Blog posts from May, 2015

In the past month, we introduced the addition of 3 new spandex event linens: 24 inch spandex cocktail table covers, 36 inch spandex cocktail table covers, and 30 inch spandex cocktail table toppers. We’ve also added wedding chair covers to our inventory – stocking polyester chair covers and spandex chair covers for banquet chairs. We’ve been continuing to add additional event tablecloths to our inventory with the addition of yet another!

I’m pleased to announce we now have 6ft fitted table covers in stock.

Available in black and white, these spandex cocktail table covers fit wood or plastic folding tables with tabletops that are 72 inches (6ft) by 30 inches wide and 29-30 inches high. They’re a fantastic addition to any event space for registration desks, buffets or display tables. Caterers also love them as they provide easy access to storage space via a vertical slit on one side of the tablecloth.

Unless you’ve been living in a hobbit hole, it’s probably fair to assume as a chef or foodservice operator, you know who Gordon Ramsay is. Famous Chef, Father, Actor, Entrepreneur, Triathlete, and the list goes on, Chef Ramsay has lived the inspiring story of coming from humble roots and working his arse off to succeed in the culinary, business and entertainment worlds. This past January, Chef Ramsay went on Reddit to do an Ask Me Anything interview. As a company that provides restaurant supplies to foodservice operators and chefs, reading Chef Ramsay’s refreshingly open, honest, down to earth and likeable interview only made us love the celebrity chef even more. Like this gem of a quote which gives us pause for thought…“Someone said to me last night ‘Never trust a skinny chef.’ And I said ‘That's bullshit, never trust a fat chef.’ And she said ‘Why?’ And I said ‘Because they've eaten all the good bits.’”

Here’s 7 things we learned from Gordon Ramsay’s Reddit AMA

1. He stresses the importance of understanding Michelin Stars are awarded to Restaurant’s, not Chefs.

“So the stars are awarded to the restaurant. And sometimes the chefs think the stars belong to the chefs, but they belong to the restaurant. The service is just as important. Michelin's had a hard time in America, because it was late coming to the table. But if there's one thing I respect, it's consistency. They manage to identify consistently, and it's all there for the customer.”

2. He also pointed out that you can’t charm your way to a Michelin Star

“…you know, if there's one thing I've come to admire with the Michelin is that it's consistent. It's a guy who is judging you incognito. We have a lot of guys in this country, and Europe, who are a bit too familiar, too chummy with chefs, and they overindulge - food editors, they'll know, and tip off the chef. With a Michelin guide, you have no idea when they'll be in, or when they'll review you. And that's why they're the most feared and respected by chefs.”

3. Pork Chops with Rhubarb should be a strange food combination but really “Shit! It’s delicious!”

“I had an amazing doubled pork chop with rhubarb. Now rhubarb is something we literally eat with desserts, but this dish was incredible. It was in Spain. It was a double pork-chop that had been slow-roasted over an open pit fire with rhubarb. Absolutely delicious. This was one of my mates that was trying to show off cooking in his back garden in Spain when we were out filming for KITCHEN NIGHTMARES. I didn't think it was going to work, to be honest.

And then when I started tasting, I thought Shit! This is delicious!”

4. His witty insults surprise even himself sometimes

“Heh! Witty insults? Ehm... it just happens sort of spur-of-the-moment. I see red, I get frustrated, I let it go. I'm not very good at editing myself. I have to get things off my chest. If there's one thing my mum taught me, it's speak your mind, be firm, get things off your chest. I think it's a good way to work, and quite healthy to have that attitude. Do I think about it previously? No, they just come to me in a flashpoint. And sometimes even I sit back and think Did I just say that?”

5. He manages his time by multi-tasking very well and never staying too long in one place

“I...I multi-task very well.

And I am never in one place too long.

