Letters

Ragb silent on violence until guilt is proven

SOME of your correspondents have commented that the Restaurateurs Association of Great Britain (RAGB) has been conspicuously silent on the issue of violence in kitchens.

Our temporary silence does not mean that we are not concerned about the issue, nor does it mean we are not acting upon it behind the scenes. Our reasons for restraint are severalfold.

First, there is the practical issue of assembling our executive committee and ensuring that all have seen a tape of the programme. Furthermore, it should go without saying that we do not approve of nor condone violence and bullying.

We also prefer to give those accused a fair chance to explain and defend themselves. To do so scrupulously takes time.

To a degree, I can understand those who ask how the behaviour as seen on television can be defended. Being experienced in media matters, we at the RAGB understand that rarely can anything seen only on television be considered an open-and-shut-case. Images, sounds and even the written word can be distorted, and we would be remiss if we did not allow those involved to give their version.

We all agree that the events as seen were unacceptable. Nonetheless, we shall follow diligently the due process of our investigation. When the process has taken its course we will no longer be silent.

MICHAEL GOTTLIEB

Chairman,

Restaurateurs Association of Great Britain, London WC2.

When sympathy wears thin

One might be inclined to have some sympathy with John Burton-Race when he pleads pressure and heat in the kitchen as an excuse for his violence towards staff.

However, this would not appear to be the first time this has happened, as some 18 months ago my son claimed to have experienced intimidation at L'Ortolan.

I had a couple of conversations with Mr Burton-Race following an incident that caused my son to walk out of his job, and similar apologies and excuses were proffered to the ones described in your magazine.

It is a great pity that young and eager would-be chefs are being driven out of the industry by over-zealous proprietors who believe the push-and-shove approach is better than considerate man-management.

Mr Burton-Race is a good chef, but he needs to learn about proper motivation.

Name and address supplied.

Harmony despite hectic pace

There has been a lot of bad publicity about L'Ortolan restaurant in Shinfield, Reading, and I thought readers may be interested to know about my experience there.

I wrote to Mrs Burton-Race earlier this year asking for advice, as I was having difficulty making a dessert that I knew they specialised in. Not only did I get a reply, but I was invited to a personal demonstration in their kitchen.

I arrived at 9.30am on a Wednesday, thinking this would be a quiet time, only to find the kitchen already heaving with activity. I was shown at great length how to produce this particular dish and several other variations, and at no time did I see any dissatisfaction - everyone seemed cheerful but busy.

I am not condoning the unfortunate incident shown on television, but I understand how occasionally tempers can get strained when under pressure and producing a meal to a very high standard.

I would like to thank the staff at L'Ortolan once again for their kindness that day.

BRENDA PONTET

Earley,

Reading, Berkshire.

Pressure is no excuse

John Burton-Race indicates that there is a lot of pressure on him and his team because they cook in the "first division", and that it is okay to cook in the "second division" if you don't want the pressure.

As a chef working in the perceived "second division" I have to deal constantly with stress: cooking 1,100 meals a day; preparing buffets with minimal notice; covering for absent staff; dealing with all sorts of personnel and other problems inherent in college catering; and always having to work to a strict timetable.

I and every colleague I know have never had to resort to physical violence or reduce juniors to tears. Sure, we all have bad days, but we deal with them calmly.

Violence has no place in kitchens nor in any other part of society, and the sooner people in our industry realise this, the better. What galls me most is the arrogance of the man and the fact that he did not apologise once.

KEVIN PYATT

Deputy Catering Manager,

Pangbourne College, Berkshire.

Chef training is a recipe for success

Our chefs, along with many others I am sure, were first to grab Caterer to read John Burton-Race's article. Their verdict was that it added nothing to the discussion and proved the situation was caused by bad management.

While I agree with Kit Chapman that a code of practice and legal action is necessary, the problem goes deeper than that. Too often today's problems are solved by holding an inquiry instead of looking at basic training.

During my 23 years in the industry I have interviewed several head chefs and sous chefs. Although they are all skilled craftsmen and women, few have ever been offered management training. What concerns me more is how few seem to think it necessary.

In most other industries or professions, people who are promoted to management positions receive training in people management, delegation, communication, time-management and leadership skills.

The solution? Incorporate into our craft courses more management thinking at advanced levels. More importantly, our local colleges or Hotel and Catering Training Company should provide two- or three-day courses in management skills for the vast majority of the smaller businesses that make up our industry.

TREVOR FORECAST

Congham Hall,

King's Lynn, Norfolk.

The big story is poor motivation

It is clear that John Burton-Race, having been caught on film, is now squirming. He's only worried about what this will do for his reputation.

Neil Savage is right when he says ITV's The Big Story could put the industry back 10 years, but let's not blame the programme makers.

After 20 years in the trade, I recently left a job where the owner's idea of motivating staff who were run-down from working up to 16 hours a day, most days, was to tell them the quality of their work wasn't what it should be.

The programme makers aren't killing the industry, the industry is killing itself.

Name and address supplied.