Saturday 8 August 2009

Who, or what, really wields the power round town?

A question I have asked myself many times over the years. Reading the comments on Steve’s blog and the Mercury online, as well as listening to many conversations over the past few weeks, I found a common thread linking the more recent front page coverage of Stuart Prosser’s opinions of our industry with past similar thoughts and commentaries over many years.

High profile, and possibly colourful, hospitality personalities have come and gone over the years. Names like George McHugh, Kip Muller, Gordon Dean, George Haddad, George Mure, Garry Dorrington and Ian Cox, to name a few. Family names like Casimaty, Haros, Alcorso, Stucki, Chung and Tucceri resound down the corridors of time.

In the old days, with the (relatively fewer) number of restaurants and cafes around, it was much easier to be considered a member of the reigning class in the hospitality industry in Hobart. All you needed was to ensure a few quotes in the Mercury every now and then about a hospitality-related topic (and, naturally, own a restaurant) and that was your “profile”. Your name was automatically added to the acknowledged heirachy. That way of ‘being’ was entirely appropriate for those times.

But - we have progressed in light years from then. No longer do today’s café and restaurant owners (and workers) kowtow to the older generation’s thoughts and opinions, and nor should they. If the one reason our forefathers fought in the wars was for us all to ultimately have freedom of speech, I saw graphic evidence of same demonstrated in the commentary following SP’s statements on the state of hospitality play in Hobart.

We are now the proud possessors of countless producers, and related tourism and hospitality operators in the state, all with a vested interest in the success, or failure, of our industry. They have all put their livelihoods on the line. They have targeted our island as being the ideal place for them to progress themselves and their skills. No different to past times but there are way more now than ever.

They mostly come with the brashness of relative youth, complete with very vocal opinions as to the way forward. I embrace them. It’s like adding fresh herbs to your bog-standard casserole!

The interesting thing for me is that with the additional numbers of our newer and younger operators, combined with today’s electronic age which enables anyone with an opinion to express it to the whole world, then you can find yourself, as Stuart Prosser has, rapidly shouted down by a community, where previously you may well have assumed that silence on any particular issue made public equated to assention, or agreement, with your opinion.

So – my opinion is that these days, the power is firmly in the possession of the populace. You can hold your Savour Tasmania events, or your Tastes of Tasmania, or your Regattas or whatever, but when push comes to shove, you’ll always need the participants and punters to turn up to them – and who is that? It’s your everyday, common or garden local populace.

You can have Mr Bartlett pontificating about our food bowl state; you can entice Tetsuya or Maggie or Kylie to cook here using local produce; you can produce fabulous cooking shows promoting us. But you need the local followers – the vocal minority – to populate and promote these events. And you need to pay due homage to these unsung heroes.


Posted on by Rita
24 comments

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Agreed Rita but prosser wasn't shouted down, but there was a majority of opinions which didn't support his views. This also bought him some critcism to get his own house in order before dictating what we should do here in Tas.

Rita said...

That's the point I was making, Anon 10.36. The majority not only didn't support his views but told him he needed to get his own house in order before pronouncing what he felt should happen here. The conclusion I drew from that was that the majority of people holding an opinion on the issue were more than happy to basically tell him to get back in his box, to put it frankly.
My post was an observation of the fact that in times gone by, an established member of hospitality society would have been listened to, and their message taken respectfully on board by any who cared to listen. Today, if you poke your head up and utter some pronouncement, you must be prepared for the consequences, with the possibility of finding yourself in absolutely no doubt as to your perceived value or worth, or lack thereof, by all surrounding you!

Barry said...

I do

Rita said...

Barry - I KNOW with certainty that you do, and I applaud that! However the rest of us must learn to cope with mediocrity!

Anonymous said...

A democract in life, an autocrat in my passions! That's Me! Majority opinion at any time on these issues is no guarantee of validity. Good on Prosser for sticking his head up and stating the bleeding obvious about the 2nd rate nature of most of our Restaurant business in this State. His proposed solutions may provoke some. So be it!

reb said...

Perhaps if Stuart Prosser had some credibility to talk on the subject matter, then he wouldn't have come in for such a tanking - particularly in the readers' comments in The Mercury. The standard of the food at Prossers is at best mediocre resembling something your mum might have made in the the 1970's; a bit of steamed fish, with a white wine sauce and stick of asparagus. The times have moved on but sadly Stuart Prosser hasn't. Like it or not, there is a new generation of food lovers emerging in Tasmania that don't have any qualms about hopping on a plane to Sydney or Melbourne for a weekend with the specific intention of eating out. Similarly there are a number of very good restaurants and cafes in our own backyard offering decent, good quality food. Prossers isn't one of them, and the fact that Mr Prosser elevated himself to suddenly become the self-proclaimed expert on food when his own house is sadly lacking is what so many people found offensive.

