value to your businesses.

The Association is in partnership

with Coca-Cola Amatil which

offers some key benefits to those

operators who join the

Coca-Cola VIP Restaurant

Partnership Programme.

The Coca-Cola VIP programme

provides discounted beverage

pricing, a free order and deliv-

ery service, support to help you

improve beverage sales and a

single Coke sales representative

as primary point of contact for

the operators who participate in

this programme.

Those in the VIP restaurant

partnership programme will also

receive a contribution towards

menus to accommodate their

new beverage listings and

provide glassware, aprons

and bottle openers to use

when serving Coke brands.

In addition, current Restaurant Association members joining the VIP restaurant

partnership programme will receive a $200+gst credit towards their membership

which will be able to be used towards Association services such as products,

professional development courses or other events.

NEED MORE INFORMATION? Call the Restaurant Association on 0800 737 827 or go to www.restaurantnz.co.nz for more information & conditions.

MEMBERINITIATIVES

THE THYMES February 2013 05 member initiatives

HAVE YOU GOT A PLAN?

The new year is a great time to review your business and set out your goals for the coming 12 months. If you’re searching for some inspiration check out the articles on the following pages...

NEW YEAR GOALS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES With each new year comes a new set of goals. As humans, we’re constantly aspiring to improve

ourselves, whether it’s wanting to lose weight, exercise more, get organized, spend less money, etc. In

light of this yearly tradition of creating lists, here are five attainable new year business goals for the small

business owner. BY NELLIE AKALP, CORPNET

1 Delegate More

When you’re just starting out with your business,

money is usually tight and it’s natural to want to

tighten your purse strings.

However, small business owners are also notorious for

having trouble handing over the reigns. Trying to take

care of everything yourself can be harmful to both your

well being and your business. With only one person in

charge of the whole show, there’s only so far you can

scale.

This year, consider tasks that you can delegate down,

such as the countless tasks that are easy to do and don’t

require specific expertise. If you’re worried about costs,

just remember how much of your valuable, revenue-

generating time you’ll be freeing up. Your business can’t

grow when you’re focused on busy work.

In addition to delegating down, think about areas of your

business that you should delegate up. These are the tasks

that require special knowledge and skills and ones not

related to the core wheelhouse of your business.

While DIY may seem easier on the wallet in the short

term, it’s typically better in the long run to hire a specialist

to handle complex issues, such as an accountant for

bookkeeping or taxes or an expert for handling your legal

paperwork like incorporation.

2 Get Your Books Ready for Tax Time Early This

Year

Are you guilty of waiting until the last minute to organize

and file your taxes? Do you find yourself wading through

emails, drawers, and your car to find any stray business

receipts you can expense? Do you need to try to

remember a full year’s mileage expenses in March?

Don’t wait to start on your tax forms this year. Start fresh

by organizing your books from day one of the new year

and start gathering what you need for your prior year’s

taxes now (even if that means outsourcing your

accounting or signing up for a new cloud-based

application).

3. Protect Your Assets with an LLC or Corporation

While legal fine print isn’t the most exciting part of

running a business, forming an LLC or Corporation can

be critical to your business and personal financial health.

These business structures protect your personal assets

from any liabilities of the company.

This means that if your business can’t pay its debts or

happens to be sued, your own personal property may be

shielded from any judgment. In addition, these formal

business structures can improve your tax situation and

carry other benefits that you may want to discuss with

your tax advisor.

If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge to

incorporate, you should at least register your business

name.

This simple step does two things:

It makes sure that you’re legally able to use a

business name.

Ensures that no one else can use your business

name.

CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE

Source: www.smallbiztrends.com

THE THYMES February 2013 07 business initiatives

No' is your most powerful time management tool.

When we know what our values are, and when we have a

clear set of goals in all areas of our lives, we're in a much

stronger position to politely and appropriately say 'no' to

potential time-stealers and less relevant activities.

Every week, block in a few important non-urgent actions.

It's too easy to get caught up in everlasting deadlines.

Change that emphasis by making appointments with

yourself, written into your diary or organiser, to work on

one or two activities per week of long-term and long-

lasting value. Not sure what you could do? Think of the

big tasks put off until you 'have time'. Almost certainly they

can be broken down into small chunks.

How can I do this task more efficiently?'

Become a 'walking question mark'. There are always better

ways to do things. Every time you do a task, look for a

shortcut, a way to trim a few seconds or a minute off the

task. They mount up to a surprising total over a week.

How do you manage your paperwork? Do you put things

away when finished with them? How many unnecessary

steps do you take in a day? Notice how often you say in

frustration, ‘Bother it. I forgot to get (or do) ..... '. Time-

saving efficiencies are all around us, but most people

don't go looking for them.

Block in regular sanity gaps.

Why be wonderfully efficient if we don't take time to enjoy

life and the amazing world we live in? When did you last

take a complete weekend off - no email, no business calls,

no responsibilities other than the people you're with? Many

of us know it's important to clean out old files and regular-

ly defrag our computers - it's a house-keeping process that

helps them run better. Think of taking regular time off as a

defrag of your brain. You'll come back fresher and you'll

also produce better results (just like the computer!) Give

your conscious and sub-conscious time to talk to each

other - you'll be amazed at the results.

Robyn Pearce CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) is the Time Queen. She mastered her own time challenges and now helps people around the world overcome theirs. She can show you how to transform your time challenges into high productivity and the life balance you desire.

November 2011 27 international update

TOP MANGEMENT TIPS If one of your business goals for the new year is

to manage your time more efficiently (and let’s

face it, it probably should be), we share these top

tips from time management expert Robyn Pearce.

Holiday & Leave Record Pads Under the Holidays Act 2003 there is a requirement to maintain a holiday and leave record containing very specific information about each employees em-ployment, including:

the name of the employee and the date employment commenced

the days on which an employee works, if the information is relevant to entitlement or payment under the Holidays Act

the date the employee last became entitled to annual holidays

the employee's current entitlement to sick leave and annual holidays

the dates any annual holiday, sick or bereavement leave was taken

the amount of payment for any annual holidays, sick leave and bereavement leave taken

the dates of and payment for any public holiday worked

the number of hours worked on any public holiday

the date on which the employee became entitled to any alternative holiday

the dates and payment of any public holiday or alternative holiday on which the employee did not work, but for which the employee had an entitlement to payment

the cash value of board and lodgings provided

the cash value of any alternative holidays that the employee has surrendered for payment

the date of termination and the amount of pay for holidays on termination

ORDER NOW… The Restaurant Association’s

Holiday & Leave Record and

Time / Wages record pads

satisfy all these requirements &

are available for just $12.00

(incl of GST and P&P) - order

online through

www.restaurantnz.co.nz.

FEATURED PRODUCT.. .

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE, New Year

Goa ls For Smal l Businesses

4 Put Your Customer

First

As a small business owner,

you know you wouldn’t be

anywhere if not for your

customers. As you move into

the new year, put your

customers first in all that you

do. A small business can

stand out in a crowded market

by offering impeccable,

personal, and customer-

centric service.

Treat your customers as

people, not numbers or sales

figures. Listen to your

customer’s needs and bend

over backwards to make them

happy.

5 Set Aside Time for

Yourself

As an entrepreneur, you

probably suffer from little

separation between your

personal and work life. This

year, make a point to set

aside time for yourself each

and every day. Go to the

gym, do something you enjoy

or just turn off your phone

and other devices for a half

hour each day.

It’s important to recharge your

batteries in order to stay

focused and motivated

throughout the year. A

change of scenery can stoke

your creativity. Who knows

what brilliant plan you’ll

dream up when you step

outside your daily grind.

Sticking to a goal is tough for

anyone. The most important

thing is to create realistic ones

that make sense for you and

your business. What are the

goals you’ve set for your

business in the new year?

Nellie Akalp is CEO of CorpNet, Free

guides, advice and videos on small

business legal topics are available at

her Small Biz Corner.

Two

experts

agree!

08 THE THYMES February 2012

B en Gleisner has worked in hospitality for ten years

and had his own place in Dunedin for three years,

so he knows it’s hard work to run a successful business in

the sector.

‘In my experience, adopting environmentally and socially

responsible practices actually improves your bottom line,’

says Ben. Simply put: ‘doing good’ has a triple bottom

line - good for business, good for the environment, good

for your community.

Here are five examples of how ethical business practices

can work for you.

1 Recycling and composting reduces the amount of

waste sent to landfill, while decreasing your waste

disposal costs. It can be up to 10%

cheaper to have your recycling collected,

and composting your organic waste can

halve your waste disposal costs.

2 Buying local, seasonal products reduces food miles

and supports your community’s economy. It also

saves you money. The out-of-season price

of some frequently used fruit and

vegetables can be 5-6 times higher than

the in-season price.

3 Free-range and fair trade products may cost a little

more, but there is a growing market of consumers

who will pay the premium. Between 2010

and 2011 sales in fair trade goods in New

Zealand increased by 24%. It’s easy to see

just by taking a trip to your supermarket

how much more common free-range

products are becoming.

4 Having vegetarian options on your menu reduces

environmental impacts such as water pollution and

land degradation. Vegetarian dishes are

cheaper to make, which means higher profit

margins for your business.

5 You will have more productive and happier staff.

Research in New Zealand and the US has found

that 65% of workers in businesses which voluntarily

adopt “green” practices value that decision, and

the workers are 16% more productive than average!

November 2011 27 international update

The proof is in the pudding: research

from Colmar Brunton indicates that

88% of New Zealand consumers are

influenced by sustainability in their

purchasing decisions.

The challenge for businesses who

adopt sustainable practices is to know

how to promote what they are doing,

and how to ensure their efforts are

recognised and celebrated.

After five years working at the New Zealand Treasury,

Ben recently started as CE of Conscious Consumers, an

accreditation programme for the hospitality sector which

makes it easy for consumers to support ethical and

sustainable businesses.

The programme provides business members with the

latest marketing technologies (including a smartphone

application) and a robust and easy-to-understand

accreditation system. After a successful launch in the café

sector in 2011, the programme is now expanding to the

wider hospitality sector.

The Restaurant Association is working with

Conscious Consumers and encourages members

to become accredited businesses.

Membership is free until April 2013 and $29-$49/month

thereafter – with a 10% discount for all Restaurant

Association members in the monthly fee.

Visit the website, www.consciousconsumers.org.nz, and

join award-winning restaurants such as Pegasus Bay and

Logan Brown by becoming accredited.

DOING GOOD BUSINESS Many hospitality business owners have indicated a goal in 2013 of becoming more environmentally

conscious in their business. However, in a tough market with a glut of choices, being ‘sustainable’ and

‘ethical’ can seem like a waste of time and money. But this is rarely the case...

THE THYMES February 2013 09 business initiatives

SPOTLIGHT ON THE NOURISH GROUP

Still looking for some new year inspiration? We talk to three key players from The Nourish Group, who offer insight and wisdom on how to run a successful hospitality business.

