Employment Relations Amendment Act 2018

The Employment Relations Amendment Act 2018 introduced a number of employment law changes that aim to improve fairness in the workplace and deliver decent work conditions and fair wages. These changes reflect the Government’s 100 day commitments in workplace relations.

The Act restores protections for employees, especially vulnerable employees, and strengthens the role of collective bargaining in the workplace. Many of the changes are familiar to businesses, as they roll the law back to how it was as recently as 2015.

The Act passed into law on 11 December 2018. Most changes take effect at two stages: 12 December 2018, and on 6 May 2019.

Changes in effect now

Union representatives can now enter workplaces without consent, provided the employees are covered under, or bargaining towards, a collective agreement. They can still only enter a workplace for certain purposes, must be respectful of normal operating hours, and follow health, safety and security procedures. Union representatives still need to seek consent before entering workplaces where no collective agreement or bargaining exists, and for workplaces that are also residences (such as farmhouses). Union representatives can also enter a workplace to assist a non-union employee with matters relating to health and safety if that employee has requested their assistance.

Pay deductions can no longer be made for partial strikes, such as wearing t-shirts instead of uniforms as part of low-level industrial action. Employers can respond to a partial strike action the same way as any other strike, which could include suspending employees without pay or a lockout.

Businesses must now enter into bargaining for multi-employer collective agreements, if asked to join by a union. (See changes coming into effect on 6 May 2019 below in relation to the duty to conclude).

Employees will have extended protections against discrimination on the basis of their union membership status, including either being a union member or intending to be a union member. From now, an employer’s behaviour can be seen as discriminatory if it occurs within 18 months of employees undertaking union activities. This is an extension of 6 months. It does not apply retrospectively.

If requested by the employee, reinstatement will be the first course of action considered by the Employment Relations Authority, for employees that have been found to be unfairly dismissed. Reinstatement means the employee gets their previous job back. The Employment Relations Authority will still assess whether reinstatement is practicable and reasonable for both parties.

Earlier initiation timeframes have been restored for unions in collective bargaining, enabling a union to initiate bargaining 20 days ahead of an employer.

New categories of employees may apply to receive the protections afforded to ‘vulnerable employees’ through an application process set out in the Act.

Changes in effect on 6 May 2019

The right to prescribed rest and meal breaks will be restored, the number and duration of which depends on the hours worked. For example, an eight hour work day must include two 10-minute rest breaks and one 30-minute meal break, while a four-hour work day must include one 10-minute rest break. Rest breaks benefit workplaces by helping employees work safely and productively. Employers must pay for minimum rest breaks but don’t have to pay for minimum meal breaks. Employers and employees will agree when to take their breaks. If they cannot agree, the law will require the breaks to be in the middle of the work period, so long as it’s reasonable and practicable to do so. Some limited exemptions may apply for employers in specified essential services or engaged for the protection of New Zealand’s national security.

90-day trial periods will be restricted to businesses with less than 20 employees. This change means the majority of employees will have protections against unjustified dismissal from when they start a job. Businesses with 20 or more employees can continue to use probationary periods to assess an employee’s skills against the role’s responsibilities. A probationary period lays out a fair process for managing performance issues and ending employment if the issues aren’t resolved.

Employees in specified ‘vulnerable industries’ will be able to transfer on their current terms and conditions in their employment agreement if their work is restructured, regardless of the size of their employer. Changes also include a longer notice period for employees to elect to transfer to the new employer, this notice period is a minimum of 10 working days.

The duty to conclude bargaining will be restored, which means parties must conclude collective bargaining, unless there are genuine reasons based on reasonable grounds not to. This ensures that parties genuinely attempt to reach an agreement.

Parties will not have to settle a multi-employer collective agreement if their reason for not wanting to settle is based on reasonable grounds. For example, if there are significant differences between two employers – such as one operating in Auckland where prices and wages are higher, and the other in Invercargill – it could be reasonable for an employer to negotiate a single-employer collective agreement instead.

The 30-day rule will be restored. This means that for the first 30 days, new employees must be employed under terms consistent with the collective agreement. The employer and employee may agree more favourable terms than the collective.

Pay rates will need to be included in collective agreements, along with an indication of how the rate of wages or salary payable may increase over the agreement’s term. Employers will need to provide new employees with a form approved by the Chief Executive of MBIE within the first ten days of employment and return the form to the applicable union, unless the employee objects. The form gives employees time to talk to their union representatives before considering and indicating whether they intend to join a union or remain on the individual employment agreement.

