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We are so very delighted to be featured in the new QANTAS Business Awards advertising that you will see now across most media channels.

Phew.  What a year! It’s hard to believe what can happen in twelve months. We are still pinching ourselves following some big leaps of faith. Simultaneously we are cautiously looking into 2017 as our gut tells us it’s going to be a tough one. Bring it on!

Sounds very dry doesn't it but stay with me, I'm sure you will find this as interesting as I have!

In this digital age everyone’s emotional point of view is everywhere. People are freer to express themselves in 2016 than they have ever been and they have multiple ways in which they can do so.  Often however, particularly in the workplace, it is difficult for people to hide emotions when face to face with colleagues every day.

I have long been an avid reader of small business books and entrepreneurial autobiographies. I love to learn from others.  I have enjoyed many business mentors over the years, regularly read business magazines and am a lover of success stories – especially when told honestly.  One of the most poignant articles was about the importance of the first 100 days of a new business; that in that period of time you can make it, or indeed cause irreparable damage. I agree and have thought about this many times during the planning stages of our new venture.

I didn’t go to school.  Correction. I did, for a short time and I hated it. I never really dealt well with the need to ‘’box’’ or ‘’format’’ what a school boy should be and besides, I was way out of the mould anyway.  I was a good boy, great with numbers but disliked Maths due to the teacher who took an instant disliking to me. I was also great at sport and could have gone professional, but in those days if you didn’t gain good results academically, opportunities elsewhere were just closed off. So I went off in the direction of the only thing I felt truly comfortable with – cooking.  Having watched my mother lovingly preparing food for my family for so many years, I decided to leave school and pursue life as an apprentice chef.

People couldn’t believe that Sohani and I had never been to NYC. Everyone we encountered said “it is my favourite city in the world”, "there is no other city like it” and ”you would love it!" So finally, after a long, gruelling flight with my children and in-laws, Sohani and I set off on a trip of a lifetime –  a city that we fell in love with instantly, a city so unique but familiar at the same time!

While deliberating about our end of year blog and how we can best summarise a year of great highs, even greater lows, frustrations and moments of elation we took a look at what inspired us to write each blog this year. What we found was that through it all, we have 6 core business values which have all been testing through the year that was 2015.

Is it just us or is anyone else becoming respectfully annoyed with the Australia food media? Brave, or maybe stupid to go there but worth discussing we think...

I’ve read of several business partnerships ending in not such pleasant circumstances lately and it makes me wonder what the ultimate fall out will be for those businesses as well as the innocent staff and suppliers inevitably wrapped up in it.