Letters

SOME 15 years ago I attended a seminar to show how to produce more effective brochures and promotional material for hotels. Gone were photographs more suitable for an estate agent's window, pictures of bedrooms from a furniture catalogue and food from a cookery book.

Last week I spent an enjoyable break in Chester. Imagine my sadness and dismay when I looked at the Chester Visitor's Guide. It appears that in 15 years our industry has learned little.

One advert for a leading Chester hotel boasts a picture of a piece of cake from a supplier's catalogue, and a photograph that only lacks a "for sale" sign.

Another hotel has rooms "refurbished by interior designers", another has "130 bedrooms with private bathrooms, tea- and coffee-making facilities, colour television and direct-dial telephone" - sorry, but I would expect these anyway. There is also a beautiful photograph showing more of two car parks than the hotel.

And so on. Are we forever destined to see pictures of rows of tables and chairs, empty glasses and shelves of assorted bottles of alcoholic drinks, being left to imagine a lively bar full of happy people being attended by smiling staff?

Where are the pictures of buffet tables laden with food, of couples gazing into each others' eyes over the brandy glasses; of the bedroom lights dimmed, bed turned down, lingerie draped across the pillow, she at the dressing table letting her hair down, he seen through bathroom door, towel wrapped around waist, putting on a splash of aftershave. Now that might just make me think of a weekend away.

To hotels everywhere - excite me! Invite me! Sell me! And please stop producing this rubbish.

DM Dickinson

Cardiff.

AFTER reading the appointments page of Caterer I was deeply disappointed with the requirements of one particular vacancy for a restaurant manager. It stated "You should have at least two years' experience and it is unlikely that you are under 28 years of age."

What does age have to do with it? Should they not be looking at experience and ability? Does this mean that a person aged 28 with two years' experience is more capable than a person of 26 with two years' experience? Do employers consider age over experience in their recruitment process?

I have completed a four-year degree course in International Hospitality Management, including one year as trainee manager at Shangri-La's China World Hotel, Beijing, aged 23. I graduated in June 1997 and went off to Macau, South-east Asia, as a fine-dining restaurant manager at the age of 25. I have fantastic all-round food-and-beverage experience. I am looking for management positions, but what chance do I have at 27? Age should not be an issue.

Joseph Beck

County Durham

Award focuses on traditional skills

WE HEAR a lot about an increase in prepared dishes in restaurant kitchens, and the concern that this could lead to the de-skilling of chefs.

That is exactly what we are seeking to encourage in this year's American Express Young Chef Young Waiter Awards, launched at the beginning of August (Caterer, 5 August, page 63).

Regional finalists will have the opportunity to demonstrate their training to famous chefs such as Paul Heathcote and James Martin, who will not only test them on culinary skills, but will also offer practical advice afterwards. That training can then be developed by the winner and runner-up through their work experience in award-winning restaurants in Chicago and Burgundy.

This is the top title in the industry for any young chef aged 25 or younger. Entries must be in by 6 September. For an entry form, contact Helen Parfitt on 020 7831 8727.

Ian McKerracher

Chief Executive,

The Restaurant Association,

London WC2.

attracting people to the business

I READ with interest your report on my speech to the annual lunch of the British Hospitality Association, "BHA president lashes out at college training" (Caterer, 22 July, page 4).

For clarification, what I actually said in full was: "I have visited many colleges and universities. Some were excellent, most were adequate and some were awful."

I was speaking in relation to the new White Paper on post-16 learning, and I was encouraging hotel and catering employers to get involved in training and the new national and local skills councils to be created.

I was not, as your editorial indicates, blaming others for the failure of employers in our business.

Certainly, all of us can do better, but employer failure is not the reason for the skills shortage. Negative attitudes towards this business lie in our society's poor view of service providers, a view reinforced by educationalists and interpreted by them in courses offered.

It is amazing that the same employers castigated as being to blame are able to obtain skilled workers from overseas. As an example, when we opened our Michelin-starred City Rhodes Restaurant in London, we could not find enough British skilled staff but were able to meet our needs by employing French staff who were skilled, multilingual and hard-working. All of them came from an economy in which wages and conditions were considered better than in this country.

We need to re-establish a commitment to practical instruction for food production and service and to give it value and recognition. This is the way to attract motivated and bright people who would enjoy working in this business.

Garry Hawkes

Chairman,

Gardner Merchant,

London EC4.

a losing battle for independents?

MICHAEL Gottlieb never spoke a truer word (Caterer, 5 August, page 20). The independents in catering are becoming as rare as hen's teeth. He knows it. I, as one of the threatened species, know it. But does Joe Public know it - or should they care? I think not.

It it is undeniable that the spread of big breweries, restaurant chains, theme groups and so on has had a major impact on the industry, giving rise to the proliferation of inexpensive, stylish, café-society-style outlets that people love.

I might be bored rigid by the domination of indifferent croque-monsieur/pizza/pasta chains, but it's great to see the high-street pavements packed with relaxed, happy people.

Elizabeth Philip

The Archduke,

South Bank,

London SE1.

keep the emphasis on real food

I REFER to Mr Cheeseman's letter (Caterer, 12 August, page 18) on the need for continuous training for chefs and kitchen staff, both on and off site.

At the Campaign for Real Food (CARF), we promote and encourage our members, who are all dedicated, like-minded professionals, to use the best of fresh or preserved produce, which has been bought and supplied in its natural state and, most important of all, prepared and cooked in their own kitchens. After all, isn't that what chefs should do?

One of the most important things that we are trying to achieve is to re-educate children's eating habits. Do we really want a generation of "ping" cooks, with convenience foods at the forefront? If we are not careful, we will create a generation of children who won't know how - or what - to cook.

Tom Finlay

Chairman,

Campaign for Real Food,

Bolton,

Lancashire.

can you name our golf course holes?

IWOULD like to invite readers to find names for the nine holes of the Raven Hall Hotel golf course.

The setting for the 100-year-old course is on a clifftop overlooking Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire. The hotel is on a site associated with Romans, Vikings and smugglers, it was a royal retreat of King George III, and is also a wildlife haven.

For the best selection of names, there's a prize of a VIP weekend for two in a luxury room overlooking the course.

Ideas by fax, please, to 01723 870072.

Matthew Loades

Sales manager,

Raven Hall Hotel,

North Yorkshire.