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PRESIDENTS REPORT 3 rd SEPTEMBER 2007

Lunch Thai Ambassador

Last Thursday I was an invited guest at a luncheon held by the Royal Thai Embassy. The topic of discussion was Australia’s Import Ban of Green prawn Cutlets and green prawn meat into Australia. This importation ban will have a paramount effect on the demand and supply of Australian prawns. In Australia we currently consume 40,000 tonnes of prawns; however we are only able to supply 15,000 tonnes of prawns. This will see a shortfall of 25,000 tonnes of prawns a year. With supply being so low and demand so high the local price of prawns will escalate to overwhelming prices.

The reasoning behind the import ban by the Australian government is relation to suspected diseased prawns (namely white spot) entering our waters and infecting local prawns. The only way white spot can be transmitted is by live prawns. All the prawns entering into Australia from Thailand are dead and therefore can not transmit the white spot, furthermore there has never been a case of white spot spread any where in the world by a dead prawn. In fact the guidelines, farming practices, quality control and assurance in Thailand are second to none and are strictly controlled by government authorities and when you consider that Thailand has approx 14,000 prawn farms, this is quiet and achievement. Australian prawn importers are currently taking legal action against the government to have this ban overturned.

ACF QLD WORKSHOPS

I would like to see the ACF conduct some culinary workshops here on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane. These can be in the form of advanced culinary classes aimed at chefs and apprentices,

Chocolate Work
Sugar Work
Budgeting, food costing and purchasing
Demonstrations
Competition work shops
Etc.

The aim would be to use ACF presenters not only from Qld but nationally as well. Maybe we could also conduct field trips to manufactures, producers locally, interstate and maybe overseas.

GOLD BOX RESTAURANT CHALLENGE

On the 20 th August I was invited to help judge the Gold Box Restaurant Challenge held at the Gold Coast Convection Centre. Sixteen teams of three chefs prepared a four course dinner, for 30 pax made up from a Gold Box of supplied produce. The competition was superbly organized and coordinated and well supported by the public with over 450 people enjoying the dinner on the night. The judges challenge of judging 16 restaurants, four courses in a 2 ½ hours was very demanding but well orchestrated. A special thank you to Faye and Andrea Tabet and their team for a job well done and for a competition that will only grow in popularity

ACF EXPOSURE

We need to get the name of the ACF QLD more into the industry and also into the public eyes. In would like to see the possibility of opening competitions to more public viewing. Maybe hold our competitions in conjunction with other events eg trade shows. The more exposure we can achieve the more our membership base will grow.

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

We need to investigate methods, procedures and initiative programs to increase our current membership numbers. One way of doing this is all competitors that compete in competitions must become members of the ACF. Another option is for each current member to sign up a new member. The current member will receive free membership.

The options we have here are only limited as we allow them to be.

BUSINESS CARDS

I suggest that we have some ACF business cards that we can utilize for networking at functions and or events. These are very minimal in cost but an effective way to network

IN CONCLUSION

My aim as President of the ACF QLD is to be proactive, informative and a positive roll person for our chapter. I will endeavour, with the support of my committee, to increase membership and exposure of the ACF to the best of my ability through networking, membership drives, media exposure and lots of hard work. I will like to see more combined events with our other chapters from Toowoomba and Cairns in the way of attending meetings, competitions, judging events, fundraising and social events. My outlook on life is “work smatter and not harder”. The more we grow, the more members we have, the more support we can draw on, the more we can lighten the work load of our committee members.