November 2011 27 international update

THE THYMES September 2012 15

business initiatives

SPOTLIGHT ON

ROBBIE J—FOH MANAGER What are the biggest challenges managing hospitality staff? Maintaining the level of professionalism that is expected by our discerning customers. How do you recruit? Is it word of mouth or do you advertise or use a recruitment company? We’ve used all of those methods…word of mouth is always the most effective and we’re lucky; Euro has always been regarded as a good place to work so staff approach us. How do you feel about the 90 day trial period? Great! Because you can never tell in the first instance – prospective staff are always an unknown entity. With Euro there is a lot to take on – and it always takes a while for staff to find their mojo. Staff can’t be expected to reach their full momentum instantly and you can never predict from the initial meeting how they will cope. How do you inspire and retain your staff? Nourish staff are ‘incentivized’…we run a lot of competitions and have ongoing product training. We always try to maintain a fun and happy environment. At the moment we have a great team; really interactive and social. We really try to employ mature staff. When Euro first opened, part of the ideal criteria was that wait staff were over 30 and had a minimum of 6 years floor experience. Do you feel the industry (FOH) is gaining credibility? Absolutely. Finally wait staff are being taken seriously. The ethos is there… to be a professional in the profession of hospitality.

HAYDEN – HEAD CHEF Where have you travelled/worked that has given you the most inspiration? Having the opportunity to work in London as Sous Chef for a Marco Pierre White restaurant, under the guidance of Curtis Stone, was a turning point in reference to products, balance of flavours and how he constructed dishes. This experience has carried me through till now…especially working for Simon Gault, where he expects nothing but the best from his chefs. His passion and vision for the industry, people and products is contagious. What’s the best thing about the NZ industry? The great quality fresh local ingredients we have to use. There are a lot of small companies, often family owned and operated, businesses specialising in their product. I enjoy having a close working relationship with the producers. What can NZ’ers learn from overseas operations/trends? The confidence to not over-complicate dishes, to limit each dish to a couple of key balanced flavours. Do you find that the popularity of reality food/restaurant shows has changed the dynamic in commercial kitchens or changed the type of people that the industry attracts? Yes, and for the better. These shows have given home cooks a lot more confidence to go outside their comfort zone and try new dishes and cooking techniques. Therefore when they go out to eat, they expect more. Which in turn makes us in the industry improve our product and push the boundaries a lot more. The fact that Simon & Euro are very high profile, a lot of customers arrive at the restaurant with very high expectations. The pressure is on us to not only deliver, but exceed expectations. Has kitchen culture changed in recent years? Yes they have become a lot friendlier places. The amount of work and hours hasn’t changed much, but we are getting people from diverse backgrounds adding their experience, which is great. Having said that, people that come in thinking a kitchen is like a TV show are quickly weeded out in a high pressure environment where there is no-where to hide!

RICHARD SIGLEY - OWNER How long has the Nourish Group been operating? What motivated you to make a move to owning restaurants? Nourish has been operating for around 10 years. People always ask, ‘what was your motivation to move?’, which to me is the wrong question as generally once you have decided, the move is easy. The motivation is to fulfill your own promise, to leave a ripple, albeit in a small pond, and maybe, if you are really fortunate, to motivate and inspire others. Did you anticipate the growth of Nourish? Was it always part of a long term plan or did you see a formula that worked and explored it further? Our growth has been fairly organic and not planned. However we have always tried to predict trends and look for gaps within the market that could add value to the on premise market; as category growth is the way forward and everyone prospers. Do you have a marketing ‘plan’ or department or is it on an ‘ad hoc’ basis? How do you feel about social media? We do limited marketing due to Simon <Gault>’s involvement in Masterchef and the awareness/profile we get from this. We do however actively use social media and in-house below-the-line strategies. What is the biggest challenge of the hospitality industry? The biggest challenge, WTF… it's every-thing!! Margin management, staffing, battling retarded local bodies, or the uncontrolled growth of on-premise license proliferation. It's these and more. What do you see as the most common mistake people make when opening a restaurant? What is the best advice you could give to someone buying a restaurant? Personally I think the biggest mistake when opening a new restaurant is thinking ‘because I like the idea, everyone will’ - therefore, ego. The best advice? Take your time, do the research, location, location, location, find a gap in the market or do it better than the competition and get some great people working for you. And you have to love what you do, otherwise what's the point?

Have you deliberately up-skilled in management i.e. undergone additional education, or is it something you’ve learnt as you went along? It’s something that I’ve learnt through trial and error over the years. Definitely something I’ve had to work hard on, finding the best way to run the type of kitchen I want. I’m still learning on a daily basis and the Nourish Group have great systems in place. Manage-ment was not the appeal at all, but as I’ve moved on in the industry it’s become the part of the job I enjoy the most. Mentoring the young ones and watching them develop as chefs.

EMPLOYMENT MATTERS

From one end of the employment relationship (the all important offer of employment), to the other (an unfortunate, and costly, case of unjustified dismissal), we examine some of the latest employment news.

HAVE WE GOT AN OFFER FOR YOU Let’s talk about offer and acceptance etiquette. If you’ve offered a potential candidate

a position with your team, what timeframe do you need to allow for them to accept

your offer of employment?

<date>

Dear <insert name>,

RE: Offer of employment as <insert job title as shown on

job description>

Following your interview on <insert date> I am pleased

to offer you employment in the above position. This offer

is subject to your written acceptance of the terms and

conditions of employment, which are set out in the

attached Employment Agreement and Job Description.

You are entitled to a reasonable opportunity to seek

independent advice about the terms of your employment

and we encourage you to do so.

Please note that you will be required to serve a trial

period of 90 days. The main purpose of the trial period is

to give you an opportunity to establish your suitability for

the job, and to help you become familiar with and

competent in performing the work you have been

appointed to do. This period is itself subject to

termination under the terms of clause three of your

employment agreement.

I hope that you will accept this offer of employment. To

do so, please return the signed agreement by <insert

date>. Our offer will remain open for 7 working days

from the date of this letter. If this is not convenient,

please let us know before the expiry date. If we have

not heard from you by <insert

date>, this offer of employment

will be withdrawn.

If you have any queries, or

if there are any issues that

you wish to raise,

please do not

hesitate to

contact me.

Yours sincerely...

Y ou would hope and expect that your chosen

candidate is excited to be offered employment with

you. However, the decision to accept or decline a job

offer can be challenging, and there are many factors for

a potential employee to consider. It is best for you, and

for them (as well as being law), if they carefully evaluate

all of the terms and conditions on which the offer is made

before accepting the role. Neither of you want to discover

a week later that this wasn’t the best decision for them.

With this in mind employers need to remember that as

with any part of an employment relationship, you must

act as a fair and reasonable employer. Avoid the use of

undue pressure. Allowing someone just one day to accept

the offer is probably not giving them reasonable

opportunity to consider it, but a week is a more

reasonable timeframe.

Put it in writing...

After undertaking the recruitment process and selecting

the chosen candidate an employer should make a formal

offer, set out in writing, advising the conditions of the

offer. You can indicate in the offer of employment how

long the offer will remain open for. At this point also

provide the employee with a copy of the intended

agreement and advise them to seek independent

advice about the terms and conditions

outlined. The employer must require

the employee to sign the agreement or

acknowledge acceptance of the terms

and conditions before the employment

begins.

We’ve put

together a sample

letter of offer

of employment

(right)

THE THYMES February 2013 13 employment matters

employment matters

DISMISSAL OF CHEF “GROSSLY UNJUST”

An Employment Relations Authority (ERA) decision which recently awarded a Christchurch chef nearly $30,000 for unjustified dismissal should come as a wake up call for employers to ensure they follow due process.

He said the authority did not want to condone the

employees behaviour, but thought it was understandable.

"It is hardly surprisingly that she flew off the handle and

behaved as she did. She saw the situation for what it was,

a fait accompli."

The employee was awarded $5000 compensation,

$20,900 for lost wages for the time she was out of work

after her dismissal, and $4000 for her final pay.

THE THYMES November 2012 13

employment update

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS CASE?

Employers can’t use redundancy or restructuring as a ruse

to get rid of a troublesome staff member. If the problem is

behaviour or performance, or other issues, these need to

be addressed seperately.

With any genuine business reason for redundancy the

“reason” must justify the removal of the position. You will

need to provide information about the justification, so

choose your rationale carefully.

A fair process (consultation) must also take place when

considering a restructuring

- provide information about the proposal prior to a

meeting

- allow employee’s feedback

- consider alternatives to redundancy

- make decision

The process an employer must undertaken to manage

performance and behavioural issues is outlined in the

Restaurant Association’s employment guideline:

“guidelines to disciplining and dismissing employees”.

We also advise that you seek advice and consult with the

Restaurant Association on any redundancy situations

through our 24/7 HELP LINE on 0800 737 827 .

A s observed with this case, the monetary exposure for

unjustified dismissal can be substantial and for a

small business even crippling. The compensation was

awarded after the chef’s employer mismanaged the

restructuring process that disestablished her role.

The employee was called to a meeting in October 2011

where she was told her position was being merged with

another, and one person would be made redundant. The

business said this was because of financial difficulties.

The employee allegedly became belligerent and verbally

cursed and attacked her employer and called the

presentation a "f****** ruse".

The employer’s lawyer advised him to suspend the chef

on pay. During that weekend, the employee attempted to

contact her employer several times by phone and email.

He claimed he was harassed by the employee so much

that he eventually issued a trespass notice and

considered involving the police.

The employee never returned to work and regarded

herself as being unjustifiably dismissed. Employment

Relations Authority member James Crichton said he had

no hesitation concluding that she was.

In his ruling, Crichton said: "The authority is persuaded

that by the time of the termination of the relationship, the

predominant motive for its end was not the redundancy at

all but the various concerns (the employer) had about

(the employee’s) behaviour."

Had this been a genuine restructuring situation the

employer had an obligation to enter into a robust

and genuine process of consultation. This did not happen

and as a consequence the employer failed

absolutely in their obligations to undertake

a fair and just process in accordance

with New Zealand law.

employment matters

A n employer has to pay more than

$46,000 in a decision handed down

by the Employment Relations Authority, after

charging a migrant worker to work at a

restaurant, and paying him only five times

during his eight months of employment.

It's the latest case to have found in favour of

migrant workers who are being paid less

than the minimum wage, and are paying

fees to secure a job. Employment advocate

May Moncur, who represented the

employee in this case, predicted the

practice would continue because migrant

workers were scared to speak out.

Harbit International was ordered to pay

migrant Hong Zhou $32,328 in unpaid

wages, holiday pay, lost remuneration,

distress compensation and the illegal

employment premium it received from him.

It also had to pay another $14,000 in fines

for other breaches on the employment

relations act.

In June 2011 Zhou took a chef job he saw

advertised on a Chinese website. But when

he was offered the job Ying Hui Zheng, one

of the business’ advisors, asked Zhou to

give him $8000 "to help with the business".

The sole director, Ben Wong, then asked

for another $5000 as the business was

facing hard trading conditions.

Zhou felt Wong had indicated he could lose

his job and his work visa could be affected

if he did not pay, so he handed over both

large sums. He was then not paid wages for

the first three months of his employment,

and in the following months he received

only five wage payments.

In February 2012 Zhou was told to take

some time off and not return to work until

further notice. When he went back to the

premises, after not hearing anything, he

found the business had closed down.

