The Future of Pub Kitchens Seminar in Partnership with Rational was a Great Success
On Monday (20 September), The Chefs’ Forum in partnership with RATIONAL, presented a ground-breaking ‘The Future of Pub Kitchens Seminar’ to explore the imminent challenges, alongside the short and long-term opportunities, facing the sector. The free-to-attend seminar saw a great number of multi-site operators, independent business, branded operators, kitchen planners and designers come together to discuss the topics and challenges affecting them at present and some of the innovative ways they are planning to ensure a sustainable and profitable future.
The event successfully got to the heart of the matter, with panellists giving fantastic insight and anecdotal examples of how they see the future panning out, addressing the challenges and opportunities currently facing the pub sector.
Hosted by The Chefs’ Forum’s Director of Education, Neil Rippington, the Seminar explored current topics across variety of topics in the delivery of a food offer in the pub sector:
Sales Director, Mike Williams, at RATIONAL UK opened the seminar by talking the delegates through the heavily publicised Natasha’s law which comes into effect this October. Tim Foster, partner, The Yummy Pub Company, discussed the challenges of a frequently changing supply and the importance of ensuring that any replacement products were analysed carefully to ensure that allergen checks are completed for every product going on the menu. They also explained the need to prepare immediately and get to grips with correctly labelling readymade foods as used in the production of multi component dishes. Mike and Tim also discussed Owen’s Law, which is currently the subject of a government petition calling for restaurants to put all information about allergens in their food on the face of their menu, so customers have full visibility on what they are ordering.
Mike said:
“Owen’s Law aims to strengthen the food regulations in relation to allergenic information on menus in restaurants. Following a visit to a restaurant, Owen Carey, who had several allergies, including dairy, had eaten a grilled chicken breast without the bun, but was still affected as the chicken was marinated in buttermilk, to which he was highly allergic. The push for Owen’s Law is to supplement Natasha’s Law, becoming legislation in October, to ensure that pre-prepared and packaged foods are clearly labelled for allergenic ingredients.”
The delegates then got to see first-hand the connected cooking technology offered by Rational to help them cook their menus quickly and efficiently, lessening the need for a labour-intensive kitchen in the grips of a global chef shortage as industry recovers from being closed due to the pandemic.
The next topic examined environmental issues and sustainability. All participants shared examples of the key challenges facing the sector at present in terms of the environment and sustainability, including issues including food waste, single use plastics, reducing carbon emissions and food provenance.
The panel swapped tips on stock utilisation, using seasonal varieties and innovative ideas to ensure that food waste is kept to a minimum. Ideas were also shared to illustrate how the utilisation of ingredients can be maximised in creative ways, including the use of ingredients across menus but featured in a variety of formats to maintain originality.
Ross Pike, Chef Director, Oakman Inns discussed the importance of waste management and the utilisation of food across his operations, providing great examples of what can be done to achieve this.
Ross said:
“It’s a very important step. My experience in Italy included working in kitchens with clear bin-liners so that all waste was visible. I have incorporated this practice to Oakman Inns. By having clear bin-liners on every section, it makes the chefs realise how much foodstuff they are throwing away and this can be challenged. I then turn this around and have little competitions in the kitchen to explore how these offcuts, which are totally safe to eat, can be utilized. It’s actually helped to create some of our best dishes.”
Topic three discussed the highly topical and essential issue around staffing. With widespread coverage referring to the problems the industry is facing in terms of staffing, the panel approached the subject analysing what can be done in the longer-term to help to overcome the issue.
Mike and Jacqui Downs, Owners of The Volunteer Inn in Ottery St Mary, discussed how the use of technology has improved the working environment and experience for their staff. Mike took us, via video, to the Volunteer Inn and a demonstration as to how working with the iCombi Pro and the iVario Pro has led to a much-increased level of productivity, efficiency and consistency in food service operations, whist improving the ergonomics of the working environment for staff.
Mike said:
“I was looking at chef welfare and the sustainability of the job. As restrictions from the pandemic were removed, it was forecast that it would be like Christmas every week, so I had to look at the situation and the technology available. We have installed two i-combi ovens and the iVario pro. This has enabled us to more than double our production, whilst still only having one chef on shift. The technology has definitely aided us in our recovery from the pandemic.”