Employers will need to allow for reasonable paid time for union delegates to undertake their union activities, such as representing employees in collective bargaining. Employees will need to agree with their employer to do so or, at a minimum, notify them in advance. An employer will be able to deny the request if it will unreasonably disrupt the business or the performance of the employee’s duties.

Employers will need to pass on information about the role and function of unions to prospective employees. Unions must bear the costs if they want printed materials to be passed on.

Download the Employment Relations Amendment Act 2018

If you have any questions or concerns on the above, please contact the Restaurant Association at 09 638 8403 or members can contact us on our 24/7 Helpline at 0800 737 827.

Why Talking Plates? Dishing up discussion around NZ food…

The idea behind Talking Plates is to get people thinking about what they can do personally to change the way New Zealanders  grow/catch, purchase and prepare food. The campaign aims to raise $10K to ensure this project can be taken to events and festivals throughout the country – including Wellington on a Plate and Taste of Auckland, where the Talking Plates team will work with local chefs within each region.

Talking Plates will be a chance to showcase New Zealand’s most precious resource, provoking discussion and challenging the status quo of our current food systems. Next month, at Nostalgia will see three of the regions cleverest young chefs cooking for everyone – Alex Davies from Gatherings, Aliesha Gabrielle from Fresh Press Pizza and Carlos Rodriguez from 27 Steps.

Talking Plates will start by focussing on three Eat New Zealand themes from the recent #FoodHui presented by the  Restaurant Association of New Zealand in partnership with Eat New Zealand:

• Food Resilience
• Sustainable Fishery in NZ
• Locally Grown Grains

The kitchen will be serving up three dishes which hero these topics. Starting with a fish dish which utilises the whole fish, sourced directly from the fisher who caught it, and celebrating The Kai Ika Project*. Secondly a dish that champions Canterbury/NZ grown grains and a dessert featuring wild food or produce grown in community gardens.

*The Kai Ika Project collects unwanted fish heads and frames and shares them with an appreciate local community who rever them for what they are, a true delicacy. For more info head to www.kaiika.co.nz

Find out more about Talking Plates here.

New Zealand’s Greatest Job Club: Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs

Beef + Lamb New Zealand have announced their five Ambassador Chefs for 2019 to act as figureheads to drive innovation and creativity within the foodservice sector. The appointments follow the announcement of the 173 Beef and Lamb Excellence Award holders for 2019, with the ambassadors selected from some of the highest rated restaurants during the assessments.

The five selected for the coveted roles are; Andrew May (Amayjen the Restaurant, Feilding) Freddie Ponder (Tables Restaurant, New Plymouth), Jarrod McGregor (Rothko at Sculptureum, Matakana), Pablo Tacchini (Cucina, Oamaru) and Scott Buckler (No. 31 Restaurant, Hanmer Springs).

The Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs’ roll of honour looks like a who’s who of Kiwi culinary trailblazers, with the quintet following in the footsteps of some of New Zealand’s most celebrated chefs. Peter Gordon, Ben Bayley, Sid Sahrawat, Kate Fay and Rex Morgan are just a few of Aotearoa’s finest that have featured in an ambassadorial capacity for Beef + Lamb New Zealand over the 23 years of the Beef and Lamb Excellence Awards.

Freddie Ponder, Head Chef at Tables Restaurant in New Plymouth, is returning to the ambassadorial role for a second year. Freddie said: “You only have to look at some of the high-profile names that have been Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs over the years to know what an honour it is.

 

“I was stoked to be asked last year, so to get another call up is awesome. What I really enjoyed about the experience was meeting and connecting with other chefs, seeing their enthusiasm and sharing ideas.”

Lisa Moloney has been Food Service Manager for Beef + Lamb New Zealand for over 12 years, overseeing the Ambassador Chef programme. Lisa said: “This year’s ambassadors have been selected not just because they are fantastic chefs, they were identified because of their creativity, dedication and excitement for cooking with beef and lamb.

“Their purpose is simple; to inspire a network of likeminded chefs to move forward, try something new and showcase what amazing creations are possible with beef and lamb.”

Kiwi food fanatics looking to sample the very best the ambassadors have to offer will be able to attend an Ambassador Series Dinner, hosted at each of the chef’s restaurant, with each chef being paired with a Platinum Ambassador Chef to create a unique beef and lamb dining experience.