This was not the first case of its kind and at

least three more cases with allegations of

employers exploiting migrant employees on

temporary visas are before the authority.

David Milne, acting northern labour

inspector manager of the Ministry of

Business, Innovation and Employment, said

the Ministry was aware that such cases were

occurring, and it had a programme

underway in the hospitality sector,

particularly focusing on Chinese employers.

It had also been working with Immigration

New Zealand compliance officers and

visiting businesses to determine whether

there are any non-compliance issues.

Action would be taken for non-compliance,

ranging from substantial fines to

"significant" jail terms, said Milne.

EMPLOYEE PAYS $13,000 FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF WORK

WHEN CASUAL BECOMES PERMANENT Our HELP LINE has assisted with a

number of situations recently where

employers have been caught out by

not taking care to conduct disciplinary

process procedurally carefully

because they considered the

employee in question was a “casual”.

The first flaw in this is that casuals are still

defined as employees for the purposes of

the Employment Relations Act and as such

have access to the personal grievance

and disputes provisions that Act contains.

You shouldn’t treat them differently to

your permanent staff.

The second mistake is that although some

hospitality businesses do legitimately have

a selection of casual employees, more

often than not in the cases that we assist

with these “casuals” are more accurately

permanent “part-time” employees.

Casual employment can be defined as

where an employee is employed when

and if needed, where there is no

particular expectation of continuing

employment. The employee may refuse

the shift if they are not available. True

casuals usually form part of a group of

employees upon whom the employer can

call – to help out on a busy night, to as-

sist at a function, or to fill in for a sick

employee.

Let us make this clear, someone who

works one shift per week (and that day

may vary from week to week) would be

considered a permanent part-time

employee. Not a casual employee.

As there are differences between leave

and other entitlements for casual and

part-time employees it is important to

get an employee’s employment status

right and we encourage you to seek

advice from the Association. Phone our

24/7 HELP LINE on 0800 737 827.

Unfortunately this recent employment authority case simply serves to highlight just how bad some employers are...

THE THYMES February 2013 15 employment matters

November 2011 14 managing your business

ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES ENTITLED TO WORK HERE?

N ew Zealand and Australian citizens and residents are

entitled to work in New Zealand. But there are a

number of ways by which citizens and residents of other

nationalities can become entitled to work in New

Zealand. Below we have set out some useful information

to help you navigate the Immigration Act requirements.

Skilled Migrant Category criteria

Skilled employment is work that uses specialist, technical

or management expertise, gained through either relevant

qualifications or previous work experience.

Workers who apply under this category are allocated

points based on a range of criteria, but most importantly,

the offer of work in skilled employment. They then go

into a ‘pool’ where they are ranked alongside others in

this category. Applicants are then selected by the

Minister of Immigration and are invited to apply for

residency. Having obtained residency they are entitled to

work in New Zealand.

Talent work visas

These are appropriate for people who have a job offer

from an accredited employer, a job offer in an

occupation on the Long Term Skill Shortage List or an

exceptional talent in the arts, culture or sport. People

who obtain visas in this category may apply for residence

after working for two years in New Zealand.

Essential Skills work visas

Where an employer is unable to find suitable workers in

New Zealand and no New Zealanders can be readily

trained for the work, an employer may be able to employ

an oversees employee through the Essential Skills work

visa. The work the oversees employee will do must be

necessary to the employer.

In addition, the employer must be able to demonstrate

that they cannot find appropriately skilled or qualified

New Zealand workers and that they have made genuine

attempts to attract and to recruit New Zealand workers.

INZ will carry out a labour market test to confirm this.

The hospitality industry is a hotpot of different workers from different countries and nationalities.

However, ensuring compliance with the Immigration Act 2009 can be a minefield for

employers looking to hire a new employee. When recruiting or hiring a new employee,

employers must take active steps to ensure that the person is entitled to work in New Zealand,

before they are employed. It is an offence to allow or to continue to allow someone to work for

you who is not entitled to do so. BY ASHLEY AYTON, Solicitor, Hesketh Henry

legal viewpoint

Specific purpose visas

Specific purpose visas are appropriate for those who

need to hire someone for a specific purpose or event.

There must be proof that the employee is required for the

specific purpose and of the employee’s ability and

experience to do the job. INZ must be satisfied that there

are no New Zealanders able to do the job.

Students

Students studying in New Zealand may be entitled to

work visas to allow them to undertake work for up to 20

hours per week required to be undertaken to complete

their course.

Having completed their course, students may be entitled

to apply for a work visa, if necessary, to fulfil practical

training requirements. Alternatively, they may apply for a

work visa if they have completed a qualification in New

Zealand of no less than three years’ duration, or have a

qualification that would have earned them points under

the Skilled Migrant Category criteria.

Working holidays

New Zealand has reciprocal agreements in place with a

number of countries to allow persons aged between 18

and 30 years old to work temporarily while on holiday in

New Zealand. The jobs cannot be permanent, but

employees may have several different jobs while in New

Zealand.

CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE

16 THE THYMES February 2012 member benefits

industry sales report

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE, Are your employees

entitled to work here?

How do you find out if a person is

entitled to work in New Zealand?

There are several steps employers can

take to ascertain whether a prospective

employee is entitled to work for them.

In respect of New Zealand citizens, INZ

recommends that the employer sight the

employee’s passport, sight their birth

certificate and some form of photo

identification or sight a certificate of

New Zealand citizenship and photo

identification.

In the case of a non-New Zealand

citizen’s work entitlement, INZ

recommends sighting the person’s

passport to confirm their residence class

visa or their work visa and its conditions,

sighting their Australian passport or

sighting their Australian permanent

residence visa or a current returning

resident’s visa.

Alternatively, registered employers can

check a prospective employee’s work

entitlement using INZ’s VisaView

programme, which can be accessed at

www.immigration.govt.nz/visaview.

Employers should take careful note of

the person’s visa conditions. Where

conditions cannot be met, the employer

should not employ the person, unless

and until the person obtains a variation

to their visa conditions or, if necessary,

obtains a new visa.

2011 statistics showed there were more

than 7,000 restaurants and cafés in New

Zealand and just over 1,600 bars, pubs

and taverns. On average each of these

businesses requires at least one senior

manager, even if there is an owner/

operator actively working in the business.

Larger businesses, naturally, require two or

more managers.

While our industry are committed to

developing, training and promoting from

within as well as incentivising staff to stay

by providing additional benefits, it has not

been enough to stem the rising tide of

shortages.

The Restaurant Association has also played

a role to assist with training; since 2006,

we have run professional development

programmes for the industry ranging from

induction workshops for front-of-house staff

through to emerging and first time manager

workshops.

Despite the efforts of business owners and

the Restaurant Association, there is strong

evidence of continuing difficulties in

recruiting for these positions. An informal

survey of Restaurant Association members

found that 90% of respondents reported an

unacceptable level of difficulty in recruiting

for these positions.

Tourism is major export earner and food

and culture is a key part of a tourist’s

experience in New Zealand. We can be

proud of our hospitality sector, but we need

to do all we can to ensure it remains strong.

Removing café and restaurant managers

from the list in twelve months will do our

industry no favours.

YEAR LONG REPRIEVE FOR MANAGERS immigration make decision on skill shortages

T he Association will continue to apply

pressure to ensure these positions

remain on the Essential Skills list until the

shortage has been solved. Despite the

highest unemployment figure in more than

a decade, our sector is facing a critical

shortage of skilled managers, with many

businesses struggling to find suitable

candidates and positions remaining vacant.

With our industry losing skilled workers to

Australia and others leaving the sector,

removing these key roles from the Essential

Skills list and preventing businesses from

recruiting offshore is a move that will hurt

the hospitality sector and New Zealand.

We have spoken to a number of our

members about this matter. Jodie

Cameron, HR and Training manager for

Barworks, a company with 19 venues in

Auckland and Christchurch says her

company – despite investing in in-house

training and internal promotions – still finds

recruiting for these roles very difficult.

Michael Turner, restaurateur from

Christchurch, says that his city has lost a

generation of hospitality workers. Prior to

the earthquake his business employed 32

staff. Within a fortnight of the February

2011 quake all but five had left the city and

none have returned. Eighteen months later,

Café Valentino has reopened, but due to

staff shortages, Turner has had to reduce

opening hours.

Despite the sluggish economy, the

hospitality sector is growing, with more than

200 new businesses opening up. This

organic growth, plus people leaving the

industry, has created a severe, widespread

shortage of skilled staff.

The Restaurant Association has scored a small victory after successfully arguing

that café, bar and restaurant manager positions should remain on Immigration

New Zealand’s Essential Skills in Demand list. However they have recommended

that it remain there for only another 12 months and I doubt this is enough time

to solve a nationwide shortage of skilled workers. BY MARISA BIDOIS

ceo’s update

About the author This article was written by Ashley Ayton, Solicitor at Hesketh Henry email: ashley.ayton@heskethhenry.co.nz

THE THYMES February 2013 17

rent

We received this query from a café owner member who was

undergoing a rent review...

wage costs…

O ur wage costs seem to be creeping up at the

moment and I suspect that

the target of years past with

regards to labour costs no

longer apply.

Can you let me know what my

wage costs should be?

Restaurateur, Auckland

Our partners, Grant Thornton also assisted with this query for us:

T his is an indicative % of Direct Wages / Sales

(being all wages baring the

office and shareholders):

Restaurants 29%-33%

Pubs & Bars

(little or no food) 15% -

24%

Pubs & Bars

(with significant food,

say more than 25%)22% -

28%

There is quite a wide range

at present based on

turnover. Going back 5 years

the %’s of wage cost to

sales would have been about

2% less.

The wage costs are quite

fixed in some cases up to a

certain level of

turnover as there

is a base

level

required –

particularly

when you’re

running a

kitchen.

Have you got something to say?

We welcome your feedback and

comments: by email to

info@restaurantnz.co.nz

or by post to PO Box 8287,

Symonds Street. Auckland.

HAVE YOUR SAY

W e are about to go into a new round of rent

negotiations with a new

landlord.

A statistic I would really

like to have at my disposal is

the average, or suggested

ratio, of ‘rent to customers

served’.

For example I have our rental

(excluding opex, marketing &

gst) and have calculated an

average customer count per 30

day month. Then I can

calculate the ratio of rent

divided by the number of

customers to get a dollar

figure of ‘rent per customer’

per month.

Are you able to assist with

this query?

Our partners, Grant Thornton, answered this query for us:

T o be honest it is not something we track as you

can’t benchmark that measure

across customers – it is too

variable depending on the make

up of the business.

Obviously cafes with lower

income per customer will need

a lower rent per customer than

a high end restaurant.

As a bench mark:

Rent and rates as a % sales

for the best bars is around

5-6% (the average is

probably 9- 10%)

Rent and rates as a % sales

for the best restaurants is

around 7-9% (the average is

probably 12- 14%)

Cafes tend to have the

highest % of rent vs sales.

Going back 5 years the rent

used to be a lot lower as a %

of sales (anecdotally 3-4%

less).

Through the recession, with

sales declining and rent costs

remaining static, or edging

up, the cost of rent as a %

sales has risen dramatically

and that comes straight off

the bottom line.

