Making an impact on hospitality sustainability with zero waste

Operating a zero waste policy at Vic Road Kitchen has always been an important aspect to Ian’s cheffing philosophy but now more than ever, sustainability in the hospitality industry needs to be addressed.

In a 2017/2018 study, researches found that the average cafe or restaurant generated 2.8 tonnes of waste per year, adding up to a total of 24,375 tonnes across New Zealand every year. Of this, over 60% of waste was considered avoidable.

Five Ways We Reduce food waste at Vic Road Kitchen

1. We operate a weekly changing menu. Why does this reduce food waste? Our chefs have the flexibility to order what is in season and more importantly, order in the quantities they can sell. This means the our dishes are new each week (no old ingredients lying around or reliance on frozen products), our dishes taste exceptionally fresh and zero wastage at the end of the week.

2. Everything (EVERYTHING!) gets used in our dishes. Bones get used to make broth and bases, including fish bones to make our own homemade fish stock. We use this fish stock in our seafood risotto or chowders. Off cuts of meat, which would normally be thrown out, get braised down to make delicious ragus, resulting in a rich and complex flavours. Even the skins of vegetables are thrown in the vegetable stock and the skins of fruit are infused into our home-made fruit gins and liqueurs!

3. Smaller bread and cracker portions. Now you may be sceptical about this one - reducing what we serve you?! But did you know that the only area of wastage, we cannot control, is wastage on customer plates? Due to our strict health and safety protocols, the waste on customer plates must go straight to the bin. So we do our part by serving our cheese and charcuterie boards with smaller portions of bread and crackers. After all, not everyone eats the same amount of bread and crackers! But don’t worry - if you need more, please just ask us and we will happily bring you more at no extra cost! We would rather this, than throwing what you haven’t eaten in the bin!

4. Take it home! We encourage customers to take any leftovers home with them. As I have just mentioned, food left over on a customer plate is destined for only one place - the rubbish bin. So we would much rather see that delicious food that our chefs spent time preparing, going home with you! Please ask us for a takeaway container (no matter how small the leftovers) and we will happily provide one (free of charge of course).

5. Reducing packaging waste where we can! Rather than buying in pastas and pizza doughs (which come in plastic), we make all our own pastas, breads and doughs. Not only do these taste much better than most commercially available options but the amount of packaging entering our restaurant is greatly reduced.

The food waste issue in hospitality is a big one but we feel passionate that by doing our part, we not only address and tackle the problem but also make the food taste better and operate a more sustainable policy overall.

So the next time you eat at Vic Road Kitchen - just remember that you are doing your part to help reduce the food waste crisis in hospitality.

If you want to read the full report of the study and results, click here to download the PDF.

Jerusalem artichokes

Winter seasonal produce

I was astounded at a recent wine tasting at Vic Road Wine Bar & Cellar, when the majority of our customers could not identify the Jerusalem artichoke on their plate. The dish was a beautiful Wintry ensemble of charred baby leeks, roasted Jerusalem artichoke, black garlic and hazlenuts (and we were serving it with a Čuvar Guardian Pinot Noir 2023) and the Jerusalem artichoke caused much confusion on the plate. It was clear that not only did people not realise what it was, but they also clearly didn’t know how to cook with it. It is one of the best vegetables to be harvested in Winter!

Jerusalem artichokes (also called sun-chokes) are a close relative of the sunflower and produce tall yellow flowers similar to sunflowers in late Summer. They thrive in cooler climates and are grown in the bottom of the North Island, and throughout the South Island, mainly in Central Otago and Banks Peninsular.

They are fairly easy to grow yourself (if you are that way inclined) and have a sweet, nutty flavour that make them super versatile in cooking.

HOW TO COOK WITH JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES

To prepare, simply scrub clean of any dirt and they are ready to go - no need to peel if you don’t want to.

Serving suggestions for Jerusalem artichokes usually include making a soup out of them which, while I admit is delicious, also seems fairly limited.

At Vic Road Kitchen, our chefs love roasting them with olive oil, salt and pepper and a little thyme if you have it. They go great in a roast vege salad or added to your normal Sunday roast fare.