For more information on these events and the 2019 Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ambassador Chefs please visit nzexcellenceawards.co.nz.

Food revolution: The “planetary diet” may save lives and the planet

A diet has been developed that promises to save lives, feed 10 billion people and all without causing catastrophic damage to the planet.

Scientists have been trying to figure out how we are going to feed billions more people in the decades to come.

Their answer – “the planetary health diet” – does not completely banish meat and dairy. But it requires an enormous shift in what we pile onto our plates and turning to foods that we barely eat.

The changes that are required

If you eat meat every day then this is the first biggie. For red meat you’re looking at a burger a week or a large steak a month and that’s your lot.

You can still have a couple of portions of fish and the same of chicken a week, but plants are where the rest of your protein will need to come from.

The researchers are recommending nuts and a good helping of legumes (that’s beans, chickpeas and lentils) every day instead.

There’s also a major push on all fruit and vegetables, which should make up half of every plate of food we eat, although there’s a cull on “starchy vegetables” such as the humble potato or cassava which is widely eaten in Africa.

So what is the diet in detail?

If you served it all up this is what you are allowed each day:

• Nuts – 50g a day
• Beans, chickpeas, lentils and other legumes – 75g a day
• Fish – 28g a day
• Eggs – 13g a day (so one and a bit a week)
• Meat – 14g a day of red meat and 29g a day of chicken
• Carbs – whole grains like bread and rice 232g a day and 50g a day of starchy vegetables
• Dairy – 250g – the equivalent of one glass of milk
• Vegetables (300g) and fruit (200g)

The diet has room for 31g of sugar and about 50g worth of oils like olive oil.

Will it taste awful?

Professor Walter Willet, one of the researchers who is based at Harvard, said it would not and that after a childhood on a farm eating three portions of red meat a day he was now in line with the planetary health diet.

“There’s tremendous variety there,” he said.

“You can take those foods and put them together in thousands of different ways. We’re not talking about a deprivation diet here, it is healthy eating that is flexible and enjoyable.”

Europe and North America need to cut back massively on red meat, East Asia needs to cut back on fish, and Africa on starchy vegetables.

“Humanity has never attempted to change the food system at this scale and this speed,” says Line Gordon, an assistant professor at the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

“Whether it’s a fantasy or not, a fantasy doesn’t have to be bad… it’s time to dream of a good world,” she says.

Taxes on red meat are one of the many options the researchers say may be necessary to persuade us to switch diets.

Who came up with this proposal?

A group of 37 scientists from around the world were brought together as part of the EAT-Lancet commission.

They’re a mix of experts from farming to climate change to nutrition and they took two years to come up with their findings which have been published in The Lancet.

Why do we need a diet for 10 billion people?

The world population reached 7 billion in 2011 and it’s now around 7.7 billion. That figure is expected to reach 10 billion around 2050 and will keep on climbing.

The researchers say the diet will prevent around 11 million people dying each year. That number is largely down to cutting diseases related to unhealthy diets such as heart attacks, strokes and some cancers.

These are now the biggest killers in developed countries.

How bad is farming for the planet?

The use of land for growing food and forestry accounts for around a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, about the same as from electricity and heating, and substantially more than from all the trains, planes and cars on the planet.

When you look more closely at the food sector’s environmental impact, you can see that meat and dairy are the major factors – worldwide, livestock accounts for between 14.5 and 18 percent of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.

When it comes to other warming gases, agriculture is one of the leading contributors to both methane and nitrous oxide emissions.

Agriculture is also a significant source of air pollution with ammonia from farms a major cause of fine particulate matter, which the WHO says is a threat to health worldwide.

Similarly when it comes to water, agriculture and food productions are one of the biggest threats, consuming 70 percent of global freshwater sources for irrigation.

So will the planetary health diet save the planet?

The researchers’ aim was to feed more people while:

• Minimising greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change
• Preventing any species going extinct
• Have no expansion of farmland
• and preserve water.

However, just changing diets is nowhere near enough.

In order to make the numbers add up, it also requires a halving of food waste and to increase the amount of food produced on current farmland.

“If we were just minimising greenhouse gases we’d say everyone be vegan,” said Prof Willet. However, he said it was unclear whether a vegan diet was the healthiest option.

The EAT-Lancet Commission plans to take its findings to governments around the world and bodies such as the World Health Organisation to see if they can begin to change the way we eat.

