Safety first, whatever the cost

I read with interest the article about safer bars and pubs (Caterer, 23 March, page 34) because I have worked for one of the companies mentioned in the article.

I no longer work in the licensed trade because of violence and the physical threat to myself and those around me. At this point, I must say I was never scared of evicting people from the premises for any reason.

During my time in these so-called "safer places" I encountered at least one act of violence a month, sometimes one a week. It is all very well saying that is what you have to expect if you work in a pub, and I do accept that these incidents are part and parcel of the job. That is, until the company you work for refuses to back you up in court when you are trying to press charges against an attacker who has been violent towards you in the workplace.

I know an ex-colleague who wanted to take someone to court only to be told by his area manager "We don't need the bad press" and "Name any pub in our estate and it's yours!".

On several occasions I requested permission to employ door staff and was told it didn't fit in with the monthly budgets.

CCTV is great, but not if you can't use the video afterwards. The mighty organisations need to stop making false promises and back up their staff 100% - let them call the police and let them use their own experience rather than company people-management policies. Help your staff - don't be bribe them with shiny new premises.

Name and address withheld

Customers need guarantees…

I refer to Robyn Jones's letter "Are QA schemes off the marque?" (Caterer, 13 April, page 20). The Meetings Industry Association is a partner in Hospitality Assured, using a version called Hospitality Assured Meetings, which is focused on the conference and meetings sector of our industry. Often called Business Tourism, this is one of the most lucrative components of our industry, one that earns several billion pounds a year. Until now, there has been no other mechanism by which buyers can measure the quality of service offered by conference venues and service providers. You cannot use a mystery guest to test a closed environment.

If our industry is to meet the challenge of ever-changing customer expectations and ever-more fierce global competition, it needs support in providing a framework that will enable the very necessary, continuous improvements to be achieved.

Sorry, Robyn, I am afraid our business is a bit more complicated and sophisticated than a pleasant meal, service with a smile and a value-for-money price. Our customers demand and deserve more.

Philip Catlow

Managing Agent, Hospitality Assured Meetings.

…and job-seekers like them too

in her letter "Are QA schemes off the marque?", Robyn Jones makes a number of interesting observations about the value that customers place on quality-assurance schemes.

On a matter of detail, however, she has missed the point with regard to the British Hospitality Association's (BHA's) successful Excellence Through People scheme. It is not targeted directly at consumers, as she implies.

The scheme, now in its fourth year, aims to improve employment practices in the industry and help those seeking jobs to recognise good employers.

To become accredited, employers are measured, on site, against a 10-point code of good employment practice. We also reassess employers every three years and conduct spot checks in between.

All the evidence suggests job-seekers welcome the scheme. Last year more than 20,000 copies of our directory of accredited, good employers were taken up by job-seekers, schools, colleges and universities, and the directory will soon be on the BHA's Web site (www.bha-online.org.uk).

Employers in this industry will succeed only if they can create quality jobs and attract and keep quality people to deliver quality service. Excellence Through People is making a major contribution to raising standards and many employers - and employees - are enjoying the benefits.

Bob Cotton

Chief Executive, British Hospitality Association, London.

In-house training must play a part

Jacquie Pern feels the urge to brand day-release courses a waste of time (Caterer, 6 April, page 22) because one of her employees cannot master the cooking principle of braising.

I'm sure we can narrow the reasons down to two or three. Either Jacquie is blaming the college in question, or she fails to understand how a day-release course operates.

I recently interviewed a number of chefs in London restaurants and asked them how much they understood the NVQ system, in particular day-release courses. I explained that if a trainee cooks a dish at work competently, then his or her chef can sign this as previous evidence, thus giving the trainee an opportunity to be assessed in college and not have to repeat the dish three times.

Braising is one of the most difficult principles of cookery and it takes a lot for a trainee to produce a dish with the finished texture and fine quality it deserves. Is it possible that Jacquie's trainee had not met the required standard twice before, or indeed that the principle of braising does not exist on her menu for him or her to practice?

Jacquie should take a look at her menu, her standards and her in-house training before criticising.

Colleges are a source of learning, resulting - if successful - in qualification. They are part of, not a substitute, for training. Jacquie should deal with the college in question, and not generalise.

Dermot Seberry

Part-Day Release Course Manager, Westminster College, London.

School scheme gets top marks

There is much talk about recruitment in our industry and where the chefs of tomorrow will come from. I think we should take off our toques and toast the Beele School, Ilford, Essex, which - with a little help from the industry - has all the qualities needed to help us get young people interested in our profession.

This school is a special place and the children who come to us on work placement are always well-mannered and keen. Our chefs get a buzz working with them because they are so enthusiastic. It is a real joy to witness.

We need to encourage schools such as this. We need their help because they explain to children that catering can be a worthwhile career.

Philip Corrick

Executive Chef Clubhouses, The Royal Automobile Club, London.

Don't let industry talent slip away

Am I alone in asking why I am finding it extremely difficult to find a career within hospitality in which I am to be fulfilled? True, I am not interested in working front of house or in junior positions which, quite frankly, I know I have surpassed. Companies do not seem to show any interest in employing me, even though I seem to be an ideal candidate.

My career preferences are steered toward the healthcare sector, support services or contract catering. However, finding a position in this area is proving to be an arduous task.

I would like to know whether the hospitality industry wants to retain competent, skilled and knowledgeable people, or run the risk of losing them to other, perhaps more attractive, industries.

The talent is out there and people such as myself are precious commodities. We want to add value to organisations and I am sure we can make a difference. But, owing to difficult recruitment and selection processes, we are becoming obsolete.

It is no wonder hospitality lacks the strength and status that come so naturally to other industries.

Emma Jayne WaringHND, BA (Hons), AHCIMA

Chichester, West Sussex.

The truth about going global

Readers no doubt detected a degree of cynicism from me when discussing the benefits of global contracts for the "Feed the World" article (Caterer, 13 April, page 36).

The reasons for this are illustrated in the remarkable comment from Richard Tucker of Sodexho, that clients can expect to see 20-30% savings in the first year of a group contract, followed by further savings in subsequent years, reducing costs by more than half over three years.

I challenge Richard, or indeed anyone, to illustrate how savings on this scale are achievable purely through the "benefits" of a group contract. Of course, if other changes, such as revised services and increased tariffs are factored in, major savings are achievable, but these have nothing to do with the group nature of the contract.

In a well-organised contract, the only cost benefit of moving to a group contract is a slightly lower management fee. Contractors sell themselves on allowing all of their clients, however small, to benefit from their purchasing power, so lower food cost prices should not be achievable, however large the group contract.

Chris Stern

Stern Consultancy, Horsham, West Sussex.