Trends and eating patterns formed the content for topic four. The panel considered the promotion of healthy eating options on menus and how pub caterers can influence customers to select and consume more healthy options, supporting an increase in consumers’ consumption of fruit and vegetables. Mike Williams discussed how the use of the iCombi Pro and iVario Pro can maintain the nutritional values in foods by highly controlled cooking methods.
Mike commented:
“As healthy eating is becoming more applicable to most people, consumers are more likely to choose options that are pan-fried rather than deep-fried, for example. Our equipment, on the right settings, can produce unique results with great textures. Just-in-time cooking also helps retain nutrients and the colour in fresh vegetables, making them more nutritious and appealing to eat. The equipment also assists in the management of production volumes, preventing the need for large batches of vegetables having to be cooked, held or reheated for service.”
In terms of trends, the topic of dark/ghost kitchens was explored as a growing trend across many operators. Tim shared his views on the increase of the dark kitchen model and some of the benefits this can bring to operations who plan to utilise this type of operation
The fifth topic explored the use of technology in the planning of tomorrow’s pub kitchen. The panel debated the benefits of ‘Connected Cooking’ and how this technology can assist in the management of cooking and systems. Shanti Bhushan, Executive Chef, Brigadiers, London, discussed how he maximises the efficiency of operations in his kitchen, providing some great menu examples in the production of excellent, authentic Indian inspired food, with a significant reduction in the use of equipment, time and labour.
Shanti said:
“I think the most amazing part of this equipment in the control. For example, in the production of a classic beef biryani, we use beef shin. This, traditionally, would take around 4 to 5 hours of slow braising. The whole process now is performed overnight at 65°C, braised with the spices, producing a more tender, delicate and flavoured dish. The rice is also cooked and layered using the Rational equipment and the consistency is excellent. It is such a time-saver.”
With staffing such huge problem currently, delegates were delighted to learn that they could introduce technology to their kitchens to support staff and reduce tasks requiring significant laborious input . The equipment can be managed remotely via an app on a mobile phone, an ipad or a PC. Shanti’s example demonstrated how the iCombi Pro can work safely from the control of an app, even when he is not at the restaurant.
The final topic of the session explored the road to recovery and how an integration with education can play a part in bridging the gap between education and industry. The Chefs’ Forum is all about bridging the gap between education and industry, so it was fantastic to hear from the panellists on how well they consider their kitchen teams, treating them with respect and considering their experience at work to make them want to stay for the long haul.
All the panellists agreed that engaging with the next generation is a priority and there were some great examples of interaction with colleges through the Chef’s Forum Academies. This included masterclasses covering all things food and drink, including cocktail making masterclasses from the team at the Yummy Pub Company and guest-chef masterclasses from chefs at Oakman Inns. Mike Downs also discussed the importance of social media and how the development of an online community has supported the journey and development at The Volunteer Inn.
At the end of the event, Neil Rippington said:
“The Chefs’ Forum’s Future of Pub Kitchens Seminar examined a number of key topics across a wide-ranging analysis of the Pub sector and the challenges it faces.
Today, we all agreed that there must be a new way of thinking in terms of waste reduction, sustainability and technology, whilst at the same time as developing staff and looking at innovative ways to attract new staff to the sector and retain them in the long-term. I am delighted with the insight gleaned from today’s event and look forward to staging a follow-up event for the pub sector very soon.”
This was the fourth in a series of sector specific seminars in association with The Chefs’ Forum to gain valuable market insight to fine-tune RATIONAL’s approach to servicing stakeholders, tailor-made to their individual requirements.
Are You Ready for National Hospitality Day?
The 18th September is National Hospitality Day and some of the UK’s best-known chefs have called on the nation to go out and support their favourite restaurants, bars and hotels.
The day is being organised by charities Hospitality Action, Springboard, The Drink’s Trust and The Licensed Trade Charity. Funds raised from venues will go towards these charities – who all support the hospitality industry and its workers. Venues are also being encouraged to support the day with special offers.