The same can be said for most

fixed costs.

STOP PRESS! Dates confirmed for the 21st NZ Culinary Fare

17th—19th August, 2013 Details coming soon...

18 THE THYMES February 2012 member viewpoint

THE SERGEANT MAJOR’S RUDE PARROT STORY...

This amusing short story takes a look at different management styles...

A retired sergeant major inherited a talking parrot

from a recently departed relative who had run a

busy dockside pub. For the first few days in his new

home the normally talkative parrot was distinctly shy.

The old major, despite his stern and disciplined ways,

felt sorry for the bird, and gently encouraged it with

soft words and pieces of fruit. After a week or so the

parrot began to find its voice - a little at first - and

then more so.

Responding to the kind treatment, the parrot's vocabulary continued to

recover, including particularly the many colourful expressions it had been

taught in the dockside pub. The old sergeant major began to be quite

irritated by the parrot's incessant rudeness, and after a few more days of

worsening profanities, decided action was required to bring the bird under

control.

The sergeant major tried at first to incentivise the parrot with the promise of reward for

good behaviour, but to no avail. He next tried to teach the bird a lesson by withdrawing its

privileges, again to no avail; the parrot remained stubbornly rude. Finally the old major

flipped into battleground management mode; he grabbed the bird, clamped his hands

around its beak, and thrust the struggling, swearing parrot, into the top drawer of the freezer,

slamming the door tightly shut.

The swearing and struggling noises continued inside the freezer for a few seconds and then

abruptly stopped. The sergeant major listened for a while and then, concerned that the

parrot's shock might have been terminal, carefully opened the freezer door and opened the

drawer to look. The parrot slowly clambered out of the drawer and perched on its edge.

"I must apologise for my rude and disrespectful behaviour," said the parrot,

"I promise never to use bad language again. And by the way, what did the

turkey do?".

CHANGES TO KIWISAVER FROM 1APRIL

From 1 April 2013, the

following changes may affect

your payroll calculations and

the details you enter on your

employer monthly schedule

(EMS).

KiwiSaver contributions

change:

The minimum contribution rate for

employers and employees will

change from 2% to 3% of gross

salary or wages from the first pay

period commencing on or after 1

April 2013. The rate change will

also apply to employees with a

complying fund.

If advised by your employee or

Inland Revenue, you will also need

to deduct KiwiSaver employee

contributions for existing KiwiSaver

members under 18 years of age.

You don't need to make employer

contributions. New employees

under 18 are not subject to

automatic enrolment.

PAYE FOR KIDS

If you pay salary/wages or

scheduler payments to primary and

secondary school children, you

must deduct tax and record them

on your EMS from 1 April 2013.

You can continue to either deduct

a reduced PAYE rate or exclude

children from your EMS until the

end of the tax year (31 March

2013).

A limited exemption will be

introduced for children

undertaking certain types of work.

However, this exemption will not

apply to children who have source

deductions (eg, PAYE) made from

their payments.

THE THYMES February 2013 19 employment matters

WHAT’S ON! What’s On ...FEBRUARY-APRIL

FEBRUARY

06

Waitangi Day (national public holiday)

09

Marlborough Food and Wine Festival, Blenheim

www.marlboroughwinefestival.co.nz

12

Restaurant Association Auckland Branch Golf

Day, Muriwai Golf Course

www.restaurantnz.co.nz

13

-15 9th Annual Syrah Workshop @ Bayview

Chateau Tongariro

www.syrahworkshop.co.nz

14

Valentines Day

14

Scallop season ends (central and south east

areas)

16

-18 More FM Devonport Food and Wine Festival,

Auckland

www.devonportwinefestival.co.nz

23

The Great Kiwi Beer Festival, Hagley Park,

Christchurch

www.greatkiwibeerfesitval.co.nz

MARCH

01

-17 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival,

Melbourne. Australia

www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au

01

Bluff oyster season opens

05

Restaurant Association Front of House Induction Workshop @ taste, Mt

Eden, Auckland 10am-12pm

www.restaurantnz.co.nz

06

-10 Ellerslie International

Flower Show, Christchurch

www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz

11

Taranaki Anniversary Day (regional public holiday)

15

Feijoa season! (main supplies from now

until June)

17

St Patricks Day

18

Restaurant Association national webinar

“Employment mistakes to avoid”, presented by

Alison Maelzer

www.restaurantnz.co.nz

23

Sydney International Wine Competition top 100 exhibition, Sydney.

Australia

www.top100wines.com

25

Otago Anniversary Day (regional public holiday)

26

Restaurant Association professional development

Emerging Managers, presented by Krishna

Botica @ taste, Mt Eden

www.restaurantnz.co.nz

29

Good Friday (national public holiday)

31

Scallop season ends (Auckland / Kermadec

areas)

APRIL

01

Easter Monday (national public holiday)

03

Restaurant Association national webinar

“Embracing Social Media”, presented by

Eva-Maria

www.restaurantnz.co.nz

14

-16 Fine Food Western Australia, Perth. Australia

www.finefoodwesternaustralia.com.au

16

Restaurant Association professional development “Finding Money In Your

Trash”, presented by Stephen Thompson @

taste www.restaurantnz.co.nz

20

-21 Food and Wine Expo, Auckland

www.foodandwineexpo.co.nz

20

School Holidays start

20 THE THYMES February 2012 events—national & international

PREPARING FOR THE NEW

ALCOHOL RULES

To assist operators to prepare for the new rules around the sale and supply of alcohol we look at some of the key implications for businesses over the coming months.

need help? call us on 0800 737 827 November 2011 10

C hanges to the sale and supply of

alcohol in New Zealand are

underway after legislation reforming

New Zealand’s alcohol laws was

passed into law by Parliament at the

end of December. The new Act, the

Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act,

replaces the Sale of Liquor Act in

stages. Most of the changes come into

effect on 18 June 2013 and (the

majority) on 18 December 2013.

WHAT’S NEW?

A new Alcohol Regulatory and

Licensing Authority (“ARLA”)

The ARLA has already replaced the

Liquor Licensing Authority. During the

first 12 months ARLA will consider all

contested licensing applications and

managers certificates, while district

licensing agencies will continue to

consider all uncontested applications.

Draft local alcohol policies (LAPs)

The new Act allows territorial

authorities to develop local alcohol

policies (LAPs), which can come into

effect after 18 December 2013.

Through local alcohol policies,

communities will be able to:

restrict or extend the maximum

opening hours outlined in the Act

(8am - 4am for pubs and

restaurants, and 7am – 11pm for

bottle stores and supermarkets)

limit the location of licences in

relation to broad areas or facilities

of particular kinds, such as schools

or churches

limit the density of licences by

specifying whether further licences

or types of licences should be

issued for a particular area

impose conditions on licences,

such as a one-way door condition

that would allow patrons to leave

the premises but not enter or

re-enter after a certain time.

If a territorial authority wants to

develop a LAP it can take the following

steps before 18 December 2013:

1. develop a draft LAP in consultation

with Police, licensing inspectors and

Medical Officers of Health

2. consult the community on the draft

policy

3. prepare a provisional policy based

on consultation feedback.

A territorial authority cannot adopt the

provisional policy until after 18

December 2013, when regulations

governing public notice requirements

and the appeal process take effect.

KEY DATE: 18 June 2013

KEY IMPACTS ARE AROUND APPLYING

FOR A NEW LICENCE

If you are applying for a new licence,

or renewing your licence, before 18

June 2013, applications will be

considered under the old Sale of Liquor

Act. For new licence applications filed

during this period, only interim licences

can be issued. See the sidebar right for

more information on interim licences.

As at 18 June 2013 the criteria in the

new Act come into effect. These

expand the current criteria to include:

the object of the Act eg, whether

the licence is likely to increase

alcohol-related harm

whether granting the licence will

negatively impact the community

and neighbourhood.

So, new applications filed in the transi-

tion period between 18 June 2013 and

18 December 2013 will be

considered under the old Act, but

using the broader criteria in the new

Act. Applications filed after 18

December will be subject to the new

Act.

Managers certificates remain largely

unchanged, except that a person

must be over 20 years to be a

manager. New applications or

renewals filed for managers

certificates prior to 18 December will

be considered under the old Act.

CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE

WHAT IS AN INTERIM LICENCE?

An interim licence is a temporary licence that

may be granted to people who apply for a new

licence (except for special licences) between

19 December 2012 and 18 June 2013.

During this time, the criteria in the old Act, the

Sale of Liquor Act 1989, are still in effect.

An interim licence will only last for one year. If

the holder wants to continue selling alcohol,

they will have to apply for a new licence under

the criteria of the new Act before the interim

licence expires. There is no guarantee the

holder of an interim licence will be granted a

new licence under the broader criteria of the

new Act just because they have held an interim

licence.

Interim licences will affect all new licence

applications between the set time period. This

includes people who apply for a new licence

for existing premises (eg, if a bar has a new

owner who is applying for a licence). The new

Act’s criteria will be used to decide

applications received after 18 June 2013.

Interim licences will not affect current licence

holders or licence renewals.

What should applicants do?

If you are applying for a new licence between

19 December 2012 and 18 June 2013 you

have two options:

1 Defer the application until 18 June 2013

If you choose this option you will need to

notify your district licensing agency that you

would like to defer your application. You will

not be able to sell alcohol in the meantime.

The district licensing agency will hear your

application after 18 June 2013. The new Act’s

criteria and grounds for public objection will

apply. If you are granted a licence, it will last

for one year and can be renewed for up to

three years.

OR

2 Continue the application

The district licensing agency will hear your

application under the criteria of the old

Act. If your licence is granted, it will be an

interim licence that expires after 12 months.

The costs of applying are the same regardless

of which option you choose.

THE THYMES February 2013 23 legislation update

need help? call us on 0800 737 827 November 2011 10

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE,

Preparing for the new alcohol rules

KEY DATE: 18 December 2013 KEY IMPACTS ARE AROUND TRADING

HOURS & LOCAL ALCOHOL POLICIES:

1 Maximum trading hours

National maximum trading hours apply

from 18 December 2013. These are:

8am - 4am for on-licences

7am – 11pm for off-licences.

Premises that currently open for longer

hours will have to comply with the

maximum trading hours from this date.

Premises with shorter hours will

continue to operate to the hours of

their licence. Note that the council can

alter these hours though a Local

Alcohol Policy, but until the Policy has

been adopted, those hours will apply

to all licences.

2 Local alcohol policies (LAPs)

Local alcohol policies can be adopted

from 18 December 2013.

3 District Licensing Committees

The existing district licensing agencies

are to be replaced by district licensing

committees (DLCs) on 18 December

2013. DLCs will be responsible for all

licensing, including contested

applications. ARLA will deal primarily

with appeals and enforcement.

4 Applying for a licence after 18

December 2013

Any application filed after 18

December 2013 will be subject to the

new Act.

5 Applying for a manager’s certificate

after 18 December 2013

The new Act applies to all managers

certificates filed after 18 December.

Under the new Act, a person must be

20 years or older to be a manager,

and there is no longer a separate club

managers certificate. All managers will

have the same certificate.