Or you can substitute your normal mashed potato for mashed artichoke (or a half potato, half artichoke mix). Here you treat them the same as potatoes (don’t peel), boil until soft, then mash with butter, salt and pepper.

Similarly make a puree out of them to go underneath a beautiful steak and really impress your friends. Here you would boil them in milk until soft, drain and blend with butter until smooth. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Finally for a great main or side dish, try a Jerusalem artichoke gratin. Slice them raw and place in layers with some fried off onions, cheese and bechemel sauce. Repeat a few layers then sprinkle cheese (parmesan or cheddar) on top, then bake at 180 degrees for around 45 mins to an hour (or until you can push a knife through without resistance) and the cheese is bubbly on top.

Failing all this… Come into Vic Road Kitchen and sample some of OUR delicious artichoke dishes. The season ends around the end of August so get in quick!

Seasonal produce in Winter months - what to eat now.

Vic Road Kitchen is all about using seasonal produce and changing our menu every week based on what is in season, fresh and most of … tastes good. As the weather turns colder, it is tempting to hibernate and not venture out. But Winter brings a plethora of great produce that deserves our attention!

The winter months at Vic Road Kitchen

The colder months mean the root vegetables are ready for harvest and we see pumpkins, butternut squash, celeriac, Jerusalem artichokes, cabbages, yam and brussel sprouts coming into the kitchen.

Winter fruits are also available - not only is citrus ready but quince, pears, apples and tamarillos. Bar Manager Ronan is having lots of fun infusing spirits with these fruits to create amazing tasting tamarillo gin or apple vodka. Watch out for some new cocktails featuring these.

While the weather is chilly, the menu at Vic Road Kitchen also turns towards heartier dishes. We welcome proteins to slow cook and braise, reducing stocks to create sumptuous, rich and warming dishes.

TRY OUR…

Deep fried brussel spouts side dish. Don’t think about how your mother used to boil them for hours… we deep fry ours making them crunchy, smoky and delicious. Usually paired with a sweet apple or quince jam and chilli - this dish will change how you think about them!

Roasted jerusalem artichokes roasted with poached pear, stracciatella and crispy cavolo nero.

Both of these dishes are On the menu at Vic Road Kitchen now

Truffle season at Vic Road Kitchen

At Vic Road Kitchen, we love seasonal produce and you can’t get a more seasonal product than truffles!

The truffle season runs from May to August every year but the exact start and end times do vary. We love using Black Perigord Truffles from George’s Truffles, based in Riwaka. George and his team of specially trained dogs (Evee, Lego and Poppy) search out and harvest truffles during the Winter season. The process of finding and digging up these truffles can be lengthy which is why they command a good price.

What is a Truffle?

Truffles are essentially a fungus (in the same family as mushrooms) which grows underground on the roots of certain trees. They produce a strong smell which encourages wild animals to dig them up, eat them and excrete the spores to start the lifecycle again. It is this unique smell (and flavour) that also makes them a delicacy for humans!

Black Perigord Truffles

We source our Black Perigord Truffles from George’s Truffiére. Black Perigord truffles are one of the most sought after commercially available truffles and originates from France. George is super passionate about truffles and supplies many of the top restaurants in New Zealand.

Using truffles in cooking

The best way to use truffles in cooking is to shave it fresh over the finished dish! While truffle oils can be used as a substitute, our chefs love taking advantage of a seasonal product and using it fresh while we can.

We recommend shaving over a simple pasta or risotto (as we have on our menu) however you can also add to pizza, roast vegetables or your scrambled egg in the morning!

On the menu at Vic Road Kitchen

We currently have a delicious truffle risotto on the menu - we have kept the risotto simple to let the truffle shine! We also store our truffles in rice as they absorb the aroma and flavour!

Or opt to shave fresh truffle onto any of our menu items for just $28.

If you are interested in purchasing Black Perigord truffle from us (for personal use at home), please contact us with approximately how many grams you would like to buy. A small 10g truffle would be approximately $50.

Come in and experience the Black Perigord Truffle

while the season lasts!