Passport for change
Most people come back from holiday with a tan and a stick of rock. Claude and Tammy Mariaux have returned from their Swiss break with one chef and another who may start in the New Year.
Difficulties recruiting the right staff have plagued Spaggo's since its opening in February. So, before visiting Claude's parents in Lausanne, the couple advertised in a local Swiss paper.
Four interviews were arranged from which one definite recruit emerged - a half-Swiss, half-French chef born in Korea. There will be no problems with work permits because he holds a French passport. He will start work in Slough soon.
Another hopeful, an Italian chef, could start work at Spaggo's in January. However, the new recruits leave Tammy only "slightly relieved". The restaurant is still looking for another chef and a duty manager.
But the news is a relief to the chefs at Spaggo's who worked tirelessly covering for the Mariaux during their absence.
The plan was for second chef Justine Hanley to work 14 shifts with help from two commis chefs and a junior. But a family bereavement meant one of the commis chefs was called away suddenly.
"When I heard that I thought ‘That's the end of our holiday', but the rest of the team were adamant they could cope," says Tammy. "Instead of five chefs they were reduced to three - between them they worked 28 shifts non-stop. They are a good team and did a marvelous job."
Restaurant manager Todd Slaughter pulled in an extra waitress to cover for him while he moved to the kitchen. Acting as an extra chef he helped by preparing pizzas.
Tammy is full of praise for the team because, despite the staffing difficulties, Spaggo's managed 900 covers in the second week of the Mariaux's holiday. "Not far off our record," she adds proudly.
The Spaggo's team coped so well with the Mariaux's first break in a year that Tammy is relaxed enough to contemplate: "We should have stayed for another week."
But now they're back to work and thoughts immediately turn to the Christmas menu. At £10.95 it will feature a selection of starters on the table, big bowls of house salads, four pasta dishes and four pizza dishes.
Meanwhile, the Mariaux are waiting to gauge reaction to menu changes. Menus are printed on paper place settings and the supply ran out at the end of August. This provided the perfect opportunity to alter the menu to reflect the changing season and, simultaneously, increase prices.
The rises are not drastic, an average 25p on both pasta and pizzas. The biggest increase is on Bruschetta, a starter of baked bread with tomato and olives which has gone up from £2.45 to £2.85. Salad and dessert prices remain unchanged.
"We felt the time was right to put our prices up," says Tammy. "It was so cheap. It was quite possible for a party of three to eat for £18. By increasing prices just a little they should still be able to eat for £20 and go away with the impression that they have had good value for money."
Other tweaks to the menu include peppered sirloin steak served with a cream and cracked black pepper sauce, at £9.95. It replaces sirloin steak in a cream and mushroom sauce. "People in Slough are not into mushroom sauce. Most of them asked for it minus the sauce," says Claude.
Strawberries and cream have disappeared, as has gazpacho which has been replaced by cream of tomato soup at £2.25 a portion. Pizza Parma has also gone, replaced by Pizza Marinara at £6.25. Parma ham at £13 a pound was proving rather expensive and labour-intensive as it was the only ingredient which needed to be sliced.
Barbecue chicken wings served as a starter have not altered in price at £3.25, but the Mariaux are now offering five instead of six wings for this price. Passion fruit brñlée has been reluctantly removed and replaced by simple cräme brûlée at the same price of £2.75, as passion fruit was proving too expensive to make this dish practicable.
The Mariaux now feel in a position to start negotiating with suppliers, some of whom are offering 5-10% discounts. Suppliers who came with them from nearby Tummies bistro offered preferential deals to Spaggo's from the outset, but new suppliers have waited cautiously to be convinced of the viability of the business.
