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Corrs Chambers Westgarth is a world class law firm
with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
Since October 2009, Sodexo Australia has held the
contract for all four offices, catering for a total of
700 staff. The Melbourne office is one of the larger
– there are 250 lawyers to feed – and unsurprisingly
the relationship between clients and the caterers is a
very Australian affair.
Corrs occupies a large skyscraper in the heart of Melbourne
and except for the views across the railway tracks and industrial
sites, you could just as easily be in Manhattan or the City of
London. However, Australians have their own way of doing
things, as Geoff Murray, who manages Sodexo’s operations
in the state of Victoria, puts it: “We have a relaxed two-way
relationship. The Aussie culture is egalitarian – there’s no ‘them
and us’. If a problem arises we sit down and discuss it.”
But there’s no denying that there is a core of stubborn
perfectionism in the Australian character, and also a tendency
to turn every development into an acronym. The GFC (that’s the
Global Financial Crisis) has meant that the tone of corporate
dining in Melbourne has had to change with the times.
Breakfast meetings have become even more popular
but the fare served has become much less elaborate.
Cooked breakfasts have given way to healthier options and fruit
platters are the breakfast of choice – pineapple, watermelon,
orange, kiwi fruit, strawberries and rock melons. Plus decent
coffee, that’s a must. There are more coffee shops per head of
population in Melbourne than you’ll find in London or, for that
matter, Seattle! Sodexo provides its own espresso prepared by
trained baristas.
The trend towards less formal dining and fewer courses
is pronounced and Sodexo caters for anywhere between 50
and 100 sandwich lunches daily. The kitchen has risen to the
challengeand,aswellastraditionalsandwiches,thereisalarge
range of wraps, finger foods, bridge rolls, sushi, arancini and
even dim sum. Corrs staff can even order a bento box for lunch
if that’s appropriate. The system is a simple one and lunches
are ordered over the firm’s intranet – the PAs know the chefs
and the lunches are tailored to suit individual requirements.
There are also 10 meeting rooms where more formal
lunches can be served. Once again Sodexo provides a
bespoke offer; recent events include a dinner for the
Justice of America, The Honourable John G. Roberts, Jr,
and looking forward there’s the visit by the Australian Prime
Minister towards the end of the summer, which will involve
preparing a formal luncheon for 80. But on a day-to-day
basis the menus take a lead from the CEO.
The economic climate means that lunches seldom take
longer than an hour and less wine is served than in the
days before the GFC. The head man at Corrs is particularly
fond of fish, so that tends to feature on the predominantly
two-course lunch menus. The head chef at Corrs, Chris
Dawes, previously worked at the NEC in Birmingham and
has nothing but praise for his Melbourne suppliers. “I use
a fish company called Ash Brothers. The range of fish in
Australia is amazing, rainbow trout, farmed Atlantic salmon
from Tasmania, kingfish, whiting and blue eyed cod – it’s
not really a cod but it has a magnificent taste and texture.”
You can see the Tasmanian farmed Atlantic salmon on the
fish slabs at Melbourne’s markets and they are handsome fish.
In this case the ‘Atlantic’ refers to the breed of fish rather than
their location – these fish have grown large and sassy in the
clean waters of the Tasman sea. Blue eyed cod (sometimes
referred to simply as “blue eye”) is another excellent fish,
with firm, flaky flesh. The other startling sight at the fish market
is a long counter devoted to crustacea, with a dozen kinds,
and sizes, of prawns, plus marrons (a dark brown crayfish),
Morton Bay bugs (slipper lobsters), lobsters, crayfish and
yabbies. No wonder these large and delicious prawns get to
grandstand on the Corrs canapé menu.
In the newly-emerging foodie Australia, great store is set
by provenance and the quality of ingredients. Lunching at
Corrs I greatly enjoyed a main course that was described
as “Black Angus eye fillet served with roast field mushrooms,
soft Parmesan polenta and pinot noir jus”. A really fine piece
of well hung steak, cooked rare and accompanied by rich and
This month, Charles Campion nips Down Under to sample
Sodexo’s fare at law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth
cheesy polenta. Simple but good. The entrée also showed
considerable skill in the kitchen – “Roast pumpkin and feta
ravioli,tossedpinenuts,GranaPadanoandbasilcreamsauce”.
Well-made pasta, good flavours. The dessert was a well-judged
camomile panna cotta with candied lemon rind.
Thomas Wilson is the client food and beverage manager
and he places much emphasis on recruiting the right people
and then allowing them autonomy. “We run a system of ongoing
client feedback and as well as the compliments we address any
issues. We are also keen to offer consistency of system and
process across the four different Corrs offices.”
“The Aussie culture is egalitarian – there’s no
‘them and us’”
When looking at this operation, it is hard not to be struck
by the ‘Australian’ way of doing things. Reports of “egalitarian
Aussies” have not been exaggerated; in the law firm it is clear
that, while there is a dividing line between the partners and
lawyers, there are few social distinctions. Dawes explains that
recentlytheCEOspenthalfanhourinthekitchenchattingabout
food and drink. He has a genuine interest, and a preference
for fish and healthy eating that is spreading through the work
force from the top down. The two-course, fish-based, one hour
business lunch may be a product of the times we live in,
but it is probably a force for good!
Mealtimein Melbourne
Smoked trout risotto with char-grilled asparagus
spears and crème fraiche
Crispy salt squid with chilli lime sauce and coriander
Marinated Iranian fig salad with glazed shallots,
walnuts and Parmesan crisps
Tiger prawns stacked on avocado with basil and
chilli oil
Honey seared salmon fillet on a bed of wilted greens
and bean shoots with a ginger soy glaze
Slow cooked duck breast with date stuffing, smoked
spice jus and glazed potatoes with butter beans
Blue eyed cod with soft parsley crust, poached baby
greens and lemon nage
Lamb cutlets coated in Dukkah, candied sweet
potato. Minted pea purée with sweet potato crisps
White chocolate and honeycomb mille feuille with
caramel sauce and chocolate shard
Peach roasted with rosemary, truffle honey sauce
and yoghurt jelly
Iced terrine of passion fruit, raspberry and vanilla,
served with fruit minestrone
Cardamom crème brulée with espresso sorbet and
carrot chips
Some dishes from the Sodexo/Corrs
Melbourne repertoire
3108.2011 | fsm