Letters

Skimping on salaries just doesn't pay off

As a contract caterer, we are often tied by our client's perception of what is value for money. A staff restaurant is run as tightly as possible to minimise overheads, so we are often faced with ridiculously low budgets to cover salaries. But what is the point of scrimping on wages? All you end up with are low-calibre staff, low standards of service and a poor reputation. And you have a high turnover of staff to deal with because people go where the money is.

When staff leave unexpectedly, often without notice, the only recourse is to call on agency support. Yet agency staff cost more and are probably not as good as the people you employed in the first place. So the client eventually ends up footing the bill for poorly trained staff at extortionate rates of pay.

Surely it would be better and more cost-effective to pay decent rates of pay in the first place? Why should a service provider like us compromise our standards because of a client's short-sightedness?

As a high-quality employer, we have realised that it is time to stand up and be counted. If necessary, we will walk away from a potential contract if it means we have to lower our standards to win the business. It makes my blood boil to think of the number of times we've been asked to dilute our standards. Never again.

In a sector where skills shortages are already impacting on business expansion plans, we need to radically alter clients' perceptions of value for money.

Harry Gadsden, Managing Director, Catering Partnership, Leicester

Why the oldest ones are still the best

Sarah Anderson of Mayday highlighted upcoming legislation aimed at increasing workers' rights to part-time or flexible working hours if they have dependent children at home (Caterer, 9 January).

In the same way, it is also time for recruiters in hospitality to radically alter their attitudes towards ageism. It makes sense for businesses to address the discrimination that pervades the marketplace, before such practices become subject to the legislation likely to come into effect in 2006.

A few leading employers are stealing a march on competitors by encouraging an age-positive work environment and looking to recruit over-45s. There is a pool of talent available here that can offer an employer increased profitability, broader skills and experience, lower absenteeism and improved customer satisfaction.

Forward-thinking employers must embrace cultural change and become more flexible in their recruitment parameters without waiting to be dragged there by legislation. A workforce whose needs are satisfied will, in turn, deliver in terms of customer satisfaction, resulting in a win-win situation for all parties.

Justine Watson, Operations Director, Berkeley Scott Group, Godalming, Surrey

Animal-friendly veal is a superior option

Following your article "Birds of a feather" (Caterer, 12 December), in which André Garrett talks about his veal supply, I would like to draw your attention to the abundance of welfare-friendly veal readily available in the UK.

Veal is becoming increasingly popular within the food service industry. Welfare-friendly veal has a slightly pinker colour than meat from the traditionally reared animal but it retains the delicate, sweet veal flavour. Calves are loose-housed in straw-bedded areas and are allowed to feed at will on a warm milk diet. The bedding straw provides them with a plentiful supply of roughage to ensure adequate levels of iron.

The calves are generally slaughtered at just under six months of age - anything older than that is not considered veal. When they reach eight or nine months of age, the texture of the meat changes and it can't match the excellent eating quality achieved with younger calves.

Caterers should check with their supplier the age at which the animal has been slaughtered and whether or not it has been reared to high welfare standards, as not all veal producers operate to the same standards.

Hayley Dean, British Meat Foodservice, Milton Keynes

SOUNDBITES

Eurest's wet trade exposed

On a recent trip to Strasbourg we were taken on a boat trip around the beautiful old city centre. On rounding a bend we came across, sticking out of the water with a bunch of French firemen staring at it from the bank, the rear end of a van proudly wearing the Eurest livery. Perhaps I'm being unkind, but I couldn't help wondering whether this mishap was due to bad driving - or could it possibly have been caused by bad catering?

Roger Gillespie, By e-mail

Our rich history of kitchen cunning

While today's top chefs are accused of having an appetite for backhanders (Caterer, 9 January), it is significant to note that the architect of 20th-century cuisine, Auguste Escoffier, was the culinary king of the "bung". Derek Taylor's just-published book "Ritzy" exposes how Escoffier was sacked from the Savoy for food cost irregularities. The gross margin rose by 20.5% after he left. Just one egg supplier compensated the Savoy in an out-of-court settlement of £3,300 (about £132,000 in today's value). At 16, my second practical lesson in a kitchen was squirrelling away non-perishable stocks when appointed as chef to a new kitchen. By blaming a predecessor for incompetence, there could be months of good news from hidden stocks.

David Wood, Chief Executive, British Association of Hospitality Accountants

Call for Chinese relish

Can you help? We are looking for a recipe for a Chinese jam, chutney, sauce or relish. Why? Because we are trying to raise funds for Poole Hospital's Great Wall of China fundraising trek in October 2003. We need the recipe in the next month, so that we can start cooking it. Once we have a recipe, we need help from any producers or fruit suppliers able to donate the ingredients. The intention is that Poole Hospital uses every penny for its coronary unit and none goes into anyone's pockets.

Nick and Sue Coombs, River Cottage Foods, 7 West Quay Mews, 12 West Quay Road, Poole BH15 1JD
Tel: 01202 684048; e-mail:rivercottagefoods@hotmail.com