Christina said...

Totally off topic, but while I was perusing todays paper, came across an add for Fritto Misto.
"we are the destination for gloruptious food teamed with atmosphere".
Now I'm not a silly bugger,nor he smartest person in the world, but WTF is gloruptious?????

Rita said...

Thanks for your contribution Anon 11.58.
Welcome Reb - good to hear from you. You seem to have calmed down from last weeks expression of opinion on this subject chez Steve's! And I totally agree that, amongst us we have a new wave of food lovers who, as you say, are totally happy travelling anywhere for a good meal, no matter whether it's Woodbridge or Adelaide. These passionate eaters know exactly what they like, and go to any lengths to get it. Those are the groundswell of foodistas who share their opinions and thoughts on food so vocally. (This is a good thing).
Hi Christina - yes, I saw that ad in the paper today, but didn't notice that word. Unfortunately I threw out my paper so can't re-read, but it is no word I've ever heard!

Anonymous said...

I do agree with your main thrust Rita but I would say two things.

Many of your list of old guys & gals were in fact dynamic young people making their mark on the food scene at the start. George and Jill Mure,Bertie Tucceri, Dorrington and so on were all young once!

Secondly none of them would have so stupid to say what SP said, at any time in their careers!

His type of arrogance was a special case and deserved to get shouted down by whatever means necessary.
In the olden days it would have been done differently, thats all!



P

Anonymous said...

So is it Tosser's On The Beach now?

Anonymous said...

Dined at RVL yesterday lunch (quiet BYW)and who did I see but Mr S prosser heemself looking a tad seedy we thought!

Anon2 said...

By the way, Rita (and others) do yourself a favour and pay another visit to Taste Cafe at Bah'ai Learning Centre where there are some delightful new menu additions. The scallops with mushroom and cheese in the shell are fabulous as is the ox tail pie with mushy peas and cumquat marmalade...and for Mon a permanent order for the apricot and bran loaf and Elgaar Farm butter.

sir grumpy said...

Where is it exactly, Rita, Anon 2?

Rita said...

It's as Anon2 says, Sir G - at the Bahai Centre, back of the ABC.

Anonymous said...

Is Mon a person or a day of the week anon2 ? I have come across both.

P

sir grumpy said...

He didn't say back of the ABC, Rita. As you know, I wouldn't have a clue.

Anon2 said...

Mon's my mum, anon 9:39.
G'day sir grumpy! To get to Baha'i Learning Centre, go down Macquarie St, go past lights near Woolstore in middle left hand lane, just past 2nd set of lights is slip road on the left which leads to the Centre and its car park which is just behind the ABC car park.
Sound confusing? Easy after first time. Phone Karen or Michael on 0401 606 475 to be sure of a table. Though not normally a problem, it can be busy on Fridays and they also cater for meetings and conferences at the Centre. Though the cafe is not licenced, I don't think you'll be disappointed with the food, the prices or the atmosphere and service.
Cheers

sir grumpy said...

Thanks very much for that Anon2, Rita gets so brutal with me these days. Gruff, brusque, the whole lot.

Rita said...

Oh Sir G! How can you possibly say that? Unless you're the Anon I told yesterday on Steve's blog to stop being a tool!
You know I'm exceedingly fond of you, despite you standing me up at Dumpling World last year!

sir grumpy said...

No, not that anon, Rita. Dumpling World was closed that day and YOU had to say oops to ME.
Tsk.

Rita said...

Just testing you, Sir G! You are totally correct - DW was indeed closed that day, as I reflected on when I walked past it last Saturday and observed it was OPEN!

Anonymous said...

Keep walking, don't go in, I can still remember that 'ping' of the microwave!

Anon2 said...

Are you lot trying to get me going? I recall it was my ranting about Dumpling World that resulted in your proposed meeting. Well, I grew up and abandoned the place long ago!
Cheers

Anonymous said...

WOW! I work in the restaurant business and cannot believe the comments from the anon's here. I would dearly like to know what jobs you do so I can come and knock you down.....I would guess public servants....the types who want everything for nothing and are self involved. Your comparisons are way of The Rockers boys and some of the others mentioned produced very average food in their day. I must say Stuart Prosser's food is not basic white sauce but stock sauces finished with a butter glaze.....thats why Tetsuya requests his assistance when teaching masterclass in Tas.
Get over yourselves