Engage with your customers even when they are not with you. There has never been a more important time than now to increase your online presence. Restaurants are all about community. Why should that stop when your customers walk out of your doors? Developing a social presence, and being able to correctly utilize it as a marketing channel, carries your community online and allows customers to interact with you even when they aren’t with you.

1. Introduce your staff to your followers

Your staff are a huge asset to your business. Leverage their distinct talents, expertise, personalities, and passions. By sharing posts about your staff, you give your customers a better glimpse into who they are and makes for a post that your employees want to engage with, likely sharing it with their networks. Not only does this boost the reach of your post, but it’s also a great way to provide well-deserved recognition.

For example, share a photo of your pastry chef and their favourite dish of the moment, or announce your staff members’ outside-of-work accomplishments like graduations, marriages, new babies, and more.

2. Post as Often as Possible

The more recent your last post on social media is, the more confidence guests will have that you are open and ready to serve them. Try posting once a day or at least a few times a week to let guests know you are still around.

It can be difficult to come up with content on a regular basis, but the key is not to overthink it too much! A shot of the day’s special, or even a simple video of you just saying hello keeps you connected to your guests.

3. Share information on your ingredients

Consumers are becoming fussier when it comes to eating out – and they want to know that the food they’re eating is not only made from high-quality ingredients but also that it’s safe to eat. You can use social media to become a responsible business and let people know exactly what they’re eating.

This works particularly well for restaurants that use lots of high-quality local ingredients, as you can use this as a selling point and encourage more people to try you out – you could even share images of potatoes being picked from a farm, only to be turned into hand-cut chips and fried. A video of the process would work great!

4. Run a Competition

Instagram is the platform where restaurants see the most engagement, so try running a contest to boost your reach. The Instagram algorithm loves it when people share, comment on, and like your photo and contests give your followers a reason to do just that. An Instagram contest is a low-budget method to get the word out.

5. Photograph your food well

You make delicious food, so start taking photographs to match. You don’t have to be a world-class photographer to take great snaps of your meals. Nowadays, we all have great smartphones in our pockets – just focus on presentation, find a spot with great natural lighting, turn off your flash and take pictures in landscape mode.

6. Recipes, how-to’s, and tutorials

Show off your expertise and show your followers how you make your food. Of course, you don’t want to give away all of your secrets or encourage people not to buy from you, but by sharing some tips, you’ll not only show people you’re an expert at what you do, but you’ll be creating some valuable content that you can share time and time again, and generate likes and followers from.

7. Reviews from satisfied customers

If your food is any good, then you’ll have a boatload of satisfied customers who have left reviews. Share some of these on social media, either by making your own custom graphics, asking your patrons to record a quick video sharing their experiences or by taking photos of thank you cards and recommendations from your loyal customers.

Happy posting ! And remember consistency is key !

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In a bid to stay ahead of competitors Barristas are constantly looking for fresh and exciting ways to re-invent coffee. Some of these latest trends are perfect for social media sharing and a perfect way to differentiate your brand and get people talking

Here are our top picks…

COFFEE IN A CONE

Coffee in a cone is exactly what the names says. Serve your coffee, either a Cappuccino or an Espresso in a chocolate coated Ice-Cream cone. The concept was developed by Dayne Levinrad, a marketing executive and Barista at The Grind Company in Johannesburg and it has brought some much needed innovation and excitement into the coffee industry worldwide. 

THE BLUE LATTE

 A healthy alternative to the classic latte, hipsters and indies alike will lap this up.

It’s brewed with ginger, coconut milk, lemon agave and live E3 blue algae powder. This vegan ‘smurf’ is packed full of powerful antioxidants derived from the algae which means that there is no need for the caffeine to perk you up. It’s more than just a pretty face with over 65 vitamins, enzymes and minerals mixed together to make it super healthy. The ones lucky enough to try it describe it as a ‘prominently sweet, gingery taste before the drink succumbed to a funky sourness that lingered long after the last sip.’

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VIETNAMESE COFFEE

This brew has taken New York City by storm and is catching on globally.  Whisked egg yolks are mixed with condensed milk and poured over espresso! Don’t be alarmed it sounds a bit strange but is totally delicious. It’s probably sweeter than what you’re used to, making it an ideal dessert alternative.

