Letters

Diabetes doesn't spoil my appetite

Further to recent articles about diabetics eating out, I wholeheartedly agree with Nik Barnes and Ken Tartt (Caterer, 17 February, page 20) that Judi Tutty ("A fair deal for diabetics", Caterer, 27 January, page 18) should get a life.

I have suffered from diabetes since 1954 and find eating out to be a pleasure, with plenty of suitable foods available on menus.

There may be 2.5 million diabetics in the UK, but as a percentage of the total population, we represent only about 1.5% of available customers, so I wouldn't consider catering for diabetics a "great marketing opportunity".

As for Ms Tutty's pudding fetish, there are usually alternatives such as fresh strawberries, watermelon, pineapples, yogurts and so on. And there are some excellent cheeses to be had.

As long as Ms Tutty is sensible with her choice of foods, there should be no problems. I suggest she contact the British Diabetic Association for further information about suitable foods.

Andrew Donovan

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Older people have so much to offer

I have sympathy with Brian Bell and his problem with ageism (Caterer, 17 February, page 20). As a 25-year-old area manager, I had doubts that someone in their 40s or 50s would work as hard as an 18- to 25-year-old. I wondered how they would react to new technology or being instructed by a manager half their age.

What a fool I was, and how foolish are those companies that have an age limit to employing staff.

What I failed to see was that the ability to deal with and motivate colleagues takes experience, not certificates. The same goes for dealing with customers. Most people over 40 have a vast knowledge to pass on to people coming into the industry.

Bell is not alone in his frustration at the inability of our industry to recognise the wealth of experience available in people aged 40 to 50.

I say to all those who recruit staff: one day you may be 50, but still as capable as ever and still full of life.

Dudley Seale

Minehead, Somerset.

Sexism won't stop me from working

I feel I must agree with the letter "A woman's place is in the kitchen" (Caterer, 17 February, page 20). I have worked in the industry for more than 20 years and have encountered this type of prejudice.

In my first large kitchen I arrived to be confronted by a head chef who said: "I don't have girls in my kitchen!"

By the time I had completed my year's training, he asked if I would stay on.

I then went on to be a duty manager in various large hotels in the UK, and again came across prejudice. "Yes, sir. I am the duty manager," was my constant cry. "But you area girl," was the reply.

My experience with competition work has been the same. "Are you here for the cake-decorating section?" I was asked.

Why do we have this prejudice? Do male chefs feel threatened? I'm now a working mother and run an industrial unit as a chef-manager. I have learnt to deal with prejudice and I, too, will not give up what I do as it is the only job I have ever wanted to do.

Go on girls, show the boys we are just as good or better.

Jayne Snelling

Chef Manager, Eurest Catering, Newbridge Networks, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Moving prices up lets us all down

ALL 20 country house hotels in our chain were full for the whole of the Christmas and New Year period. Why? Because we did not increase prices substantially. Guests recognised this and responded accordingly.

What guests really wanted were reasonable prices and good service and, if this was seen, then there was no shortage of bookings.

On this occasion, the hype and high prices let our industry down.

Peter Chapman

Chief Executive,

HF Holidays,

London NW9.

Thanks to GM staff past and present

I would like to beg the use of your pages to thank my predecessors, George Willerton, Leslie Bond, Stirling Gallacher and John Taylorson, and the many thousand employees past and present at every level, who made Gardner Merchant the predominant contract catering brand from 1964 to today.

To everyone who has been concerned with Gardner Merchant over the years, please accept my best wishes for a happy and prosperous future.

Garry Hawkes

Gardner Merchant,

London EC4.

Redressing the Irish balance

In your article "Griffiths runs out of patience with Northern Ireland team" (Caterer, 3 February, page 6), I felt I came over rather harshly.

I did not run out of patience with the Northern Ireland team and spent a lot of time on the telephone, sending faxes and having long conversations with many colleagues and the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation, as well as with team sponsors.

I was disappointed that there was no representation from Northern Ireland at La Parade des Chefs at Hotelympia, particularly as many from the region would have been good friends and strong competitors.

Because the problem [there being two Northern Ireland teams] was brought to my office door and not resolved in Belfast, I was left with no alternative but to make the decision. I reluctantly chose not to accept either entry. To say that Northern Ireland was "barred" is too strong. It was a very difficult decision.

I have spent more than 12 years building the Salon Culinaire and I enjoy a tremendous amount of support and commitment from our industry. I wouldn't want my Irish friends to doubt my continued support and strong friendship in the future.

Peter Griffiths

Fresh RM,

Richmond, Surrey.

Lost opportunity at hotelympia

I was most disappointed to discover it was not possible to find out who was competing (and when) at this year's Hotelympia. As a result, I was unable to watch and meet up with someone I am particularly keen to employ because, although I knew that he was on stage on Tuesday, I did not know at what time.

I would have thought putting potential employees in contact with prospective employers should be enough reason to have proper listings.

Nick Fletcher-Brewer

Porth Tocyn Hotel,

Abersoch, Gwynedd.

Don't give up on smoking bans

Martin Ball says that smoking bans don't work (Caterer, 17 February, page 20). A smoking ban has worked here since 1990. Why do people give up so quickly?

Yuksel Bektas

The Plough Inn,

Oxfordshire.

Cold comfort from turmeric

Peter Grove draws attention to the beneficial effects of certain herbs (Caterer, 17 February, page 20). I recently had a cold and blocked sinus so asked my local pharmacist for advice. She suggested sipping a warm solution of turmeric and salt - not very palatable, but effective. She said that the antiseptic properties of turmeric were well-known in Asia and it was high time it was used more widely over here.

Rosemary Strawson

Oxford.