Let’s move forward and work as one big team all aiming for the same goals

Culinary Regards

BRUNO GENTILE

PRESIDENT

AUSTRALIAN CULINARY

FEDERATION QUEENSLAND

P.O. BOX 6893

G.C.M.C

QLD 9726

QLD CHAPTER	NATIONAL ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA
About the QLD Chapter Mission Statement Who's Who Members News Billboard Achievements Benefits Corporate Members How to join Achive Chef's Profile News & events Competitions & events Education & training Job Centre Far north Queensland Proud Member of the World Association of Chefs Societies	News Billboard PRESIDENTS REPORT 3 rd SEPTEMBER 2007 Lunch Thai Ambassador Last Thursday I was an invited guest at a luncheon held by the Royal Thai Embassy. The topic of discussion was Australia’s Import Ban of Green prawn Cutlets and green prawn meat into Australia. This importation ban will have a paramount effect on the demand and supply of Australian prawns. In Australia we currently consume 40,000 tonnes of prawns; however we are only able to supply 15,000 tonnes of prawns. This will see a shortfall of 25,000 tonnes of prawns a year. With supply being so low and demand so high the local price of prawns will escalate to overwhelming prices. The reasoning behind the import ban by the Australian government is relation to suspected diseased prawns (namely white spot) entering our waters and infecting local prawns. The only way white spot can be transmitted is by live prawns. All the prawns entering into Australia from Thailand are dead and therefore can not transmit the white spot, furthermore there has never been a case of white spot spread any where in the world by a dead prawn. In fact the guidelines, farming practices, quality control and assurance in Thailand are second to none and are strictly controlled by government authorities and when you consider that Thailand has approx 14,000 prawn farms, this is quiet and achievement. Australian prawn importers are currently taking legal action against the government to have this ban overturned. ACF QLD WORKSHOPS I would like to see the ACF conduct some culinary workshops here on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane. These can be in the form of advanced culinary classes aimed at chefs and apprentices, Chocolate Work Sugar Work Budgeting, food costing and purchasing Demonstrations Competition work shops Etc. The aim would be to use ACF presenters not only from Qld but nationally as well. Maybe we could also conduct field trips to manufactures, producers locally, interstate and maybe overseas. GOLD BOX RESTAURANT CHALLENGE On the 20 th August I was invited to help judge the Gold Box Restaurant Challenge held at the Gold Coast Convection Centre. Sixteen teams of three chefs prepared a four course dinner, for 30 pax made up from a Gold Box of supplied produce. The competition was superbly organized and coordinated and well supported by the public with over 450 people enjoying the dinner on the night. The judges challenge of judging 16 restaurants, four courses in a 2 ½ hours was very demanding but well orchestrated. A special thank you to Faye and Andrea Tabet and their team for a job well done and for a competition that will only grow in popularity ACF EXPOSURE We need to get the name of the ACF QLD more into the industry and also into the public eyes. In would like to see the possibility of opening competitions to more public viewing. Maybe hold our competitions in conjunction with other events eg trade shows. The more exposure we can achieve the more our membership base will grow. MEMBERSHIP DRIVE We need to investigate methods, procedures and initiative programs to increase our current membership numbers. One way of doing this is all competitors that compete in competitions must become members of the ACF. Another option is for each current member to sign up a new member. The current member will receive free membership. The options we have here are only limited as we allow them to be. BUSINESS CARDS I suggest that we have some ACF business cards that we can utilize for networking at functions and or events. These are very minimal in cost but an effective way to network IN CONCLUSION My aim as President of the ACF QLD is to be proactive, informative and a positive roll person for our chapter. I will endeavour, with the support of my committee, to increase membership and exposure of the ACF to the best of my ability through networking, membership drives, media exposure and lots of hard work. I will like to see more combined events with our other chapters from Toowoomba and Cairns in the way of attending meetings, competitions, judging events, fundraising and social events. My outlook on life is “work smatter and not harder”. The more we grow, the more members we have, the more support we can draw on, the more we can lighten the work load of our committee members. Let’s move forward and work as one big team all aiming for the same goals Culinary Regards BRUNO GENTILE PRESIDENT AUSTRALIAN CULINARY FEDERATION QUEENSLAND P.O. BOX 6893 G.C.M.C QLD 9726