Brew a small cup of Vietnamese coffee (available from most premium delicatessens). Crack an egg and discard the whites. Put the yolk and sweetened condensed milk into a small, deep bowl and whisk vigorously until you end up with a frothy, fluffy mixture. Add a tablespoon of the brewed coffee and whisk it in. In a clear coffee cup (for aesthetics), pour in your brewed coffee, then add the fluffy egg mixture on top. Serve, drink and enjoy!

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COFFEE ART

Then there are some that are taking coffee decoration to entirely new levels. Adding a bit of colour to the milk froth and a whole load of talent, your coffee can become a masterpiece and certainly something that will get your guests talking.

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Feel inspired? Great. Get creative, dare to be different and make your customers happy, and let them do your social media marketing for you. Or simply try it for yourself at home and enjoy!

The 2020 edition of the Michelin guide to Great Britain and Ireland was recently released, and with it comes fantastic news for SA: Restaurant Interlude, an eatery headed by Capetonian chef Jean Delport, has been awarded its first Michelin star.

Delport, who previously worked at Benguela on Main, traded Somerset West for West Sussex early last year where he heads up a new fine-dining restaurant at the historic Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens estate.

“I was lucky enough to bring a handful of guys with me from South Africa to do what we wanted to do … to try to do something that’s different,” Delport told media. “Every single course has an element that we’ve either foraged, grown or farmed on the estate.” 

In the Michelin Guide 2020 this paragraph is part of the Interlude entry: 

‘Both the Executive Chef and the Head Chef hail from South Africa, but the two surprise tasting menus keep their focus firmly on the local area, with produce foraged from the garden or sourced from nearby. Skillfully crafted dishes show the balance in their textures and flavours, and take on a creative, original style. They produce their own gin for the aperitifs and offer wines from their Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate in The Cape.   

Delport is now the second South African chef to earn a Michelin star. The first was Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen who was quick to welcome Delport to the “club”.

Many coffee shops are making it their mission to have a unique look that stands out . This café’s interior is designed to look like a 2D cartoon. It’s finishing, furnishing, and even kitchenware, from plates to cups, all have a 2D look, creating an optical illusion that gives visitors the feeling that they’ve entered the world of cartoon characters.  Café Yeonnam-dong in Seoul got famous from this distinctive interior and is now looking to expand into a franchise

Enjoying spectacular mountain views, the Drakensberg Sun Resort has been offering family friendly holidays and corporate conferences for many years. Guests enjoy an array of activities surrounded by some of South Africa’s most loved scenery. Owned and operated by our valued clients: Tsogo Sun Hotels, the resort has created lasting memories for many and we can’t wait to see their rolling lawns and mountain trails filled with happy guests again.

THE PERFECT BASE TO ENJOY ALL THAT THE BERG HAS TO OFFER

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For more on this Core Client visit their website

Longing for the sounds and smells of the Bush? Our valued client Shamwari Game Reserve is the perfect place to revel in the splendour of our country’s vast and beuatiful landscape. For many years they have been at the forefront of conservation making them a proudly South African example of the professionalism, endurance and commitment of our Safari and hospitality industry

Situated in the Eastern Cape, an area historically rich in wildlife which was decimated by early hunters and settlers, has over the past two decades been developed into a fully functioning ecosystem. Now an abundance of Big Game traverses the reserve and is a testament to responsible management and long term ecological sustainability.

AT THE FOREFRONT OF CONSERVATION WITH A COMMITTED LONG TERM APPROACH

A PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN EXAMPLE OF THE ENDURANCE OF OUR HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

The word “Shamwari” is Shona for “friend”, and testifies to the warm welcome and hospitable ambience of the reserve.  They are set apart by their world-class service with a liberal dose of extravagance.

For more on the Core Client visit their their website

THE SOUS VIDE METHOD

Introducing sous vide cooking! Literally translating from French to “warm bath”, sous vide cooking combines the mystery of the culinary arts with the science behind it to produce consistent, professional results without the need for prior training. So, how does it work?

Don’t let the fancy French name fool you, cooking food sous vide is much easier than you think. This practice has long been used in professional kitchens for preparing steak as well as a range of other meals. Basically, it involves cooking food in a vacuum-sealed bag submerged in water that is held at a constant temperature. This way moisture isn’t lost and the food cooks evenly in its own juices for the most succulent results.

