Feed Time @ Sydney Zoo

At Sydney Zoo feeding 8,000 visitors daily is just as important as feeding the residents. We caught up with Paul Baines, Food and Beverage Manager to uncover how the team at Sydney Zoo serve thousands of hungry visitors every day.

The food and beverage offerings at Sydney newest attraction includes 3 large quick service outlets, a 350 seat eatery adjoining the café and two 120 outdoor kiosk’s.

“In my role, I manage the entire food and beverage operation using an expert in-house team. We have full control over quality, pricing and menu development. Being based in Western Sydney, we have developed a menu that covers all dietary requirements and menu trends. We are aiming to change the perception of what guests expect from a zoo with respect to food,” said Paul.

Visitors can expect to see menu items such as sushi and poké bowls, along with vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal options. One of the values of the business is to provide value for money and we are finding that by having reasonable pricing and better quality, we’re seeing a positive impact on the guest’s experience.

With such a high volume of food required to be produced, the highest quality equipment was installed.  The kitchens are complete with Garland commercial grills, RATIONAL combi ovens, Frymaster commercial deep fryers and Lincoln countertop pizza ovens. “Garland, RATIONAL and Frymaster are the leaders in the industry and we felt confident that they could meet the high volume output we required,” said Paul.

The Garland XPress Grill clamshell grill is the perfect piece of equipment for the Sydney Zoo. It is designed so that upper and lower grill plates cook both sides simultaneously; it reduces cook times by up to 50%. It is easy to use, reliable and has amazing throughput.

Sydney Zoos unmissable features include; Sydney’s largest freshwater aquarium, a two storey high African Boardwalk, the first of its kind Primate Boulevard and the largest reptiles and nocturnal house in Australia. It is definitely a one-of-a-kind destination, and is set to be one of Sydney’s must visit attractions.