Catherine Farinha, Founder of The Chefs’ Forum said
“There has never been a more crucial time for all hospitality organisations to collaborate and work together for the good of the industry. We are delighted to support our media peers in celebrating the hospitality industry, promotional campaigns and the people who work within. Together we can really promote best practice and stamp out any outmoded and unwelcome negative treatment of our workers. This starts at grass roots and out work with our Chefs’ Forum Academy Colleges is all about championing positive role models, as well as maximum support levels and welfare practice.”
Last evening, The Chefs’ Forum attended the revival of the Institute of Hospitality South West Division to show its support and appreciation for the industry leaders who make hospitality such an exciting place to be.
The organiser of National Hospitality Day said:
“The pandemic has brought the hospitality industry to its knees. By supporting your favourite local place on National Hospitality Day you’ll be helping a struggling business back on its feet. You’ll also be supporting a coalition of the main industry charities who support those hardest hit by the events of the last 18 months.”
Chef and hospitality business owner Tom Kerridge said:
“All our biggest moments go on in hospitality venues, from first dates to weddings, and baby showers to wakes, they’re where the moments that make life worth living take place.
“That morning chat with your friendly barista, a cheeky pint after work with mates, Saturday morning soaks in a hotel pool, or Sunday roast with the family…we all took these experiences for granted.
“National Hospitality Day is a chance for us all to say ‘welcome back, we’ve missed you, and thanks for everything you’ve been doing’ to our favourite venues.
“Restaurants, pubs and hotels up and down the country will be pulling out the stops to give everybody a great day out.”
Angela Hartnett, Chef Patron at Mayfair’s Murano said:
“Even now, weeks after re-opening, businesses are fighting a daily battle for survival, with supply and staffing issues causing huge problems.”
Collaboration is the answer at this difficult time when our industry is in recovery from what was cited as the most difficult period in the entire career of Harry Murray MBE as a hospitality leader when he spoke at the IoH South West event last evening.
Let’s club together, look after our workers, support each other, mutually promote campaigns and events for the greater good of the industry and help make hospitality great again.
Happy National Hospitality Day 2021!
The Chefs’ Forum Academy Welcomes Chef Works as Headline Sponsor
Leading hospitality workwear brand Chef Works have agreed to headline sponsor The Chefs’ Forum Academy and provide all guest chefs with a branded chefs jacket and all students taking part in the academy with a special Chefs’ Forum Academy Dressed by Chef Works branded apron.
The new partnership will enable all academy students to receive branded aprons that will make their membership in the academy that bit more special and strengthen the appeal to colleges looking to take advantage of enrolling.
Emma Cohen, General Manager & Head of Marketing at Chef Works UK told The Chefs’ Forum:
“Chef Works are so happy to be involved with this great Chefs’ Forum Academy initiative. Working alongside leading chefs across the UK to support and develop the next wave of culinary talent.”
Chefs’ Forum founder Catherine Farinha said of the new partnership:
“The Chefs’ Forum is delighted to welcome Chef Works as the headline sponsor for The Chefs’ Forum Academy, currently operational across four UK colleges and soon to be more. The sponsorship means that every guest chef teaching in the academy will receive a Chef Works chef jacket and all student will receive a branded apron. Chef Works have worked with The Chefs’ Forum for the last few years, so it’s great that they are now dressing catering students in The Chefs’ Forum Academies, the finest chefs in the UK and all over the world!”
For more information and to view the Chef Works collection, click here.
The Crab & Hammer’s David Markham Becomes Crustastun Ambassador
The sentience bill is coming and restaurants that use a lot of lobster and crab can get ahead of the game by installing a Crustastun machine now in preparation. The machine uses technology that stuns shellfish in a humane way with no cruelty and even improves flavour.
David Markham explains:
“There is this issue going on around sentience and the population is behind it. And when anyone asks we explain that we use Crustastun and it is compassionate. We’ve done our part to make sure our restaurant dispatches crab in the most humane manner.
“We’ve very quickly started to adopt the Crustastun technology, from a humane perspective mainly. We use it in our larger crab business, Blue Sea Crab, and when we opened The Crab & Hammer it was a natural progression to use a smaller version in the kitchen.