6 New requirements for licensees and

managers

From 18 December 2013, on-licences

will have to supply or make available

water, low-alcohol beverages, food

and information about safe transport.

A range of other conditions can also

be imposed by the district licensing

committee.

7 Supplying alcohol to young people

The purchase age remains at 18 years.

From 18 December 2013 a person

can only supply alcohol to a person

under the age of 18 years if:

they are the parent or guardian of

the minor; OR

they have express consent from the

parent or guardian; OR

the young person is married, in a

civil union or living with a de facto

partner.

Anyone who supplies alcohol to a

person under the age of 18 years must

do so responsibly. The penalty for

failing to do so is a fine of up to

$2,000.

8 Offences: irresponsible advertising

and promotions

The following types of promotions are

offences under the new Act:

promoting excessive drinking

promoting alcohol in a way that

has special appeal to minors

advertising free alcohol or

discounts of 25 percent or more

offering free goods or services with

the purchase of alcohol.

9 Repeat offending by managers and

licensees

A three strikes rule will now apply.

Licences and managers certificates can

be cancelled for five years if the

manager or licensee has committed

any specified offences three times

within three years.

The Association will keep you informed

on any other important updates. Our

major concern is that the fee structure

is set to increase, with councils likely to

propose a move to a new risk based

system.

September 2011 23 November 2011 24

The Restaurant Association

has a range of signage and

resources related to the sale

and supply of alcohol which

are available to members.

Sale of liquor signage comes in an

attractive gold or silver brushed metal

finish and comes ready to be affixed to

the wall.

Choose from:

Trading Hours / Duty Manager signage

Responsible Host signage

Evidence of Age signage

Liquor supply statutory notice

(Restricted, Supervised or Undesignated

available)

Also available:

Restaurant Association business

resources: Developing a host

responsibility policy (guideline and

sample policy) - FREE of charge

ORDER NOW…

The Restaurant Association’s sale of liquor

signage is available from just $34.75 (incl

of GST and P&P) - order online through

www.restaurantnz.co.nz or call

0800 737 827.

The Restaurant Association appreciates that hospitality is a 24/7 industry and as a result employment issues can occur at a variety of times. A reminder that we have a HELP DESK, capably managed in-house by CEO, Marisa Bidois, which is contactable Monday to Friday 8.00am-6.00pm on

0800 737 827 and outside these hours on 027-559 7777. The service is for members with urgent employment problems..

Help is never far away!

Sale of Liquor Signage

FEATURED PRODUCT.. .

24 THE THYMES February 2012

Apparently, too many people are taking photos of their

food with smartphones or other cameras, to post them

online, and it's ruining the ambiance and dining experience

for others. The New York Times listed several restaurants in

New York City and others in the United Kingdom, Australia

and Canada.

A restaurant in Brooklyn is among the restaurants banning

photos, with the owner telling the Times that photo-taking

was not only distracting other customers, but also the chef

(!?)

What do you think? While we can understand that flash

photography and a giant SLR camera in a small intimate

restaurant may not be appropriate, we can’t see the harm

in general in customers sharing their dining experiences.

We put it to you in a post on Facebook this week and

enjoyed some of the feedback:

“The chef being distracted by people taking pics of the

food? Chefs should be flattered, I know I would be. As for

the flash being annoying to fellow

diners, you could say the same thing

about the business man at the bar

trying to chat up a young waitress, or

the lady with the loud laugh, or the

"finger-snapper" vying for attention.”

DINING WITH MAN’S BEST FRIEND Hospitality operators may soon be able

to decide whether dogs are allowed on

their premises.

C urrently the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974 say

that “no animal is permitted” on premises where

food is prepared or sold however the proposal to change

that is part of the Food Bill which is now before

Parliament.

Primary Industries Minister, David Carter, said the bill

would require operators to take responsibility for food

safety in a way that was appropriate for their businesses.

“Obviously they will need to keep unwanted animals out

of their restaurants, and especially the kitchens and food-

handling areas, but in many cases there will be little risk

to food safety if, for example, pet dogs are allowed into

outdoor dining areas.”

Certainly there will be some challenges involved. A

Facebook poll conducted by the Association found a

mixed response to the proposals which will work for

some types of businesses, but not all. Concerns were

raised over handling “unruly” dogs and there is some

disquiet over safe hygiene practices.

Businesses won't have to accept dogs in their premises.

However, some businesses may find there's a niche in

their market for their customers' four-legged friends. As

one member commented online: “This is a huge

opportunity to market to a solid niche with a high

discretionary income. Dog people to meet up with like

minded souls. Like it, hope it passes.”

...BUT CAMERA’S NOT WELCOME

Meanwhile, The New York Times recently

reported that some chefs are now banning

patrons from taking photos of their food, or have

instituted a no-flash policy.

THE THYMES February 2013 03

ADVERTISEMENT

SPRAY-ON SUNSCREEN Non-greasy lemon fragrance with insect repellent

HYTEK SOLUTIONS LTD 0800 4 hytek or

(09) 442-2403

www.hytek.co.nz

legislation update

WHO CAN ENTER A BUSINESS

ON BUSINESS?

We understand that representatives from the IRD are presently visiting hospitality businesses on unexpected visits. It prompts the question, who can come into your workplace, what are they entitled to do and do they need your consent?

November 2011 14 managing your business

W e hear a lot about employee rights these days, but

let’s focus on a business owners rights? Here is an

outline of some of the people or organisations that have

a right to “visit”.

1 IRD Investigator

An Inland Revenue audit is an examination of your

financial affairs to check you have paid the correct

amount of tax and you are complying with the tax laws.

It might simply be a check of a GST registration, or it

could be a full examination of business and personal

records. You can expect the IRD to give you reasonable

warning of an audit. However, they will sometimes make

an unannounced visit and if they do you are required by

law to let the investigator into your business premises.

All investigators carry identification showing their name

and photograph, and stating their legal authority to check

your records. You can ask to see this at any time, and we

recommend that you do so before you give them any

information.

You can have someone with you at an interview, or at any

other time during an audit. This might be your tax agent,

solicitor or a friend. But you will need to provide written

authority before an investigator can discuss your tax

affairs with another person present.

The penalties for obstructing the IRD in carrying out its

lawful duties are up to $25,000 for the first offence or

$50,000 for subsequent offences.

2 Environmental Health Officer – Local Council

With the advent of food safety plans it is now

customary for the Council’s Environmental Health Officer

(EHO) to make an appointment to meet with you to

discuss food safety in your business. They will normally

come once a year and inspect the premises – this

appointment can take up to 3 to 4 hours and will include

them talking to various staff members while on site.

An EHO will also need to come and inspect your business

prior to granting your food licence for a new business.

3 DLA Inspector (sale of liquor act)

Under the Sale of Liquor Act Section 131 an inspector

may at any reasonable time enter and inspect a licensed

premises to ascertain whether the licensee or any

manager is complying with the conditions of the licence.

Any inspector who enters your premises needs to:

carry a warrant of authority and evidence of identity, and

produce those documents either when first entering the

licensed premises or at any subsequent time if requested

by the manager or the licensee (or by any person

appearing to be in charge).

3 Police (sale of liquor act)

Under the Sale of Liquor Act Section 175 any

member of the Police may at any reasonable time enter

and inspect any licensed premises to ascertain whether

the licensee is complying with the provisions of the Sale

of Liquor Act and the conditions of the licence.

The Police may also enter at any time when they have

reasonable grounds to believe that an offence against the

Sale of Liquor Act is being committed.

In addition a District Court Judge, Justice or Community

Magistrate may issue a search warrant if it believes that

any liquor is being sold, or exposed or kept for sale, on

any premises in which that liquor may not lawfully be sold,

exposed or kept for sale; or any premises is being kept or

used as a place of resort for the consumption of liquor in

contravention of the Act.

This authorizes the Police (and anyone they call to assist

them) to enter the premises on one occasion within 14

days of the warrant issue, at a time that is reasonable, in a

search pertaining to the conditions of the warrant.

They are required to carry the warrant with them, and

shall produce it for inspection when first entering the

licensed premises or at any subsequent time if requested. CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE

TIPS FOR PREPARING FOR AN AUDIT

1. Register for all the taxes that apply to you (eg, income tax, GST, PAYE).

2. Make sure you’re up-to-date with filing your returns and paying your

taxes.

3. Confirm that you’re paying tax on all your income, including income

received in cash.

4. If you’ve paid expenses “out of the till” or out of cash takings, don’t

forget to add the expenses back when you’re calculating your income

for the day.

5. Test that there’s a clear trail from the figures in your tax returns to your

invoices, receipts and bank records, so you can readily prove your

figures are accurate.

6. Check that you’re claiming only business-related expenses.

7. Make sure you’re accounting for private use of business assets and

expenses (are you making private use adjustments or paying FBT?).

8. Confirm your logbook is up-to-date if you’re making private use

adjustments for a motor vehicle.

9. Tell us if you’ve filed an incorrect return before the IRD find out about

it—a “voluntary disclosure” will probably save you money.

10. If you’re unsure about anything, talk to your tax agent or call the IRD.

For more information, go to www.ird.govt.nz and click on “Audits”.

THE THYMES February 2013 27 business guidance

November 2011 14 managing your business

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE, Who can v is i t your business?

4 Health and Safety Inspectors

Under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992,

any inspector may at any reasonable time enter any place

of work and

conduct examinations, tests, enquiries, inspections

be accompanied and assisted by any other people

and bring into the place of work any equipment

necessary

take photographs and measurements, make sketches

and recordings

request that a place of work that is to be inspected is

not disturbed for a reasonable period of time

require the employer to produce documents or

information relating to the place of work or the

investigation

require the employer, or any other person who is in

control of the place of work, to provide about

conditions, materials, or equipment that affect the

health or safety of employees who work there

4 Landlord or Landlord’s representative

Under a commercial lease there is no specified notice

period that a landlord must give prior to coming on to

the property, but for the purposes of “inspection” they will

generally be guided by the Residential Tenancy Act which

requires 48 hours notice to be given to a tenant, unless in

the case of an emergency or to carry out repairs.

However, your “Deed of Lease” does cover off some

points as noted below (as outlined in the Auckland Law

Society Deed of Lease):

Section 13.1 – Landlord’s Right of Inspection

The Landlord and the Landlord’s employees, contractors

and invitees may at all reasonable times enter the

premises to view their condition.

Section 15.1 – Access for Repairs

The tenants shall permit the Landlord and the Landlord’s

employees and contractors at all reasonable times to

enter the premises to carry out repairs to the premises or

adjacent premises and to install, inspect, repair, renew

and replace any services where they are not the

responsibility of the tenant. All such repairs, inspections

and work to be carried out with the least possible

inconvenience to the Tenant.

Section 32.1 – Quiet Enjoyment

The tenant paying the rent and performing and observing

all the covenants and agreements herein expressed and

implied shall quietly hold and enjoy the premises

throughout the term without an interruption by the

Landlord or any person claiming under the Landlord.

A TASTE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Restaurant Association’s regular professional development

workshops provide essential updates on the huge range of issues

that affect both owners and staff in the hospitality industry.