The reason this method has been largely confined to fine dining kitchens is that sous vide equipment used to be very expensive and cumbersome, but now the technology has been simplified and adapted for commercial use. With a sous vide circulator and bath, you can bring the taste and skill of the best steakhouses to the comfort of your kitchen.

WHY TRY SOUS VIDE?

Sous vide results are simply just better. Thanks to a constant temperature, you will get an even cook throughout your product and because it’s vacuum-sealed, it retains all of its natural juices. It’s also healthier because it retains nutrients and leaner because you use less oil. Check these comparisons to see how sous vide lives up to traditional cooking methods.

As you can see from the sous vide salmon on the left it’s perfectly cooked from edge to edge. It also retains a beautiful translucent pink colour and a delicate, flaky texture. The traditional pan-cooked salmon on the right suffers from being overcooked due to the pan temperature being higher than the target temperature, resulting in a dry product.

The same can be said of the sous vide steak on the left. You can easily see how beautifully it’s been cooked from edge to edge, whereas the pan-cooked steak has overcooked edges. Another significant difference to note is that the volume and mass of the pan-cooked steak are severely diminished because of a loss of moisture.

You can even cook eggs sous vide style and again the results are phenomenally consistent. If you want a perfectly poached egg for every breakfast, you can easily do so with the precise cooking sous vide appliances offer you. To prepare food sous vide style, you’ll need a circulator, a warm bath, vacuum-sealable bags and some method to vacuum seal, like a vacuum sealing machine.

The first step of the process is vacuum sealing whatever it is you’re planning on cooking. Once, your product has been sealed, you can set the temperature and time on your sous vide circulator and bath. Simply pop the bag in the water, there is no need to check on the product as the circulator ensures that your product gets an even cook over consistent temperature. Once the cooking time has elapsed, remove the product from the bag and finish it off with a quick sear in the pan for that extra caramelised flavour.

BEST FOODS FOR SOUS VIDE

There are so many different types of food that are suitable to cook sous vide but some benefit more from the process than others. For instance, tougher cuts of meat completely transform when cooked sous vide. The process effectively breaks down the tough proteins to give you a super tender result. Below you will find a list of Core Catering Supplies’ favourite foods to cook sous vide.

FISH

The flesh of fish is delicate and easily overcooked, which makes it a perfect option to cook sous vide. The process allows you to retain the beautiful colours of your fish as well as its soft texture. Thanks to the precise cooking you can get from the sous vide method, you can cook fish more safely and more deliciously.

STEAK

As we’ve mentioned, cooking steak perfectly can be tricky, but sous vide makes it so easy. The biggest problem with traditional cooking methods is that it easily dries it out your meat, however, because the sous vide method houses the steak in a vacuum-sealed container, it cooks in its own juices. You can even transform a cheaper, tougher cut of meat into a deliciously tender steak through sous vide cooking as it finely breaks down those tough proteins.

VEGETABLES

The list of vegetables that you can cooks sous vide is near endless but the reasons behind the method are pretty consistent – health, flavour and texture. When you cook vegetables sous vide you retain their beneficial nutrients making the food healthier than traditional methods that can easily denature and diminish the nutritional value of vegetables. Root vegetables do particularly well following this method as well as artichokes, asparagus, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplants, Brussels sprouts, onions and fennel.

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TOP SOUS VIDE RECIPES

Now that you know a little bit more about sous vide, it’s time to try them out. What better way than through Core Catering Supplies’ favourite, tried and tested, sous vide recipes below:

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On the rolling hills of the KwaZulu-Natal midlands where the birds chirp louder and the air seems fresher lies the beautiful Brahman Hills Hotels and Cottages. This luxury destination is the perfect weekend getaway for those who want to trade the hustle of city life for a romantic nature-enveloped experience. With a world-class spa and four restaurants on the property, you are really spoiled for choice.

If a dreamy date is what you’re after, we recommend a visit to the 89 on Copper restaurant. Here you and your loved one can indulge in a delectable menu of mushroom veloute, ostrich fillet, lamb pot pie and more while sipping on complementary wines from SA’s best. With a menu to lust over in charming retro decor, you really can’t find a better spot for a treat during the month of love.

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