By Radio NZ via BBC

Building customer trust and credibility using the NZBN

It’s no secret that we Kiwis like to roll up our sleeves, test our ingenuity and get creative on the business front. According to Stats NZ, there are 487,602 small businesses in New Zealand – that’s a whole lot of entrepreneurial spirit. Anyone who has started their own business will tell you it’s tough. One of the hardest parts is getting your foot in the door with potential clients. Building trust with your customers and being able to show them you’re a credible business is a big stepping stone, particularly for sole traders or one-person operations, like photographer Jenna Wara.

“As a wedding photographer, I’m part of a really big day in my client’s lives, which is why it’s so important for them to know exactly who they’re working with,” says Jenna, from Kapiti. Jenna first heard about the New Zealand Business Number (NZBN) from a customer. “She wanted to know I was running a real business. I’m not registered as a company because I operate as a sole trader, so she asked for my NZBN,” Jenna explains. Sole traders weren’t previously included on any government register but now the NZBN Register makes it easy for self-employed people like Jenna to prove their credibility – and it’s free to sign up.

The NZBN is a unique identifier for every Kiwi business. It links to the information businesses are most often asked to share, like their physical address, phone number and website. Emily Miazga, the nutritionist behind Em’s Power Cookies, says building trust with your clients or customers is important. Based in the West Coast, Em started the business in 2004 and now supplies energy snacks to over 100 retailers across the country. “When starting out in business, building your networks and finding great suppliers and retailers is key,” Emily explains. Instead of repeating her business information over and over, Emily can just supply her NZBN.

The Honest Platter, a catering company in the Bay of Plenty, were named Hospitality Business of the Year at 2018’s Katikati and Waihi Beach Community Awards after only nine months in business. As a business that deals with food safety, it’s even more important for founder Hollie Procter to be able to show her customers and suppliers that she’s running a real, registered business. “The internet and social media are amazing. In this day and age, anyone can start up a business and have a really good shot at making it big. A food business is a little different though, as anyone who handles food needs a licence,” Hollie explains. Hollie includes the company’s NZBN on The Honest Platter website and invoices, so customers can quickly and easily look up her business details and be confident they’re hiring a licensed catering company.

Companies have been given an NZBN automatically, while sole traders, partnerships and trusts can get theirs for free at nzbn.govt.nz.

The new payday filing system works best for employers with payroll software and Inland Revenue has been working closely with the providers to make sure they’re well placed to meet their clients’ needs when it becomes mandatory in April.

This is when all employers will be required to submit their employment information every time they pay their staff.

Customer segment leader Richard Owen says a few software providers are already up and running and many more are in the process of finalising their solutions.

“Now more providers are on board, we’re hoping employers will put payday filing on their New Year to-do list. This is not something you want to leave until the last minute so we’ve been encouraging customers to speak with their software provider and start payday filing as soon as possible to avoid stress close to the deadline.”

“Using payroll software is the simplest way to complete the task so I would encourage newcomers to the technology to take some time to research all available options. This includes the payday filing tool we’ve built into myIR within the Payroll Returns Account, which might suit those employers who are not quite ready to make a switch to software.”

Inland Revenue has provided a network ‘gateway’ for software providers to feed employment information straight into its systems. It guides them through testing and will help resolve any compatibility issues.

“The gateway has allowed software providers to create a one-stop shop where in many cases the payday filing obligations can be completed seamlessly with just a few extra clicks,” Mr Owen says.

“Accounting and payroll software has the ability to revolutionise business interactions with the tax system and has the potential to further reduce compliance costs. There will be some businesses wary of making another technology investment or think their business is too small to use software but there are a range of lower-cost options available in the market to suit companies of all sizes.”

The tool in the myIR portal helps businesses give IRD the required information as easily as possible. A little set up time is needed but after that, most of their employment information will be pre-populated so employers can avoid having to re-enter much of the same information every payday.

Find out more about payday filing and all the options available at www.ird.govt.nz/payday.

It’s the final countdown for existing businesses that make, sell and/or transport food to meet the 28 February 2019 Food Act registration deadline.

New Zealand Food Safety, local councils, and industry organisations have been working hard to help all food businesses meet the deadline for registration. This includes supporting businesses in the apiculture, transport, horticulture, food retail, food manufacturing, and grain processing sectors, plus brewers, distillers, manufacturers of vinegar, alcoholic beverages or malt extract.

Registration takes time so be sure to register now to meet the 28 February 2019 deadline.

