CHEF TIPS

Your secret ingredient to enhance the flavours of desserts

“In today’s ultra-competitive foodservice marketplace, it’s more important than ever to ensure that the standard of your desserts meets the demanding expectations of your customers,” points out chef Adam Moore. “To do this, you need to choose ingredients which you can rely upon to deliver consistently high quality.”

There are even some products which can be used as ‘secret ingredients’ to enhance the flavours of your dessert dishes – such as Dairy Farmers Cream Cheese.

Developed to deliver a mild, fresh tasting flavour and rich creamy texture, Dairy Farmers Cream Cheese is your ideal ‘secret ingredient’ in a wide range of desserts. From burnt basque cheesecake to tiramisu, cherry clafoutis to apple and cream cheese strudel; as a rich frosting to top chocolate gateaux, or to add an extra dimension to muffins, tartlets, danishes and sweetbreads; even in cold dessert soups like chilled cherry - Dairy Farmers Cream Cheese will impart a delicious ‘something extra’ to your dessert offerings.

“Dairy Farmers Cream Cheese is a fantastically versatile ingredient, so it’s no wonder it’s a key component of numerous dessert recipes,” Adam emphasises. “The mild flavour, subtle tartness and rich texture makes it ideal for both hot and cold dishes, and it’s firm enough to ensure consistent presentation and hold.

“As its taste is mild and subtle rather than dominating, Dairy Farmers Cream Cheese has the ability to blend with a wide range of other ingredients – it will always complement but never overwhelm the other flavours of the dish,” Adam adds. “This not only makes it the perfect ‘secret ingredient’ for desserts, but also ensures its suitability for savoury dishes.

“You’ll find it’s the ideal choice for many baking and patisserie applications, such as filling for muffins and scones, in cookies and banana bread, and in both sweet and savoury quiches. You can also easily use it as a savoury filling or spread, or complement it with other ingredients to make sauces or dips for entrees and mains.”

So ensure you always have some extra packs of Dairy Farmers Cream Cheese on hand – you’ll find its quality is matched only by its versatility.

You can also find other useful dessert ingredients in the extensive Dairy Farmers range – including Dairy Farmers Buttermilk, which is highly regarded for the uniquely tangy flavour it imparts, making it the perfect choice in dessert dishes ranging from pancakes and crepes to waffles, tarts, cakes, pies, pecan pie, shortcake, ice cream and more – the only real limit is that of the chef’s imagination!

LISTEN

The Culinary Passport - EP1: Scott Hallsworth

Scott Hallsworth is a chef, restaurateur and author well known in London and Australia where he’s launched some ground-breaking establishments. He owns The Freak Scene restaurant in partnership with Australian comedian, radio and TV presenter, Adam Hills, in Parsons Green.

WATCH

Masterclass: Dairy Farmers Thickened Cream

Chef Adam Moore shows the versatility and quality of Dairy Farmers Thickened Cream with it's superior 35% fat content giving you a faster whip time, longer hold, and 2.5x volume.

OPERATIONS

Dealing with customer complaints on social media

Having an online social media presence on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram is a great way to publicise your food to potential customers. But the ability for customers to post comments can be a double-edged sword.

Positive comments on your food, service and the overall experience can be great for business – but how do you respond to negative ones like customer complaints?

Today, every customer is also a potential reviewer – and while it can be difficult to find the time to moderate social media posts and respond to complaints, it’s imperative to do so promptly.  

False or unjustified complaints are also increasingly becoming a problem – so much so that the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has posted specific advice online on dealing with fake or misleading reviews.

The ACCC advises that you need to have an adequate basis to conclude that a review is likely to be fake or misleading before removing or editing it, otherwise consumers may be misled.

Therefore an important first step in dealing with any complaints posted on social media is to try to ascertain whether or not they are genuine.

To do this, reach out to the customer making the complaint by replying to their post and asking them for specifics about their negative experience: when and where they bought the food from your business, whether it was dine-in, takeaway or home delivery, which staff they interacted with and exactly why they are unhappy. You should tell the customer you will look into their complaint and try to resolve it.

Complaints like long wait times to be seated or served can often be fixed by a simple apology. In the case of an incorrect order being served, or poor service from a staff member, you’ll need to establish whether the complaint is justified. In such instances, speaking to the staff members concerned will often enable you to get another side of the story.

Remember not all complaints are justified, as some customers will have unrealistic expectations of your staff or exaggerate what actually happened. If, however, it turns out that your staff did do something wrong, you should put processes in place to ensure it won’t happen again. This could be via extra staff training or better procedures to reduce wait time, improve communication between front of house and the kitchen, etc.

When responding to complaints online, always remember your comments may be visible to other existing or potential customers. Therefore, try to remain professional, polite and helpful, and empathise with the complainant’s position where it’s appropriate to do so. 

You should also try to take the conversation offline as soon as possible -such as by asking the customer to email you directly, so that the steps taken to resolve the situation can be done privately.

Once you have fully investigated the complaint and determined its validity, try to ascertain what the customer is looking for in redress. If they were unhappy about the quality of the food or service, offering them a free meal to make it up for it can help you win them back for more repeat business – just make sure that this time, there are no further grounds for complaint!

ADVICE

Marketing your business as a ‘destination dining’ experience

The concept of ‘destination dining’ originated with the prestigious Michelin Guide of France, which awards stars to restaurants and hotels across Europe. It refers to food businesses which hold such allure that their customers are willing to travel specifically to dine there.

Destination dining has since been adopted as a marketing tool by a wide variety of foodservice establishments in an effort to set themselves apart from the competition and generate new business.

So how do you market your business as a destination dining experience? Start by identifying what it is which attracts potential customers to your local area and how you can leverage this to your business advantage. This may entail collaborating with other local businesses such as food producers and tourist organisations. Here are five helpful steps to follow:

Determine your destination’s distinctive charm

Every locale possesses its own appeal, whether it’s the vibrant atmosphere of a beachfront dining strip or the cosmopolitan charm of an inner-city district. Identify the essence of your community’s allure and use it to inspire you in creating a distinctive dining experience for your customers – perhaps by incorporating local references on the menu, adopting décor which encapsulates the local ambience, or showcasing regional produce such as wines or specialized ingredients within your signature dishes.

Capitalise on cross-promotional opportunities

Forging partnerships with local wineries, breweries, tourist sites, farmers’ markets and other complementary businesses can enhance your opportunity to promote your own business. Explore opportunities to feature your business on tourism or local business websites and to participate in events such as markets and street fairs. Tasting programs and cooking classes can also boost your business profile.

Take advantage of local sponsorship opportunities

Supporting community events, sports teams and charitable initiatives helps strengthen your ties with locals as well as extending your reach to visitors attending their gatherings. Event sponsorship is a cost-effective way to increase your brand exposure and publicise your business to potential customers.

Talk up the destination to your customers

Showcasing all your local area has to offer to customers helps foster a sense of connection and helps encourage visitors to return not only to the community but to your business in the future. 

Emphasise your use of local ingredients

Capitalise upon the increasing interest in food provenance by prominently featuring locally sourced produce on your menus. You can also utilise exterior signage to showcase your commitment to supporting regional farmers and artisan suppliers.