C heck out the latest calendar, which is included with this issue of THE

Thymes. Subjects include ways to minimize your food costs, effective

marketing strategies that work for restaurants, staff training, recruitment

and retention and updates on legislative changes. The workshops are

presented by people who are active in the industry and generously share

their experiences, techniques and systems that do, or don’t, work for

them.

Investing in staff training reminds your employees how valued and

important their contribution is to the business. And if one staff member

comes back to work with renewed enthusiasm and morale it will generally

pay back the money invested tenfold. Even for those that have spent

years in the industry, new ideas and perspective can be inspiring.

For those unable to travel to taste in Auckland to attend workshops our

webinar series ensures that important information is available to everyone

regardless of location. Webinars will still allow attendees to ask lots of

questions and engage with presenters, and a recorded version will be

available to attendees.

More information is available online at www.restaurantnz.co.nz or to

book phone 0800 737 827, or email jo@tastenz.co.nz.

28 THE THYMES February 2012 business guidance

we would like to welcome the following new members of the restaurant association who have recently joined us:

you have joined the only organisation that exclusively assists you to safeguard the viability of your café or restaurant. We will help guide you through the regulatory minefield that exists in today’s business environment. You have joined 1700 of New Zealand’s most dynamic and profitable hospitality businesses.

Artisan by Rangiora Bakery, Rangiora

Baha Original Korean Restaurant, Auckland

Base Auckland, Auckland

Bel Aire Tavern, Nelson

Bolero Tapas Bar, Auckland

Burger Fresh, Auckland

Burger Fuel Mission Bay, AUCKLAND

Burgers and Beers Cranford Street, Christchurch

Burgers and Beers Colombo Street, Christchurch

Cafe Ahuriri, Napier

Caffe Massimo Albany, Auckland

Caffe Massimo Newmarket, Auckland

Capers Café, Rotorua

Casablanca Caffe, Auckland

China Café, Auckland

China Restaurant, Auckland

Chocolate Brown, Warkworth

Columbus Coffee - Air NZ

Columbus Coffee - Lincoln Road, Auckland

Columbus Coffee Mega Cafe - Lunn Ave, Auckland

Corogate Café, Thames

Eden Garden Café, Auckland

Eighthirty, Auckland

Fat Dog Cafe and Bar, Rotorua

Flames International Hotel

Fred Bourke, Auckland

Gorgeous Restaurant, Auckland

Hilton Auckland (Fish Restaurant), Auckland

Iberia Restaurante, Masterton

Jack & Jill, Greytown

Jagz of Village Green, Invercargill

Kokoya Sushi, Auckland

Krave Catering (Paihia) LTD, Paihia

Lake Tekapo Lodge

Leinster Road Bistro, Christchurch

Licorice Cafe Ltd, Turangi

Little Bread and Butter, Auckland

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS...

congratulations...

November 2011 19 new members

Luciano Espresso Bar, Christchurch

Maggie's Kitchen, Greymouth

Mangonui Fish Shop, Mangonui

Mega Cafe Masterton

Metropolis Caffe, Hamilton

Midori Sushi Bar and Restaurant

Mount Ocean Sports Club

Mozaik Cafe Victoria Park, Auckland

Mums Restaurant, Christchurch

Namaskar India, Hastings

Nandos Newmarket, Auckland

Paper Moon Café, Auckland

Picnic Café, Rotorua

PiPi Café, New Plymouth

Pita Pit Manukau,Auckland

Pita Pit Newtown, Wellington

Pita Pit Tauranga, Tauranga

Pukeko's Nest Café, Pukekohe

Subway Te Irirangi Drive, Auckland

The Bay, Auckland

The Coffee Club – Queensgate, Wellington

The Coffee Club - Wairau Junction, Auckland

The Coffee Club Greenlane, Auckland

The Coffee Club Manukau Supa Centa, Auckland

The Coffee Club Silverdale, Auckland

The Coffee Club Stoddard Road, Auckland

The Coffee Club Victoria Street, Auckland

The Fish & Chip Shop, Millwater, SILVERDALE

The Food Room, Auckland

The Green Room Café, Gore

The Roost Café, Oamaru

The Spicy Affair, Auckland

Three Beans, Auckland

Torpedo Bay Café, Auckland

Urban Soul, Auckland

Vivo Party World, Auckland

Zavito, Auckland

adve

rtis

emen

t

REGIONAL UPDATES

November 2011 24 regional updates

Rumours, happenings

and events

Pan de Meurte, a 150 cover

Mexican restaurant, has opened on

Tory St.

Gusto Bistro in Petone has closed.

Hogs Breath Café has closed in

the Reading Cinema complex in

Courtenay place and is being replaced

by Steer n’ Beer.

Nick Mills, the owner of a number

of establishments in the city, is to open

a seaside café in Lyall Bay on land

owned by the airport company.

An estimated $4m has been spent by

the former owner of Caffe

L’affare, Jeff Kennedy, on a new

café, coffee roasting and bakery

concept in Jessie St. The new venture

called Pre-Fab is possible due to the

restraint of trade clause expiring.

The purchase and total remodeling

and refit of the 1000 sq m former

warehouse space reflect the confidence

in the Wellington café market.

Things that make you

go mmmmmmmmmm

One of our members received the

following advice on dietary

requirements for a Christmas booking

of 5. Maybe they should be eating in a

hospital instead of a restaurant!

For your reference the group’s dietary

requirements are as follows:

Nick – allergic to all nuts, shellfish

and sesame seeds

Ian – vegetarian, doesn’t eat meat

except for seafood

Ben – allergic to strawberries,

raspberries and lima beans

Jess – vegetarian, doesn’t eat meat

or seafood or any meat

related products such as

beef or chicken stock

Courtney

– lactose intolerant, allergic to

milk and dairy products,

doesn’t eat pork or certain

shellfish

Kind regards

Mike Egan,

Restaurant Association

National President

e: monsoonpoon@actrix.co.nz

m: 021 966 667

REG

ION

AL

RO

UN

DU

P…

W

ELLIN

GTO

N &

NELSO

N

from the capital: from the capital:

hot plate coming through

S ummer so far has been slightly

busier than last season. The

weather has definitely been a bit

more favourable and there have

been more campers in the region because

of this. December provided a bit more trade

than last year but business has not improved

by a lot and there doesn’t seem to be much

consistency in day to day trade.

Hopefully we will see some good settled

weather in February and March and with it

some more tourists visiting the region. It

seems that once school goes back the

weather is certainly more stable.

The Jazz and Blues festival at

the beginning of January created a good

opportunity for people to get out and about

in town. The next Summer event coming up

is Buskerbergoo, the Nelson Buskers’

and Street Theatre Series. Running from Feb

7th to the 10th there are daily shows at the

top of Trafalgar St and evening events at

The Boathouse and at Fairfield Park.

On the restaurant and bar scene we have

seen the opening of Rhythm and Brown

on New St. Scott and Resina

Bradley opening a pleasant craft beer

bar in the site formerly operated as Sachi

Seafood and Sushi Bar. Krauts German

Eatery are still finishing off the build in

Montgomery car park having been held up

with earthquake strengthening that needed

to be carried out.

The Sprig and Fern have opened in

Tahunanui in the old Amigo’s site. They

managed to get open just before all the

campers turned up.

Let’s hope that the summer still has a couple

of month’s left and that the locals and

tourists can get out and enjoy all the

hospitality that we have on offer.

Happy New Year to all, Harry

President Nelson Branch / Harrys Bar

e: harrys.nelson@xtra.co.nz

m: 027 525 8665

nelson news

Jeff Kennedy & Bridget Dunn at the new Pre-Fab

PHOTO: KEVIN STENT/Fairfax NZ

04 THE THYMES February 2012 regional round up

W ell Happy New Year!

I would like to take this

opportunity to

congratulate members for their hard

work and creative ways to get customers

moving through their doors. The lead

up to Christmas and summer is very

busy.

Skyline Rotorua recently

celebrated the opening of the latest

venture which sees a very fine wine

cellar added into the mix. The wine is

Volcanic Wines. It is good to see

something here locally (and no the

grapes are not grown here).

Skyline has been very busy and just

added 45 more staff to its roster over

summer - more than double the number

of seasonal staff it took on last summer.

They have also won their first Beef &

Lamb Excellence Award. Head Chef

Fred Krueutmayer, said the team were

constantly working to develop

innovative flavours and techniques.

I took some visitors to a couple of our

cafes recently and on the whole they

were very impressed with the food and

the service. It was a change for me as

everyone usually prefers to dine at

“Kerswell on the Terrace”

September 2011 23 R

EG

ION

AL

RO

UN

DU

P…

RO

TO

RU

A

kia ora from

rotorua The whole family also attended the

Seafood Festival in Tauranga

which my goddaughter Caryn and her

husband Dan a (commercial fisherman)

run every year. The ambience was

great and the weather was even better;

crayfish in abundance (yum), great

music as well and we all had a great

time.

Feedback from local members is that

business is up on last year. The weather

was a lot kinder, hence more

customers. Staffing levels are holding

well here. People are a lot more

positive and spending a bit more on

dining out.

I am not sure of this new Bill which is

currently before Parliament that would

give hospitality businesses the option of

allowing pets on the premises. Could

this eliminate potential future customers

who could choose to stay away for the

safety of their children? Can the industry

really afford that? In a recent poll held

here in Rotorua, 71% were not in

support of the Bill and just 16% were. I

love animals but not around food etc.

Planning is now taking place for the 2013 Rotorua Hospitality

Awards which will be held on the 23rd

of June. Meantime it is back to work

and looking forward to seeing my new

intake of students.

Naku noa na

Sharon Wallace

Rotorua Branch President

Waiariki Institute of Technology

e: Sharon.Wallace@waiariki.ac.nz

m: (027) 233 4146

November 2011 24

The Restaurant Association have

developed a Model Job Descriptions

handbook for members. This provides a

valuable resource for creating

position descriptions to help

businesses hire the most qualified

applicants for their operation.

The Handbook includes Job Descriptions

for 24 positions.

Job descriptions are intended to help an

employer determine whether a person is

qualified to perform a job. This handbook

provides generic position descriptions,

which can be customised to reflect the

specific tasks and responsibilities of the

employees in an operation.

We have identified the attributes,

experience and competencies that could

be associated with the various positions.

ORDER NOW…

The Restaurant Association’s Model Job

Descriptions handbook is available for just

$12.27 (incl of GST and P&P) - order online

through www.restaurantnz.co.nz or call 0800

737 827.

The Restaurant Association appreciates that hospitality is a 24/7 industry and as a result employment issues can occur at a variety of times. A reminder that we have a HELP DESK, capably managed in-house by CEO, Marisa Bidois, which is contactable Monday to Friday 8.00am-6.00pm on

0800 737 827 and outside these hours on 027-559 7777. The service is for members with urgent employment problems.

Help is never far away!

Model Job Descriptions Handbook

FEATURED PRODUCT.. .

THE THYMES February 2013 33 regional round up

H awke’s Bay is having a

good old fashioned hot

summer to remember. Over

Christmas and New Year we

had many days over 30 degrees which

brings in the visitors & keeps them

hungry & thirsty.