If existing food businesses are not registered by the 28 February deadline, they will be operating unregistered businesses, and MPI and local councils may need to take enforcement action. So, immediate action needs to be taken to get registered.

If businesses want to find out what rules they need to follow and how they can register, they can use the online tool Where Do I Fit? as a starting point. For any new businesses, it’s never too late to register.

If you need further assistance, members can contact us today at 0800 737 827.

As we reflect on 2018, there is a feeling that it was a transformative year for hospitality; a year where the existing norms of the industry have been challenged, where new alliances have formed and where we can see some exciting new developments unfolding for the industry on the horizon.

At the end of 2017 the Association came to the realisation that we needed to front foot a drive to promote the wellness and resilience of people in the hospitality industry – both employers and employees. While the industry can be fast paced and exciting, it is also at times stressful and we need to do all that we can for those that suffer as a result of this. This was an important area of focus for the Association in 2018. We’ve introduced a number of industry initiaitves, including a wellness forum, workshops and seminars, and industry-specific resources produced in collaboration with the Mental Health Foundation.

The Restaurant Association has also been an active advocate for the hospitality industry in 2018, representing the industry point of view on a number of the Government’s tourism and food and beverage working groups and preparing submissions on areas impacting our businesses. It’s important that an industry that contributes so much to the nation’s economy has a voice when key decisions are being made. In our advocacy work recently we have been arguing for café and restaurant manager skill shortages to be officially recognised. We are waiting to hear if we have been successful in getting this role onto Immigration New Zealand’s immediate skill shortage list (ISSL) and will let members know when we hear more. There is much more work going on as we prepare for some more employment legislation changes in 2019.

2018 was a year of collaboration for the Restaurant Association, with one of our key new relationships being with Eat New Zealand. Restaurant Association members now receive dual membership for both organisations and we partnered with Eat New Zealand on the new eatnewzealand.nz website and to present the inaugural hui, a 2-day gathering that considered some of the most important questions, challenges and opportunities in New Zealand food and hospitality at the moment.

We have also collaborated with Lexis Nexis to introduce RA ComplyHub to members – an online tool for business owners and managers to understand and stay on top of their legal obligations. RA ComplyHub has core compliance information and guidance for our members in one central place. We have launched a partnership with Takeaway Solutions, a free online ordering and table booking solution.

A new research partnership with AUT which will assist us to finalise an accreditation programme in 2019 that recognises employers who are achiveing at a level above the rest. We look forward to bringing you more information on this next year as we finalise the elements of this programme.

No matter who we are conversing with, Restaurant Association conversations always emphasise the great things happening in the industry and one of the ways we celebrate our amazing businesses and the people in them is through our Regional Hospitality Awards platform. We grew our number of regional hospitality awards to 11 in 2018, with events now held in Auckland, Bay of Plenty (bi-annual), Manawatu, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown, Nelson (bi-annual) and Rotorua. New Awards will be launched for the Taranaki and Waikato regions in 2019.

Thank you to all of you that support the Restaurant Association. My team and I will continue to work hard to support you in your businesses.

Marisa Bidois

CEO, Restaurant Association of NZ

Here are some of our highlights of 2018.

• We grew our Restaurant Association team to 19 people, with 15 located at the Auckland head office, 1 in Rotorua, 2 in Wellington and 1 in Christchurch. We increased the size of our helpline team to 3.
• We have welcomed over 450 new members to the Restaurant Association, with 2,300 members now located around the country.
• Through the Association’s HospoStart programme, where we train unemployed New Zealanders in basic employability skills for the industry, we have helped to train 116 students, assisting them to find employment in our industry.
• We created a platform for awareness of hospitality business owners and employees wellbeing and resilience, including a wellness forum, workshops and seminars, and industry-specific resources produced in collaboration with the Mental Health Foundation.
• We partnered with Eat New Zealand, so hospitality businesses can access dual membership with each organization. We joined forces to present the country’s inaugural food and hospitality hui – a two day annual gathering that bought together the best local and international leaders in food and hospitality to share ideas, tools and stories, to educate and inspire!
• We introduced new member savings programmes with iMonitor, Lexis Nexis ComplyHub and Takeaway Solutions.
• The Association actively advocated on the industry’s behalf on employment, immigration, food safety and more. Chief Executive, Marisa Bidois met with 20 Ministers in government to ensure the industry’s position was clear on many issues facing the industry.
• Our helpline assisted over 600 members who called for advice and support.
• Our MentorMe programme assisted over 100 members.
• We hosted over 50 events – meetme’s, webinars and professional development seminars.
• A new research partnership with AUT has been formed to assist us to finalise an employer accreditation programme.
• We grew our regional hospitality awards platform to 11, with events in 2018 in Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown, Manawatu and Rotorua. Bi-annual events in Bay of Plenty and Nelson will be held in 2019 along with two new regional awards in Waikato and Taranaki.
• We hosted international keynote speakers, Nelly Robinson and over 20 local presenters at the 2018 hui, which was held in Christchurch in October. The event will move on to Auckland in 2019.
• Our Restaurant Association gift vouchers and restaurant gift cards look set to reach sales in excess of $1,500,000 to directly benefit Association members.
• We represented the industry on over 15 national and regional steering and advisory groups.
• We conducted research on the industry – from remuneration to minimum wages, immigration and more – providing benchmarks for members and assisting with media comment.
• We supported the DineAid charity, helping to raise money for those who need it.
• And much more!

