THE HUMAN CONNECTION
Q: How has Simon George & Sons changed over its 80 year history?
The food service industry is a demanding one and no matter where you fall on the supply chain (from farmer to front of house) having a passionate, strong team around you is the key ingredient for success. With this in mind, we wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Simon George & Sons, St Peters management team. Over the last 12 months at St Peters we have cultivated a dynamic, passionate team who have the experience and the drive required to position Simon George & Sons as a market leader- who delivers both quality produce and a rewarding, positive customer experience.
ON THE GROUND:
Damian George: Director of Sydney Operations
Damian has a wealth of experience across all areas of the fruit and vegetable industry. Having worked in the wholesale fruit and veg business since he was 15, Damian’s extensive product knowledge and vast network of industry contacts offers our clients a unique advantage over the competition.
Stephen Quintano: Sales Manager
Stephen is a key member of the team. After 12 years working as a chef in Sydney and 30 years in the hospitality/food service industry; he not only appreciates good food, he understands the pressures of the kitchen and can offer valuable insights into menu planning and seasonal availability.
Angelique Soumaher: Sales Administration
Considered the rock of our Sales/Customer Service team, Angelique has been working in fruit and vegetable wholesale for just shy of a decade and knows everything there is to know about the administrational side of the business.
IN THE TRENCHES:
Murat Tasdemir: Operations Manager
Murat is a fairly recent addition to the Simon George & Sons team having come on board in the last few months. Murat’s ability to streamline and refine large scale operations makes him the ideal man to iron out the kinks and ensure our service is a market leader in efficiency and reliability.
Brett Marks: Floor Manager
Brett is a logistics man and it’s a good thing too, as he is responsible for making sure that a warehouse full of orders is picked, checked and delivered on time (by a fleet that can travel over 1600km in a single day).
BEHIND THE EMAILS:
Clare Smethurst: Marketing & Promotions
Trained as a journalist but sold out to advertising/marketing very early on. Since then I have had the pleasure of bring surrounded by gourmet food working on or alongside premium brands such as Qantas magazine, Qantas Club Lounges, delicious and Vogue Entertaining + Travel.
A: While many things have changed in the fruit and vegetable industry since 1927 – the guiding principles remain the same and despite a strong commitment to innovation, Simon George & Sons hasn’t lost sight of the core values of hard work, customer service, premium product and meaningful, long-term relationships that made us a market leader. While we may be a large-scale operation, being family owned and operated we have the freedom to focus on the things that make us different: trust, reliability, personal relationships, know-how, culture and communication. Lets hope the next 80 years are as rewarding.
PUMPKIN PATCH
Q: How did pumpkins become associated with Halloween?
While they may have started out as cattle-fodder, nowadays the pumpkin features widely in kitchens due to their versatility, shelf-life and cost-efficiency. To meet year-round demand pumpkins are grown in every state of Australia, however nigh on three quarters of the pumpkins consumed domestically are produced in NSW or QLD. In 2010 the Food Service industry accounted for around 17% of fresh pumpkin sales, that equates to a healthy 16,743 tonnes.
The fruit (or culinary vegetable) that Australian’s refer to as ‘pumpkins’ are actually a mix of pumpkins and winter squash from three different species of the Cucurbita genus: Cucurbita Maxima (Jarrahdale, Queensland Blue, Golden Nugget), Cucurbita Moschata (Butternut Pumpkin, Jap) and Cucurbita Pepo (Sweet Dumpling, Orange Minikin)
Selection: It is the skin of the pumpkin that protects the wonderful orange flesh from deterioration, so avoid any that are scarred, bruised or cracked. Look for a bright, plump pumpkin that is heavy for its size and boasts a thick, hard rind.
CUCURBITA MAXIMA:
QUEENSLAND BLUE:
Availability: all year
Appearance: big, heavy, ribbed, deep blue-grey skin and orange flesh
Characteristics: drier that other varieties, full flavoured
Best for: scones, boiling or baking
JARRAHDALE:
Availability: all year
Appearance: large round variety with light blue/grey skin and a lovely deep yellow-orange flesh
Characteristics: cuts easily, sweet, firm flesh
Best for: baking – very moist therefore doesn’t lend well to boiling
GOLDEN NUGGET:
Availability: all year
Appearance: small, round pumpkin with orange - red, lightly ribbed skin and bright orange flesh
Characteristics: up to 1.5kg/15cm diameter, easily cut – appearance is its main selling point though it has sweet, creamy flesh
Best for: soup or stuffed as a single serve vessel – high seed ratio if you need roasted pumpkin seeds
CUCURBITA MOSCHATA:
BUTTERNUT PUMPKIN: aka Butternut Squash
Availability: available all year but at best in April, Jul-Aug, Dec-Jan
Appearance: elongated pear shape with smooth, golden-brown skin and orange flesh
Characteristics: dense, dry flesh with a lovely smooth texture and nutty flavour – flavour improves with storage – no need to peel
Best for: everything- especially roasting. Butternut is one of the most popular varieties due to its versatility
JAP: aka Ken Special, Kent, Delica
Availability: all year
Appearance: small mottled green/grey pumpkin (1-3kg), yellow to orange flesh
Characteristics: softer and drier than most, cuts easily and boasts a mild, sweet flavour
Best for: stuff, bake, steam, mash
CUCURBITA PEPO:
SWEET DUMPLING:
Availability: all year
Appearance: small pumpkin with white and green stripes and creamy, firm flesh
Characteristics: mildly sweet, honey nut flavour
Best for: perfect for roasting and stuffing
ORANGE MINIKIN: aka baby pumpkin
Availability: all year
Appearance: small, squat pumpkin, with ribbed, orange skin and yellow-light orange flesh
Characteristics: high seed content, ideal for hollowing and using as a single serve vessel
Best for: baking whole and stuffing with a savoury meat or rice filling – soups or roast the seeds
A: Samhain (All Hallows Eve) was believed to be the day that the souls of the departed (good and bad) were free to roam amongst us. It was Celtish tradition on this day to carve ‘Jack-o-Lanterns’ to both welcome the souls of loved ones and ward off unwelcome spirits. Traditionally Jack-o-lanterns were carved from beets, turnips or potato, however when almost ¾ million people fled to America during the Irish potato famine they brought the tradition but not the beets or gourds to carve. Therefore the pumpkin (native to central and south America) became a larger, easily accessible substitute.