Leading up to Christmas there was also

plenty of action…

EVENTS

Official domestic visitor

numbers were up for November. A

major contributor to the rise was the

inaugural Food And Wine

Classic – or F.A.W.C. The event

was held in November and was

conceived and run by the team at

Hawke’s Bay Tourism.

F.A.W.C was a huge success with 55

events. The opening at Craggy Range

sold out with over 300 guests

celebrating in style. The Lacovoure

Lunch at the Farmers Market was also a

hit. Tables were allocated their own

guest chef & farmers market vouchers,

which they used to buy ingredients to

bring back to their chef who then had to

make a three course lunch.

Guests chefs included David Griffiths,

September 2011 23

Paolo Pancotti, Dan Pistone plus three

TV chefs. The lunch was organised by

Food Hawke’s Bay.

Other highlights included The Oyster

Salon at Advintage; Homage BBQ at

Trinity Hill; Syrah Tasting at Elephant

Hill; Seafood and Eat it @ Mangapapa

Lodge; 15 course degustation dinner

@ Taste Cornucopia; Magnificent

Martini @ Milk & Honey ; A Taste of

Spain @ Deliciosa; The Black Barn

Comedy Feast & Tuatara’s in the Bay

@ Crossing Bier Garden at Westshore

Beach Inn.

Planning is under way for WINTER

FAWC and dates around 20 June are

being locked in. Watch out for an

announcement in the next week or two

on www.fawc.nz.

The successful Kai in the Bay

was held in the middle of November for

the third year. The celebration of Maori

food is held at Perfume Point in Ahuriri

and attracted around 5000 people. The

event included cooking demonstrations,

competitions & wild food stalls.

Once again weddings are

contributing to the local economy and

are a growing part of our hospitality

industry. Wineries and venues like

Mission Estate, Craggy Range and

Black Barn have been heavily booked -

with brides and mother of the brides

taking over for 3 months. Many other

businesses are also reaping the benefits;

from cafes, photographers and

accommodation providers to tour

operators and hairdressers.

NEW & OLD

The owners of the iconic Masonic Hotel

in Napier employed Tom Skyring to

help them to redesign the restaurant

and bar areas and reopened as The

Emporium at the end of last year. The

space respects the building Art Deco

REG

ION

AL

RO

UN

DU

P…

H

AW

KE’S

BA

Y

news from

wine country

34 THE THYMES November 2012 re

Heritage whilst modernising the space.

The team at Emporium is led by Shaye

Bird, formerly from The Old Church.

Jennifer Le Compte, owner of Opera

Kitchen in Hastings has opened a

second cafe / restaurant in Ahuriri

called FG Smiths. A strong team is in

place, with Hayden Esau leading the

kitchen and Dan Norman managing the

business. Both Hayden & Dan came

from The Farm at Cape Kidnappers.

Winemaker Rod McDonald has taken

over the Cellar Door at Te Awanga

Estate (formerly Kim Crawford Cellar

Door) to provide a home for his wines

under the brands Quarter Acre and Te

Awanga Estate. The Cellar Door is

managed by globetrotting Imogen

Throp (former Maitre D at Deliciosa)

who sailed back from Fiji to look after

wine sales over summer.

Clearview recently launched a new

bubbles called “Bella”. The wine is

named after owners Tim & Helma’s

youngest daughter Bella.

Liquor King have opened their new

concept store in Onekawa, Napier. This

is only the second store to undergo the

major refit (the other is in Christchurch).

The store features a fill your own bar

area with craft beers including Lion’s

newly acquired Emerson’s.

Rumour is Dennis Buckley, owner of

Shed 2 in West Quay, is opening a

new Mexican Restaurant next door.

Here’s to a long hot Indian summer,

Sean Burns

Hawke’s Bay Branch President

Milk and Honey

e: sean@themilkandhoney.co.nz

m: 027 623 2223

W e are having a very hot summer here in Taranaki. Leftovers from the heat in

Australia – or perhaps global warming has finally hit us here? Who knows. Whatever is causing it, we’re loving it and along with abundant rain at times, the region is green, green, green and keeping the farmers happy as well. That bodes well for us in this dairying province, as with any luck we’ll see the trickle down effect of the increased milk production go right into our tills! Speaking of money in tills, even though it doesn’t feel like the economy has improved much to me, my figures have indicated a hopeful 1.49% increase in turnover so far this financial year, accompanied by a bigger drop in food costs. I have been working hard on those so my accountant should be happy. He gave me a bit of a verbal slapping over my gross margins for last year so looking better so far. In Oakura (where I happen to live), we’ve been very pleased to welcome Café Mantra, an offshoot of India Today, who have taken over the local restaurant here. Without being too rude about it, the eatery scene in our village has been sadly lacking over the past couple of years. Jasse and Roman have worked very hard giving the establishment a completely new look, along with their new menu, (a combination of European and Indian dishes). This has seen the locals wending their way there in a steady stream. The Federal Store has opened

in Strandon (northern New Plymouth)

and also appears to be doing a steady

trade. They’ve created a kind of rustic

look inside, with old weatherboards

lining the walls, a big TipTop poster

covering one end wall and a mix of

formica and other old tables.

Completely different to Zanzibar which

it took over and Jeremy seems to be

enjoying his new business back in the

café trade.

I see the premises that used to house The Grumpy Mole are being completely stripped back/covered up, ready for another new bar to open there. I think they hope to be up and running by February and I see the workmen are working late into the night trying to get the work done. Cobb and Co (the company), now have a new franchisor with experience in both business and hospitality. Ben and Sue Gower are the new franchisors. They have owned and operated the Cobb & Co in Tauranga and took over the chain in November 2012. Melanie and Glenn (our local owners), are very excited about it and believe that with the drive and commitment to the brand of the new franchisors, there will be great things ahead. Now on a completely different note, I received a summons to jury duty the other day and thought I could get myself off it as I have done with various staff members in the past, by writing and saying I can’t be replaced at work. However apparently that is no longer a valid excuse! They say I have to arrange a month sometime in the next year where I can commit to be on duty! I’m not happy about that I can tell you. Whilst I probably can organise this for myself and burn the candle at both ends doing my real work outside of courthouse hours, the same cannot be said if one of my chefs gets a summons. Has anyone else had this problem – and if they have – do they have a solution? I’d be very interested to know so I can prepare myself in advance. Barbara Olsen-Henderson

Bach on Breakwater

e: barbara_olsen@xtra.co.nz

REG

ION

AL

RO

UN

DU

P…

TA

RA

NA

KI

tales from

taranaki

congratulations restaurant indonesia

Hawke’s Bay hospitality institution, Restaurant

Indonesia are celebrating 30 years of

business. Owners Kees Peters and Joss

Lamers are celebrating the occasion by

putting together some great prizes for

customers to win over the year, including

monthly prize draws and the grand prize—

a dinner for 30 at Restaurant Indonesia.

Congratulations on reaching this milestone.

THE THYMES February 2013 35 regional round up

regional updates

NEW OPENINGS ABOUND

The trickle of new openings that started before Christmas is

turning into a virtual flood as operators vie for the best

central city positions.

Hot on the heels of Fiddlestix, Dux dine and

Café Valentino, which got opened before Christmas

comes a rebuilt Lone Star on their old site in

Manchester Street, Venuto in Colombo Street, Winnie

Bagoes in Allen Street, Jonny Schwass’s new

restaurant in the old Ironside House in Victoria Street and

an as yet unnamed venture in St Asaph Street.

Landlords are sharing in the action with prime sites being

hotly contested between prospective tenants and landlords

watching as they outbid each other for the good sites.

The city’s most prolific hospitality landlord, Anthony

Gough, has announced plans for a ‘mega strip’ along

Oxford Terrace with the intention to be up and running by

the end of next year. For those with interest in this,

remember nothing is for nothing and the rents will be

substantial. If I was interested in taking a lease on one of

these spaces I would be looking at a turnover based lease

as it may be some time before the crowds return to the city.

The top end of Cranford Street has emerged as a

hospitality hub with at least half a dozen operations

opening their doors. From all accounts trade is good

though there has been the odd customer niggle about

getting back on to Cranford Street.

Wait staff too are sharing in the rewards (and about

time too) with one establishment reportedly offering

$17.50 as a starting rate. The upward pressure on pay

rates will only increase as competition for experienced staff

heats up.

SAD PASSING

It is with sadness that I pass on the news of the passing of

Di Frost after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Di

was associated with the local hospitality industry over many

years as a wine rep with Distinguished Vineyards and more

recently Epicurean Wines.

REG

ION

AL

RO

UN

DU

P…

C

AN

TER

BU

RY

canterbury viewpoint

UPCOMING BRANCH MEETING

It’s time for a revitalisation of the Canterbury

Branch of the Restaurant Association and so on

Wednesday 6th March at 2 p.m. we will hold a

meeting to discuss the focus of the local Branch

over the coming year.

We will be looking for a new set of office bearers, so

this is a great opportunity to get more involved with

the Association at an interesting time for the region.

There will be nothing stuffy here though; no past

minutes, no financial reports, just a bit of a round up

of what has been happening over the past 18 months,

some sound advice from CEO Marisa Bidois and an

election of office bearers. Following that it is down to

the social business with your fellow members.

The date is Wednesday 6th March

Time 2.00-4.00 P.M.

Venue Café Valentino 168 St Asaph Street,

Central City

As I don’t intend to stand for re election at the AGM

this will be my last contribution to the newsletter. It has

been an amazing 24 months, longer if you count

September 2010 as the start.

I would like to thank those members that have offered

support over this time and thank those many that have

shared their experiences with me. There have been lots

of harrowing moments and many long, late night

phone calls with distraught members in the aftermath

of February 2011. It has been a wild ride and one I

do not want to repeat.

I feel it is the right time to stand aside given the

expansion in the hospitality industry that will take place

in 2013 and look forward to having a drink with

members after the AGM on the 6th.

Thank you all,

Michael Turner

Acting Canterbury Branch President

Café Valentino

e: info@cafevalentino.co.nz

m: 021 441 205

36 THE THYMES February 2012

mainly of interest to

auckland members...