As a nation, we need to focus on addressing future demands for sustainable seafood by catching closer to those who cook, ensuring access to the best seafood and encouraging others to work with a wide variety of species as we are allowed.

Here are some of the unique fish varieties available to the New Zealand market.

Albacore Tuna: Delicious, pale meaty flesh that, at its best, is both sweet, clean and delicate. Medium oil content, with more Omega 3 than other tunas.	Alfonsino: White flesh with a firm texture and high oil content. Great replacement for Snapper. Perfect fish for sashimi or the Pacific dish of Ika Mata, marinated in coconut cream and lime juice.	Blue Cod (Rāwaru): Medium-textured white flesh with a low oil content and is sweet-tasting. Gently flour fillets first, then pan-fry. One of the great fish for fish and chips. Steam whole fish and serve with an Asian dressing.
Red Gurnard (Pūwhaiau): Succulent, medium-textured flesh with a low oil content. Sauté with the skin on. Bake or crumb the fillets. The fillets are delicate, with a small, sweet white flake. One of the few fish I dust in flour before cooking in butter. Substitute for butterfish, blue cod or Tarakihi.	Blue Warehou (Warehou Kahurangi): Medium-textured flesh with relatively low oil content. Best cooked in wet dishes such as curries or stews but is also terrific crumbed or battered. Great replacement for Hapuka / Groper or Bluenose.	Butterfish (Mararī): Succulent flesh, medium-textured with a high iodine content. Clean, delicate flavour, translucent flesh, flakes easily and makes the best battered fish. Also known as Black Cod or Sablefish, it’s highly prized internationally.
Gemfish (Makataharaki): Delicate flesh with a high fat content that flakes easily. Terrific pan-fried. Suits Mediterranean ingredients. Smoked, it makes a splendid kedgeree.	Hoki (Hoki): Delicate and succulent, flakes easily. Should we call it ‘Blue Grenadier’ to differentiate it from fish fingers? Try it with a herb crust, or Cajun spices.	Yellowbelly Flounder (Pātiki): Succulent, delicate flesh with a low oil content. Perfect roasted whole or barbecued. Dust the fillets in a light coating of flour and pan-fry. Cook whole and serve with a lemon, parsley and caper butter.
Jack Mackeral (Hautere): Soft, flaky and succulent flesh with a high oil content. The dark flesh lightens up on cooking. Excellent preserved in oil. Bake, barbecue, grill or smoke. Serve with a summer salad of tomatoes and basil. Substitutions are Trevally, Kahawai or Kingfish.	Blue Moki (Moke); Well-textured, pink-fleshed fish with plenty of fatty content around the skin. Superb in seafood chowder or in a curry. Cook with the skin on – the fat layer melts and naturally bastes the fish as it cooks.	Hake (Kehe): Soft, delicate flesh, large fillets with a subtle flavour. Marinate, poach, bake. Wonderful in a chowder. Most species can be replaced by Hake.
Kahawai (Kahawai): Dark, medium-textured flesh that lightens on cooking. Suited to smoking or serving raw. An underrated fish, ideally pan-fried, as sashimi or as a ceviche. Substitutions are Trevally, Jack Mackerel, Sardines or Kingfish.	Lemon Sole (Raututu/Pātaki Rori): Delicate white flesh, low oil content, almost sweet tasting. Grill whole with lemon and fresh herbs. Substitute Turbot, Flounder or Brill.	Ling (Hokarari): Very firm with very white flesh that holds its shape well on cooking. You want to make a seafood stew? This is your fish. One of the most versatile fish available. Substitute Hake, Gemfish or Hoki.

