Privatisation on parade

Privatisation has infiltrated hospitals, schools and office catering departments. And now it is about to make its mark on the Army. While some say this is all part of the march of progress, others believe it could mean an attack on quality.

The Army decided to review its catering business back in 1992 after an in-house catering strategy study recommended greater use of contract catering services.

As a result, army catering now operates a two-tier structure. Some 2,552 military chefs are employed only in the field Army - those units with an operational role. The others - such as base locations and training locations - will soon be served by contract caterers such as Sutcliffe Catering, Gardner Merchant, Taylor Plan, Compass and Aramark.

About 80% of contracts have already been implemented and by 1 April the process should be complete.

The move has coincided with the Government's Army reforms. Part of this has meant the Army Catering Corps, formed in 1941, has merged with five other logistical services. These now come under the umbrella of the Royal Logistic Corps.

Brigadier Andrew Fisher, director, catering (army), will also find his current position changed. On 5 April the new Directorate of Logistic Support Services is activated and Brigadier Fisher will be known as director, Logistic Support Services. As well as catering, this role will encompass responsibilities such as laying down policy for transport services, accommodation, health and safety at work, fuel and the transportation and storage of hazardous materials.

Even the word ‘catering' will be absent without leave. "We are dropping ‘catering' and taking on ‘foodservices' because it encompasses the wider responsibilities involved in providing food to the customer - the management of contracts, the provision of food supply contracts, front of house and kitchen work," explains Fisher.

According to Fisher, the old Army Catering Corps is now fully integrated with what he calls logistic support and has lost its separate identity. "Its function carries on as it ever did and, I believe, as effectively as before," he claims.

The changes were an evolutionary necessity according to Fisher. "Politically, privatisation is the in thing. We are all being chased down that road and I think that, when you look at costs, privatisation was inevitable in non-deployable areas. It has just happened in a very short period of time on the back of all the other changes which have occurred."

Even so, change of any sort has its problems. "Where the guys in the kitchens are concerned, there's a certain amount of suspicion, but I think it is an inevitable process," Fisher says.

The big question, however, hangs over quality. Traditionally, the Army Catering Corps has a solid reputation, both inside and outside the Army, for producing highly skilled and versatile chefs. So could the loss of military chefs mean a drop in standards?

Fisher is confident it won't. He believes the contractors will shine through. "I think there is great potential for success because the contractors have more flexibility in the way they can do their business. If we can get this relationship right, I think we can start building up a very effective service support organisation. We are looking for value-for-money and quality rather than the cheapest option."

One area that is causing Fisher concern is ensuring the two partners work together successfully. "I think management of contracts is something the Army has yet to learn about," admits Fisher. "I am in the process of trying to do just that. I am communicating with the heads of contract catering companies in order to establish this as a new way ahead because they are a part of our team.

"They are no different to those that wear a uniform in provision of the service and my approach is to ensure that together we provide a quality service."

Rationalisation programmes inevitably mean redundancies, and the Army's military chefs have fallen victim to the axe. The redundancy programme will be completed next month.

"There comes a time when things have to change. We have lost some skilled members of our corps, but we have 2,552 left, which is a large number of military chefs. We will continue to give them a worthwhile career," Fisher says.

Fisher has enormous pride in the quality of military chefs. "They produce food in many different environments and provide excellent quality," he says. "They have received a very good training from the Army School of Catering.

He believes the Army offers much better training than that on the outside. "We are able to concentrate on individuals, we have them for a period of up to 22 years and have full control of their training throughout their career.

Military chefs are much in demand, according to Fisher. "The contractors are very keen to employ retired military chefs because they know the systems and have the skills."