“We’ve had comments from the likes of Raymond Blanc and The Waterside Inn how they can really notice the difference in the flavour of the crab.
“The first round of the sentience bill doesn’t actually cover crab but it’s in the post. It is coming. We saw that it made absolute sense to have it. We now cover the whole picture of boat to plate making sure that we look after every species we offer on our menu. “
The Crustastun is available from Mitchell & Cooper – For more information please click here.
The Ultimate Student Dinner Coming to Pembrokeshire College
A celebration dinner is being served at Pembrokeshire College on Thursday 16th September at 6.30pm, with dishes created by leading industry chefs. However, there’s a delicious twist to the event – the chefs won’t be present.
Their place in the kitchen will be taken by The Chefs’ Forum Academy students who were taught the dishes during masterclasses presented by the chefs in the last academic year – some in person, others via video link during lockdown.
Wendy Weber, Head of Health, Childcare and Commercial Enterprise said
“We are delighted to be embarking on our 2nd year with The Chefs’ Forum and excited to see some of the dishes on the menu from chef’s who worked closely with our learners last year. Our learners had a great experience in a Covid year so we cannot wait for them to receive even more industry tips and ideas through the academic year 21/22. We are so pleased to be a part of this fabulous initiative.
The dinner will be a chance for the students to put everything they’ve learnt into practice and it will be a true reflection of the incredible working partnership between Pembrokeshire College and The Chefs’ Forum Academy.”
Alan Wright, Hospitality Tutor said
“We have such an exciting start to the new academic year, with our Thursday evening service resuming for the general public. I am thrilled that our first Thursday evening is dedicated to The Chefs’ Forum Academy and based on some of the dishes produced by our new level three learners. It promises to be an evening to remember so book your table now to avoid disappointment.”
Tickets are priced at £19.95 for 3 courses and available to anyone – book by calling 01437 753165.
Dougie Balish, Head Chef at The Grove of Narberth said
“It is amazing to be teaching at The Chefs’ Forum Academy. It’s so fulfilling seeing young students progress into capable young chefs. I’ve got two students working with me in the kitchen now and the progress they’ve made is remarkable. It’s brilliant that they will be recreating one my dishes and I hope it gives them some inspiration for creating their own down the line!”
Tom Westerland, National Chef of Wales 2018 and Head Chef at Crockers Henley said
“It’s amazing to see all the new talent coming through into the industry. It’s always great to see how enthusiastic and excited they are, learning new skills and dishes. It makes me so proud to see them recreating my dish for the dinner. The industry has a very bright and exciting future.”
The menu, all cooked freshly on the night, features dishes by:
Starter
Lisa Fearn
Y Sied Cookery School
Chicken Velouté, croutons and micro herbs
Tom Westerland
National Chef of Wales 2018 & Head Chef at Crockers Henley
Grilled mackerel, heritage tomatoes, ricotta and cumin granola
Dougie Balish
Head Chef at The Grove of Narberth
Seasonal Vegetables, Hafod Cheddar purée, BBQ turnip tops and nettles
Main
Hayden Groves
National Chef of the Year 2013
Chicken, chicory and blonde ale fondant potato
Cindy Challoner
Great British Menu Contestant 2019
Red mullet, squash fondant, Jerusalem artichoke & vanilla puree and nettle oil (GF)
Curry Leaf Korma
Roasted squash and garlic (V, VE, GF)
Dessert
Ashleigh Farrand
Head Chef at The Kingham Plough
Chocolate rye cake, cherry, fudge sauce, and chocolate soil
Thomas Leatherbarrow
Culinary Director of TLC Gourmet
Apple tart Tatin and anilla ice cream
New Pub Kitchen Seminar Exposes the Need to Harness New Technology
The Chefs’ Forum is proud to present a seminar for all pub kitchens on Monday 20th September in partnership with RATIONAL.
The two-hour event, from 9:00am to 11:00am will focus on how new technology is enabling pubs to do more with less and at the same time having a close look at topics such as Natasha’s Law, healthier menus, waste reduction and future staffing issues.
