What's on the menu

Richy: We see the trend now is going towards vitality and organic food; we’re working on products that meet this demand. The market is going for this — it’s not going headlong for it right now, but I think this is a trend we’ll see progressing from next year.

Impiazzi: I think products like this should become more widely available in the market; it’s opening up a bit now, and produce is certainly cheaper than it was a couple of years ago. Whether that’ll keep going down as demand and production increases, I don’t know.

Boyce: I don’t think people ever come out thinking ‘I want something healthy’; what they will do is look for balance in your dishes; flavours, balance and interest. It is important to have a good mix of products on your menu, hitting all sectors, whether they be health- or flavour-conscious.

Impiazzi: Most menus are going lighter anyway nowadays; I don’t see as much heavy-based dishes with cream and butter. It’s still there, but not as much.

What are the main challenges when trying to create a new menu?

Richy: It’s essential to have the right equipment — if you don’t, then your menu’s going to be limited by that. And skilled labour is also a key factor, as is the availability of fresh ingredients.
 
Zuberbühler: Availability of products on the local market would be one of the first challenges to be mentioned here, as we also have to be able to ensure consistency and maintain quality standards at every single service in the restaurants.

Eberle: The constant challenge is to surprise the customers with new and innovative dishes, while maintaining the same high standard at all times.

Fivaz: I think you’ve got to be cost-conscious. This year calls for special measures and careful menu engineering and I can’t emphasise enough about bottom line. Everyone’s trying to make their budgets and we have to give our clients what they want so we can achieve that bottom line.

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To what extent is your creativity limited by what fresh produce is regularly available in the region?

Zuberbühler: Very much, I would say. Many of the local suppliers are not even aware that there are higher-quality products available, as they focus on the best prices.

In the local market, the product availability is very limited and some fresh products are only being imported once a week. And you cannot have items on the menu that you only get in once a week.

Gradnitzer: It’s changed a lot over the past five years though. The quality can still be an issue, since it all comes over from overseas and you have the heat here as well, but with HACCP in operation that’s all getting off the ground now.

Also the chef needs to be open-minded and proactive, and go out there and track what they want down. It’s hard work — not like we’re used to in Europe; you really have to organise it yourself.We work with suppliers and give them support to get a product in. You have to give them the proper brief about where to get something, what to get and so on. And ultimately this helps you.

This is key, because everything on your menu, from the most complex dishes to the soups and salads, depends on the quality of ingredients you have coming in.

Impiazzi: I do think that chefs need to talk to each other and not be so protective about their sources, because at the end of the day it helps the whole industry.

Gradnitzer: Yes, that ‘I do what I do’ attitude is the old school chef’s ego coming out!

Boyce: For us to really grow the industry, we need to talk to each other a lot more. I can admit that I do originally come from an old school where it was all about egos, and I had to change my way of thinking, because it’s just not like that anymore.

It’s vital for us to talk to people, network, find out what else is going on — and not just here but elsewhere as well. Because that enables you to find new trends and develop new dishes.

Let’s face it: that approach is a lot more productive than just being an egotistical maniac and saying ‘my food’s good and that’s it’, because that won’t get you very far nowadays.