The critic and the contract caterers
Have you ever wondered what would happen if one of the rottweilers of the Sunday restaurant reviews turned their gaze on to the world of B&I catering? This week's Inside Contract Catering gives you the chance to find out. To get an idea of how canteen food offerings measure up to restaurants, we set Observer food critic Jay Rayner loose in three sites in London and Reading. It's fair to say that two of the companies involved will be happier with the outcome than the third; but all should be applauded for their willingness to put contracts up for scrutiny.
As I read Rayner's article, one comment jumped out at me. Referring to the BaxterStorey team running the staff restaurant at the Reading campus of software giant Oracle, he says, "What was most striking was the sense of purpose. These cooks wanted to be here serving this food."
Rayner correctly highlights the connection that the more enlightened hospitality outfits are able to make between a happy and motivated workforce, and a great customer offering.
Only by establishing a positive and fulfilling working environment, based upon development, recognition and reward, can caterers expect to create teams capable of delivering a high quality of service.
Take the Brookwood Partnership, winners of one of our inaugural best Places to Work in Hospitality awards earlier this year - and the subject of an employer profile on page 88 of this week's Caterer. Any company can claim, as the Brookwood Partnership does, to base itself on a philosophy of appreciating its employees.
But by providing staff training, meaningful appraisals, profit-share bonus schemes, recognition and reward mechanisms and the facility for employees to feed back concerns to their managers, Brookwood has developed a workforce that, to paraphrase Rayner, truly wants to serve good food to its customers.
If your company takes a similarly progressive approach to its staff, go to our website, CatererSearch.com, and enter this year's Best Places to Work in Hospitality awards. But hurry - the deadline is approaching fast.
Mark Lewis, editor, Caterer and Hotelkeeper