This is the fourth in a series of sector specific seminars in association with The Chefs’ Forum to gain valuable market insight to fine-tune RATIONAL’s approach to servicing stakeholders, tailor-made to their individual requirements.
During the seminar we will be screening a number of specialised films with leading pub groups and individuals who explain how harnessing new technology has improved efficiency and workflow in their kitchens through the use of ConnectedCooking and iKitchens.
Tim Foster, co-founder of the Yummy Pub Co is looking forward to discussing what he calls “…the polar extremes” of the pub trade.
He said:
“I’m really looking forward to bringing my industry peers together to discuss the polar extremes of the pub trade. It will be fantastic to share the positive changes we have made in terms of staff welfare, reduced hours and rotational training and development throughout all our sites.
It is crucial that we look after the chefs we have, investing in them to ensure they are happy and want to stay, as well as ensuring they learn every aspect of running a pub kitchen. We have invested in the best equipment money can buy and our RATIONAL cooking system was our first major purchase on launching our first site. Now we have RATIONAL in all four sites and would never have anything else.”
ConnectedCooking is set to become an integral part of how pub groups can exploit technology and Ross Pike, Chef Director of Oakman Inns explained why he is keen to share his knowledge on the seminar:
“With the recent acquisition of the Seafood Pub Company we are well on track to reach our target of forty sites by the end of 2021,” he said. “We have now connected all our RATIONAL cooking systems throughout all sites, so our recipes can be created by any of our chefs in any of our kitchens at the touch of a button.
I was well-aware of RATIONAL before joining Oakman, but since I’ve been here, I’ve really discovered what the company’s cooking appliances are capable of in terms of market-leading technology and ConnectedCooking.”
Mike Down, owner of The Volunteer Inn in Devon, will be talking about how his new Rational system has revolutionised his kitchen in a completely new way:
“The cooking is shared between my wife Jacquie and Head Chef Gemma here at The Volunteer Inn. We have a full iKitchen installed here and although a significant investment, it was one that we couldn’t have afforded not to make. Our food trade has doubled, our staffing costs massively reduced as we can create our menu with only one chef in the kitchen at any one time. We needed to put as much equipment as possible into a very small space and were able to improve every aspect of what we do here with RATIONAL iKitchen technology.”
The free-to-attend seminar is open to all pub chefs, owner operators, managers, kitchen planners and designers and will be particularly useful for future planning and for addressing the challenges and opportunities currently facing the sector as it recovers from being shut-down during the pandemic.
Hosted by The Chefs’ Forum’s Founder, Catherine Farinha and Director of Education, Neil Rippington the seminar will explore current topics affecting all elements of the pubs sector.
In particular the following topics will be discussed:
- Natasha’s Law/Owen’s Law and allergens – Are you ready?
- Technology
- Healthier menu options and plant-based alternatives
- Waste Reduction and Sustainability
- Tomorrow’s Pub kitchens
- The road to recovery post lockdown, looking forward to Christmas 2021
- The next generation – Future Staffing and Training Requirements
Catherine and Neil will be joined by a stellar panel made up of the following experts:
- Tim Foster, Co Founder – The Yummy Pub Company
- Ross Pike, Chef Director – Oakman Inns
- Mike Williams, Sales Director – RATIONAL
- Shanti Bhushan,Executive Chef – Brigadiers, London
- Mike Down & Jacqui Down with Head Chef Gemma Youlden – The Volunteer Inn, Devon
Delegates can register for FREE to attend the event.
Catherine Farinha said:
“We’re really excited for this seminar. We have been touring the country to see the new RATIONAL cooking system in action and hear what users are saying. It’s clear that technology can play a huge part in dealing with the current staffing crisis and enable chefs to be far more efficient.”
Any chefs wishing to register to attend the seminar should contact alexandra@redcherry.uk.com
Kudu’s New Peckham Concept Features a Braai & Allotment Vegetables
The Kudu Collective, run by Amy Corbin and chef Patrick Williams, will open its fourth site in Peckham next month. The new Kudu Grill will be located in a former Truman’s pub on Nunhead Lane and will consist of 50 covers.