November 2011 34

One of the next big things to happen in hospitality in Auckland is the development of the City Works Depot area. By the end of the year, the precinct’s spacious, architecturally designed sheds will be home to a new Al Brown restaurant and Michael Van De Elzen’s Foodtruck Garage as well as the existing Brothers Brewery and Shed Five Café. The City Works Depot was purpose built for the Council in 1968 and over the past 50 years has been home to things as diverse as workshops, parking, fashion shows and parties. It will be interesting to see the reinvigoration of these industrial buildings. Cornwall Park Restaurant owner, Dean Johnson, has taken over the café at Eden Gardens on the side of Mt Eden. Look out for an overall revamp of the venue and menu – with High Tea set to be a key feature at the site. The Hampton's is a pop-up restaurant based on the 'Hampton's' within the State of New York. It is a 4 month project bought to you by Tony Stewart and Des Harris (both of Clooney Restaurant) and Tom Mayo, Grant Calder. The pop up eatery is housed on the front courtyard of one of Shortland Street’s high rise towers. Due to the strictly outdoor nature, The Hamptons will only be open until the end of May where patrons can seek a respite from the hectic pace of the city, “rest and find calm within a scene of madness”. Scott Brown and Jackie Grant from The Hip Group (who also own the Takapuna Beach Café, Rosehip in Parnell, Richmond Rd Café in Grey Lynn and Café on Kohi), have recently opened St Heliers Bay Café. This café and bistro is open first thing in the morning for breakfast right through to dinner and drinks. Heading up the kitchen is renowned chef, Mark Sycamore, former NZ Chef of the Year and Executive Chef at Blanket Bay Resort who was lured north a few years back to work at Hotel de Brett. 2013 will be a big year for the group as they also prepare to open not one but three eateries in the Britomart precinct, including a 90 seat casual Italian bistro called Ortolana; The Store, which will focus on great takeaway food, fresh pastries and bread plus takeout meals in the evening; and a dessert restaurant-wine bar called Milse. Ponsonby Central is now up and running with a quirky array of eateries and establishments including Jimmy Gerard’s (ex Harbourside Restaurant) Jimmy the Fish, Little Bread and Butter Bakery, Tokyo Club (from the people that bought us Soto and Cocoro), Toru (from the owners of Teed Street Larder and Wai Kitchen), Maldito Mendez, Neat Meat and more…

Jeremy Schmid, owner of Mt Eden’s Two Fifteen is set to take over the historic “Officers Mess” building at Narrowneck Beach with the aim to turn the space into a family-oriented restaurant and weekend cafe. The building will also be available for weddings and functions. THE Thymes has been told that Luke Dallow’s Red Hummingbird on Federal Street is set to be taken over by Sean Connolly (The Grill).

news. City Works Depot

The Hampton’s

Little Bead & Butter, Ponsonby Central

Toru, Ponsonby Central

THE THYMES February 2013 03 auckland members

ADVERTISEMENT

mainly of interest to

auckland members...

November 2011 34

THE EBS GREASE ERADICATION SYSTEM

Not only does the system extend the life of the plumbing, but it also dramatically reduces the need for grease trap pump outs.

The bacteria colonize on the build-up and continue to consume it until the line is clear.

As they eat, the sugar, starch, grease and oil is converted into harmless air and water.

Contact 0800 258 373 mike@ebsnz.co.nz

CHEFS ACROSS NEW ZEALAND CALLED TO JOIN GOOD FORK WEEK

With almost 65 per cent of adults in New

Zealand either overweight or obese there is

no doubt obesity is one of the biggest public

health problems that we face. New Zealand

chef, Michael Van de Elzen, is calling on

chefs to join the fight against obesity by

participating in the inaugural Good Fork Week.

The week, which is being launched by Unilever Food

Solutions in partnership with the New Zealand Nutrition

Foundation, will be held from 4 – 10 March 2013.

Good Fork Week encourages all chefs and food operators to commit to making small

changes to at least one dish on their menu to provide a more nutritious option to their

diners and in turn take a step forward in tackling the obesity epidemic.

Michael Van de Elzen is excited to be the official Good Fork Week Ambassador and

explains how easy it is for chefs to participate in the initiative. “As chefs we pride

ourselves on our culinary skills and creativity when producing the perfect dish, I really

feel it’s important that healthy food forms an essential part of our restaurant offering.

Are you up for the challenge?” Mr Van de Elzen said.

Participation in Good Fork Week is free of charge and all registered participants will

receive a Good Fork Week Registration pack, including Michael Van de Elzen’s own

Good Fork Week menu item recipe, posters, stickers and wrist bands. For more

information on Good Fork Week and to participate, visit www.goodforkweek.co.nz

or call 0800 367 756.

2013

February

06 Waitangi Day (public holiday)

12 Restaurant Association Auckland Branch Golf Day, Muriwai Golf Course www.restaurantnz.co.nz

14 Valentines Day

16-18 More FM Devonport Food and Wine Festival, Devonport www.devonportwinefestival.co.nz

March

05 Restaurant Association Front of House Induction Workshop @ taste, 45 Normanby Rd, Mt Eden www.restaurantnz.co.nz 05 Restaurant Association Visiting Hour @ Westpac “Level 9”, Britomart www.restaurantnz.co.nz

18 Restaurant Association webinar series: “Three employment mistakes to avoid”, presented by Alison Maelzer To register email jo@tastenz.co.nz

26 Restaurant Association professional development: “Emerging Managers”, presented by Krishna Botica www.restaurantnz.co.nz

29 Good Friday

April

1 Easter Monday

3 Restaurant Association webinar series: “Embracing Social Media”, presented by Eva-Maria To register email jo@tastenz.co.nz

16 Restaurant Association professional development: “Finding Money In Your Trash”, presented Stephen Thompson www.restaurantnz.co.nz

news. upcoming auckland events.

38 THE THYMES February 2012 auckland members

Wine Facts...

Pungent, Exuberant, Intense…The varietal that

awoke the world to New Zealand wine.

Fo

od

Ma

tch

ing

Sa

uvi

gnon B

lanc’

s cr

isp a

cidity

is

del

icio

us

with

a

crunch

y su

mm

er s

ala

d fea

turing

capsi

cum

s, c

her

ry tom

ato

es a

nd v

inaig

rette

.

New

Zea

land S

auvi

gnon B

lanc

is fam

ed for

its

pungen

tly a

rom

atic

gre

en c

apsi

cum

(bel

l p

epper

),

goose

ber

ry &

lush

pass

ionfruit

chara

cter

s. S

tyle

s ca

n v

ary

fro

m this

tra

diti

onal st

yle

to those

show

ing

fres

h-c

ut gra

ss, to

mato

sta

lks,

mel

ons

& lim

e. T

he

Marlboro

ugh r

egio

n r

epre

sents

80%

of all

pla

ntin

gs.

N

orth Isl

and s

tyle

s te

nd to s

how

soft, ripe,

more

tro

pic

al

chara

cter

s, w

her

eas

the

more

south

erly

sty

les

show

cris

per

, lig

hte

r m

ore

vib

rant st

yles

. C

ella

rin

g &

Serv

ing

Key Dates…

february

06

Waita

ngi D

ay

(public

holid

ay)

09

Marlboro

ugh F

ood a

nd W

ine

Fes

tival,

Ble

nheim

w

ww

.marlboro

ughw

inefe

stiv

al.co

.nz

14

Vale

ntin

es D

ay

16-1

8

More

FM

Dev

onport F

ood a

nd W

ine

Fes

tival, A

uck

land

w

ww

.devo

nportw

inefe

stiv

al.co

.nz

23

The

Gre

at Kiw

i Bee

r Fes

tival,

C

hrist

churc

h

w

ww

.gre

atk

iwib

eerf

est

ival.co

.nz

march

01-1

7

Mel

bourn

e Food &

Win

e Fes

tival,

M

elbourn

e. A

ust

ralia

w

ww

.melb

ourn

efo

odandw

ine.c

om

.au

01

Blu

ff o

yste

r se

aso

n o

pen

s!

05

Res

taura

nt A

ssoci

atio

n F

ront of H

ouse

in

duct

ion w

ork

shop tast

e, 4

5 N

orm

anby

Road,

M

t Eden

. A

uck

land

w

ww

.rest

aura

ntn

z.co

.nz

Did You Know?

1

Did

you k

now

it ta

kes

1 w

eek

to

make

a jel

ly b

ean?

2

Did

you k

now

only

4 o

ut of 2

0,0

00

spec

ies

of bee

s pro

duce

honey

?

3

Did

you k

now

onio

ns

are

part o

f the

lily

fam

ily?

Hospo Thymes staff page

Indust

ry u

pdate

for

hosp

itality

sta

ff, bought to

you b

y th

e R

est

aura

nt A

ssoci

ation o

f N

Z

rip it out and p

in it on y

our

notice

board

etc

...

5 reasons why

hospo jobs are

great!

1 Y

OU

MA

KE P

EO

PLE

’S D

AY. ev

ery

time

you c

om

e in

to

work

you’r

e m

aki

ng s

om

eone'

s day

that lit

tle b

it bet

ter.

Your

busi

nes

s is

all

about peo

ple

. It’

s not about

wid

get

s or

spre

adsh

eets

; it’

s about m

aki

ng p

eople

happy.

2 IT

’S C

REA

TIV

E.

As

wel

l as

bei

ng a

peo

ple

-orien

ted

indust

ry,

hosp

italit

y is

cre

ativ

e. Y

ou a

re c

reatin

g a

pro

duct

— b

e th

at fo

od,

drink,

or

an e

xper

ience

.

3 IT

OP

EN

S A

DO

OR

TO

TH

E W

OR

LD.

Eve

ry c

ountry

in

the

world h

as

a h

osp

italit

y in

dust

ry,

and the

skill

s yo

u

learn

her

e are

rea

dily

tra

nsf

erable

, m

eanin

g that a

care

er in h

osp

italit

y ca

n b

e th

e ke

y to

dis

cove

ring n

ew

countrie

s, n

ew c

ultu

re a

nd n

ew p

eople

.

4 N

OT 9

-5. .

It in

volv

es a

gre

at dea

l of va

riet

y, n

ot only

in

ter

ms

of th

e hours

you w

ork

, but als

o the

work

you

do d

uring those

hours

.

5 T

HER

E’S

NO

NEED

TO

GET S

TU

CK

. Th

ere

is s

uch

en

orm

ous

scope

with

in the

hosp

italit

y in

dust

ry that

ther

e’s

nev

er a

ny

nee

d for

you to g

et s

tuck

in o

ne

nic

he.

RE

ST

AU

RA

NT

A

SS

OC

IA

TIO

N O

F N

EW

Z

EA

LA

ND

WW

W.R

ES

TA

UR

AN

TN

Z.C

O.N

Z 0

80

0 7

37

8

27

Check Out…

The

Res

taura

nt A

ssoci

atio

n P

rofe

ssio

nal D

evelo

pm

ent

cale

ndar

for

Marc

h—

June

20

13

. N

ow

ava

ilable

!

Call

Jo B

irdsa

ll on 0

80

0 7

37 8

27

or

email

jo@

tast

enz.

co.n

z

for

a c

opy

of th

e ca

lendar

or

go to w

ww

.res

taura

ntn

z.co

.nz

for

more

info

rmatio

n (lo

ok

under

the

train

ing tab).

W

OO

DED

N

ON

-WO

OD

ED

Boulcott St Bistro, Osteria Del Toro, Wellington)

Poverty Bay: Grant Bailey (Fettuccine Brothers, Gisborne)

)

Bart Littlejohn (Sails Restaurant, Auckland) Steve Logan (Logan Brown, Wellington)

Michael Turner

Howard Morris (Harry’s Bay, Nelson)

Joe Deegan (Pacific International Hotel Management School, New Plymouth)

Marcel Rood (Raupo Cafe, Blenheim)

s

Marisa Bidois

R

Andrew Targett (Elizabeth Café & Larder)

Cam Mitchell (The Bunker Restaurant & Bar, Queenstown)

Hayley Scott (Zinc Café, Hamilton)

Boulcott St Bistro, Osteria Del Toro, Wellington)

Sean Burns (Milk and Honey, Napier)