I think now with, you know, my own production company, I'm very lucky the schedule works around my diary. I work my ass off - you know, 15, 16 hours a day. I quite enjoy the time difference when I finish, for instance, last night we were taping MASTER CHEF until 9 or 10 PM at night, I'll have a quick bite to eat, and then I'll call the UK at midnight - because come midnight LA time, West Coast time, it's 8 o'clock in the morning. I'll say good morning to the kids, I'll catch up with my business in London, and then from 2-5 o'clock, I sleep, get up, go to the gym, and then start my day again.

So that's my daily slog.

So I stand by my convictions - when I opened up the restaurant, Gordon Ramsay, back in September 1998, I decided I was going to work my ass off. My flagship restaurant in Chelsea has never been open on a Saturday and Sunday - it's never been open on a week-end, because I thought if we're going to do this, I'd like to do this properly, so my staff needs time off. So I work hard, but I give myself time off on the week-end. I cut it off, and power down for 48 hours.”

6. His favourite Disney movie is predictably adorable while plugging a new video we had no idea about!

“My favorite Disney movie.

Ehm, come on?

Seriously?

It has to be RATATOUILLE.

I was very close, last year, when we had Bradley Cooper in the kitchen cooking up a storm for his new ADAM JONES movie coming up the end of this year, and understand his level of excitement about service, being on the line - he didn't want to tiptoe, he wanted to be in there, from first light to the last plate leaving the kitchen, and it was so nice to see how he respected the team. He didn't want pampering, he wanted to roll his sleeves up and dive in there.

He said "Gordon, I just want you to teach me to put food on a plate, because it's really magical how you put food on the plate the way you do."

So I'm very excited for this movie, coming out, called ADAM JONES. It's very exciting to see an actor understand what you do, and knowing that he can't learn how to cook in a few months, but absolutely nailing it when it came to the level of presentation.”

7. He offers a different take on the traditional advice for new or aspiring chefs

“Ehm, good question. The biggest piece of advice - you know, cooking is about character. It's about different cuisines. And I think sometimes we go into it a little bit blinkered-vision. Learn a second vision - I thought I really knew how to cook when I worked for Marco and then when I went to France, it really opened my eyes. So learn a second language, and travel. It's really important to travel. That is fundamental. because you pick up so many different techniques, and learning a second language gives you so much more confidence in the kitchen.”

You can read the whole AMA here.

Highball glasses are a versatile bar glass for any event or restaurant with a beverage menu. Not only are they used for traditional highball cocktails such as Cuba Libre, or Scotch and Soda but also can be used as glasses for water, soft drinks and juices. With a need for highball glasses, the next question sure to be on your list is “How much do highball glasses cost to buy in Canada?” We’ll answer that question below so you are able to gain a better understanding of the budget you’ll need to purchase your highball glasses.

Cost of Highball Glasses in Canada

The average cost of highball glasses in Canada ranges from $2.00 to $4.82 wholesale not including taxes or shipping. The cost ranges due to the material of the glass (whether it’s glass or crystal), whether the glass is handmade or machine made, the volume size of the glass and the brand distributing the product. Retail cost for glasses at any home décor retailer will range from $4.69 to $84.99 again dependant on the material of the glass, handmade or machine made, volume size and brand.

Hopefully this post gives you an idea of the approximate costs to be associating to your new stacking chair budget.

h/t this Linkedin Post

1. Creative Problem solving.

“In other words, the ability to maneuver with grace, confidence and thoughtfulness all the known unknowns and unknown unknowns of an event and the people in attendance.”

2. Preparedness, Tactfulness and Patience.

“Be Prepared. Be Patient, Be Tactful (especially when you want to really injure someone who has been discourteous), and most of all be able to think on your feet because don't care how organized you are something out of the ordinary may happen.”

3. Team Player.

“An event planner has to work with a team and other people in order to ensure the event is a success. This means that the manager should have the ability to tell and listen without any issues. It is important that the event manager understands what the client needs and then find ways to fulfill those needs or come up with different options.”