At the centre of the operation will be a braai – a South African open grill that only uses wood and charcoal. Chef Patron Patrick will bring his South African roots to the fore, adding a playful twist to traditional food from the country. Bold flavours shine through in a menu showcasing the chef’s passion for fresh, seasonal British ingredients, some of which come from the couple’s allotment nearby. With most dishes coming straight from the open grill, the menu comprises five sections – snacks, starters, braai mains, sides and desserts.
MENU – TYPICAL DISHES
- Grilled potato flatbread with lardo, wild garlic Irish oysters, tomato dashi, trout roe Fried pigs’ tails with honey mustard Harissa beef tartar, coriander, crispy shallots Duck terrine, gribiche, biltong scratchings Grilled prawns, peri peri butter
- Dry-aged T-bone with beer pickled onions and onion treacle bordelaise Cauliflower, caper raisin, goat’s curd and kale
- Pork chop with monkey gland –
- Whole black bream with zhug butter roti
Kudu Grill’s interior design has been led by Amy and A-nrd Studio. Raw brick and concrete walls line an open space which upholstered seats and booths with dark finishes add warmth to. Deep green and burgundy tones, Italian marble and holophane glass accents bring an art deco feel to the room, and a four-seater bar counter overlooks the custom-built braai.
“The aim was to create a sophisticated experience and a space that felt timeless and welcoming. The property itself and the customer experience had a big influence on how the space was designed,” the group said.
KUDU COLLECTIVE:
Amy Corbin and Patrick Williams opened Kudu on Queens Road, Peckham in January 2018 to great critical acclaim, winning legions of loyal fans for the creative, seasonal food and warm atmosphere. A Michelin Bib Gourmand quickly followed. In January 2020, the couple opened neighbourhood cocktail bar, Smokey Kudu, located under the arches by Queens Road station. May 2021, saw the opening of Curious Kudu, a gallery and private dining space accommodating up to 14 guests.
Patrick’s culinary career started in Cape Town’s renowned La Colombe and went on to work at Camphors at Vergelegen, before moving to London. He joined Robin Gill’s team firstly at The Manor and then, at Paradise Garage where he was a Sous Chef. Patrick’s partner and Kudu Collective co-owner
Amy grew up working in the industry; with her father being a successful London restaurateur she always dreamed of following in his footsteps.
The Perfect Partner for Catering Education
The Chefs’ Forum and Neil Rippington are re-writing and re-imagining the culinary repertoire so it reflects skills and not out of date dishes. The result is a landmark partnership between catering colleges, industry and The Chefs’ Forum.
Whether you are a lecturer, restaurateur or chef we want you to get involved in this process. It’s crucial for the future of the chefs profession and of hospitality as a whole.
Here, and in the accompanying film, Neil Rippington explains his process and his plans for the future.
“My project objective is to bring the industry and culinary education closer together. I get frustrated hearing chefs and restauranteurs/hoteliers constantly saying that the curriculum is out of date and the dishes/products/skills and techniques taught in colleges are not fit for purpose. If this is true, and I’m sure it is in many cases, then how will it ever be resolved without some input and collaboration?
“I understand the requirements of publicly funded and approved qualifications and the pressures on teachers/lecturers to complete programmes on time. It is a very lengthy process to write and get approval for a new curriculum as there is a massive amount of government machinery to navigate and it is a nightmare.
“To provide an example of my intentions, I have started the process with a dessert from Luke Frost (Valrhona). Luke has provided his version of the classic ‘Tiramisu’ using a variety of commodities, skills and techniques that make this classic a more contemporary and refined dessert. I will take Luke’s dessert and map it to the relevant units and the commodities, skills and techniques that students must cover in each module, across the UK’s three most widely studied qualifications.
“I intend to get a network of chefs to contribute towards this project and provide an example to colleges, Ofsted and the government that leading figures in the industry care about what is being taught in colleges by demonstrating their contribution and showing how they would approach the requirements of the curriculum, whilst meeting the needs of the contemporary industry. Chickens cut for sauté and into chasseur, sole dugleré, minestrone, tiramisu, etc., may be great dishes that have been around my entire life, but they are not representative of the current industry, and this is the message I am hearing (and have heard for some time!) When looking at the specifications in the handbooks of various qualifications, dishes are rarely mentioned, so there is an element of freedom in terms of how the processes can be used to produce a wide range of dishes and/or products.