By Martin Bosley, Chef, Chief Fishmonger & National Sales Manager, Yellow Brick Road

A fresh look and new location at Bayfair Shopping Centre saw The Coffee Club get off to a strong start as the revamped mall opened its doors last week. The results for the opening weekend were one of the best seen by the brand and will be pleasing news for new franchisees, Billie Burrows and Mark Seton

Over 2,500 people visited the store over the four day period starting on Thursday 6  December through to Sunday 9 December. It was one of the busiest opening weekends for the café chain that has over 60 stores in New Zealand. Nearly a third of those to walk through the doors did so on the opening day.

The popularity of the newly refreshed restaurant will be welcome news for owners Billie & Mark who have returned home to Mount Maunganui after running several different cafes across the North Island. “We opened our first café in Papamoa. Since then we have owned and operated a couple of different venues before taking a break to travel. Now we’re back home and excited to be here,” says Billie. 

The Coffee Club took up a new spot in the refreshed Bayfair Shopping Centre, which gave the brand a chance to freshen up its look. “It’s one of our most open sites in terms of its layout,” says Brad Jacobs, Director of The Coffee Club. “It has been designed to feel very accessible and welcoming for anyone in the centre. I think the revamp is going to be a huge success.”

The region is one that the popular café chain has highlighted as a growth area in New Zealand, as it continues to look for opportunities to expand beyond Auckland. “We are seeing a lot of potential to grow the business in quite a few of the regions. There have been a number of commercial developments across the country, and lots of areas outside of Auckland are growing in popularity, so it’s an exciting time,” adds Brad.

The Coffee Club Bayfair Shopping Centre, Mount Maunganui has a breakfast, brunch and lunch menu that can be ordered from at any time of the day. It is open Monday-Sunday from 7.00am to 6.00pm, except on Thursday and Friday, when it stays open late until 9.00pm.

At an awards gala on Thursday 6 December, Marisa Bidois – Restaurant Association of New Zealand CEO – was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to the Hospitality and Tourism Community Award by AUT.

AUT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism holds an awards event every year to acknowledge its top students and to recognise industry achievements. The Award recognises outstanding performance, and is a recognition of contributions toward raising the standard of hospitality in New Zealand and increasing awareness of New Zealand as a cuisine destination.

AUT Head of Department Hospitality David Williamson says the awards are an important recognition of outstanding achievement by the school’s top students and the industry awards ‘close the circle’.

“Now, by adding the industry awards, the event is celebrating both the excellence of the young graduates, just starting their careers, and the achievements of  ‘legends’, who have graduated in the past. This way both the future and the legacy of the school is celebrated and recognised.”

These successful people exemplify a gateway into an exciting, challenging and rewarding career option and they offer a great example to inspire and motivate young professionals joining our industry.

The recipients of this Award have actively worked to strengthen, promote and enrich the hospitality community. This year, Marisa Bidois was presented this honour for her outstanding contributions to the hospitality industry, alongside Joseph Casalme for his work in the events industry.

Marisa was selected for her ongoing commitment in promoting excellence within the hospitality industry, which has included not only lifting the standards of restaurant service, but also employment practice and education outcomes.

The Award recognises Marisa’s work within hospitality education through a wide range of partnerships including the Ministry of Social Development and the School of Hospitality and Tourism at AUT.

“To be recognised by your industry peers is a real honour. This is a tough industry to work in but I am motivated by my passion for the industry and a commitment to help hospitality businesses deliver the very best service they can to New Zealanders. I am humbled to be given this award and look forward to continuing my work.”

As a long-term supporter of the School of Hospitality and Tourism at AUT, Marisa holds a seat on the Hospitality Industry Partnership Board. In working with the school, Marisa provides opportunities for student learning through their work-integrated learning placements and postgraduate research projects. Over the years, Marisa has attended countless orientation sessions, guest lectures, expert panels and awards ceremonies.

Since its inception in 2015, this Award has had 9 previous outstanding recipients across the tourism, events, and hospitality industry including David Comery, Judith Tabron, Krishna Botica, Simon Gault, Tony Astle, Michael Meredith, Jason Hill, Lindy Christian, and Paul Dunlop.

Each recipient of this Award have contributed in their own way to their field of practice, New Zealand society and education.