4. Great Listener.

“An event planner must be a good listener. He/she must be able to listen to every detail of what is required of him/her, both verbal and nonverbal messages and be able to interpret these to successful events.”

5. Impeccable Attention to Detail and Organization.

“Organization!!!!! Can you imagine being an event planner and not being organized...no way! :)”

6. Cool Confidence in Stressful Situations.

“Always smiling :) , no matter what you are thinking on the inside. Most importantly keeping your cool. I think we have all heard the saying - Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.”

7. A Plethora of Industry Contacts.

“A great network of industry partners cannot be too far down the list. An event planner who can work miracles usually doesn't do it alone. He/She needs partners in every industry who can deliver results at a moment’s notice. Gotta have a great caterer, gotta have a great flooring guy, pyrotechnics, print, AV, etc. etc. The more connected you are, the more solutions you can offer.”

8. The Ability to Humbly Admit Mistakes. There is nothing more endearing than a person willing and able to admit a mistake and actively work to find the solution.

“Events inevitably change and a planner either finds a solution for a problem or let's it impact the quality of the event. I've watched planners who immediately place responsibility on others. Not acceptable for a successful planner. Take ownership, think creatively, lead, and have back up plans. When something exceeds those parameters, even your plan b, make it work!”

9. Flexibility.

“THINGS always come up, it is important to remember why you are there and what the purpose of your event is. I always enjoy ours because I strongly believe in what we are doing for our clients and the goal of our events, anything that comes up can be handled when prepared, just remember the overall goal!”

10. Customer Service Savvy.

“It's all about customer service and providing that ultimate, memorable experience. As Jennifer Diller said, providing that customer service is about being flexible and being able to adapt to sudden changes during events. Event planning is an exercise in problem solving!”

Pilsner glasses are a staple for almost all restaurants, pubs and banquet halls that serve a great pilsner lager. They help to reveal the colour, carbonation of a nice pale lager while maintaining the beer head. They’re tall, slender and tapered in appearance and often smaller than a pint (16 fl oz/ 473mL) glass – between 200mL (6.7 fl oz) to 400mL (13.5 fl oz). If you’ve already been buying pilsner glasses then this post isn’t really for you – unless you’re not happy with your current supplier. If you’re in the market to purchase pilsner glasses, one of the most common things ask is where to buy pilsner glasses in Canada?

This post will round up 4 other suppliers besides National Event Supply, who also sell pilsner glasses in Canada.

1. Canadian Restaurant Supply

Based in Kelowna, British Columbia, and founded in 2000, Canadian Restaurant Supply offers commercial foodservice facility planning & design services as well as meeting the day to day equipment, smallware and tableware requirements. They sell Arcoroc®, Libbey® and Strahl® pilsner glasses ranging in volume from 10oz to 14oz.

2. ChefBlock.com (Hamilton Store Fixtures)

Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Chefblock.com is Hamilton Store Fixtures online ecommerce site, selling tableware, bar supplies, equipment, sanitation & safety, and smallwares for more than 80 years. They sell Libbey pilsner glasses in 10.5oz to 15.5oz volumes.

3. Nella Cutlery

Synonymous with restaurant supply in Toronto, Nella Cutlery has two locations serving the greater Toronto Area with food equipment, refrigeration, bar equipment, material handling & storage, espresso machines, smallwares and knives with knife service. They sell Winco pilsner glasses in 12oz or 23oz volumes.

4. Hendrix Restaurant Equipment & Supply

Based in Brockville, Ontario with 10 locations across Canada, Hendrix Restaurant Equipment and Supply sells foodservice equipment, food prep, smallwares, chef knives, tabletop & serving, worktables & shelving, sinks & plumbing, furniture & fixtures, storage & transport, cleaning supplies, textiles & apparel both in their brick and mortar locations as well as online. Hendrix specifically sells Libbey pilsner glasses in 6oz, 10oz, 12oz and 15oz volumes.

Hopefully one of these companies (if not us!) can help you find the pilsner glasses you need.