“I plan to coordinate a wide range of dishes and products to meet the criteria across the most widely used qualifications. I will complete all the mapping so that lecturers will have fully tested/reliable recipe/dish examples that are specifically tied to the curriculum, designed, and contributed by leading industry figures across the breadth of the industry.
“In my opinion, this must be a good thing for the students, CPD for the lecturers and a bridge, partnership and voice for the industry. I am also going to cover aspects of seasonality, sustainability, produce and supply. An all-round win! It will demonstrate a step in the right direction and provide a positive example to those who say the curriculum is out-of-date and not fit for purpose! If people want to see positive change, why not contribute to solving the problem rather than adding to it?
“I also believe there is much to do in terms of students’ preparation for the workplace from an attitudinal and behavioural perspective, alongside the industry’s wider mentorship and support for young people and new staff when joining their businesses. This is another bridge that needs to be built across many areas of the industry. One step at a time.”
Staff Matter. They Need our Help and Our Care
In an exclusive piece for The Chefs’ Forum restaurateur Mike Robinson shares his thoughts on the problems facing both staff and owner operators.
I’m a restaurateur. I used to be a chef but now I’m much more involved with the creating, running and setting up of restaurants. I currently own and run three restaurants: The Woodsman in Stratford upon Avon, The Elder in Bath and The Forge in Chester. I also own a share of The Harwood Arms in London.
The Covid pandemic was a seismic event for all our restaurants and coupled Brexit a large number of our foreign staff have not returned. We miss them terribly but we have to keep going with the amazing staff we have left.
Along with everybody else in hospitality we are struggling to top up our staff at a time when record numbers of customers are returning to our restaurants expecting everything to be as fantastic as it was. This has presented us with a real problem: unless our staff work longer and longer hours something has to give, or, as a result of putting too much pressure on our staff – our service and food standards drop. That will result in customer frustration and before we know it we’ll be in a hole we can’t out of.
Soon after restaurants reopened after the lockdown Michel Roux Jnr announced that he was not opening Le Gavroche for weekday lunches due to a shortage of staff. I was inspired by that decision. It showed real foresight.
At The Harwood, we agreed to close Monday to Thursday lunch going forward, to both reduce hours and focus staff on quality and service in the remaining services. It became clear pretty quickly that this was going to work well and reduced chef and front of house hours.
After two weeks I replicated this, with local variations, in my other restaurants. The change is noticeable. Weekday lunchtimes post pandemic were busyish, but very little business trade was happening, so average spends were low.
I looked at spends per head and saw that the actual cost on staff welfare and morale, for the business we were doing, was not worth it. It was costing us in ways that were not visible on the ledger. Now, the opposite is true. Spends are up, staff hours are down. As a result we are more profitable on the services we do.
The bad old days need to be gone for good. It’s that simple. We need (and I speak for my own operations here) to keep hours to a level that staff want to work. We find that works to about 48 hours for front of house, and 52-57 for kitchen. If staff want to work less hours, we make that work. A restaurant or hotel is a big family, and whilst there are always tensions, I cannot stand walking into an unhappy restaurant. Happy staff want to give of their best to the customers and they will help us make a profit in doing so. Closing weekday lunches and offering flexible working hours works for us, maybe it could work for others too.
The long term solution is surely to make the industry shine, and make a it a viable career choice that allows staff to combine a healthy home life with a productive work life. I don’t have all the answers – I’m just figuring it out as I go, but I love and care about my staff, and want them to be happy. Walking into laughter and bad jokes is a terrific way to come to work.
The only cure for the staff crisis in the immediate term, however, is make us a really attractive place for our foreign friends to come and work. This Government is, so far, lacking in support for our great industry that employs a huge percentage of our workforce. We need a simple system to offer jobs to non UK workers and have them allowed and welcomed to the UK to work in our industry.
Priti and Boris – if you somehow read this, please help – 3 million voters are looking for your support. Without an entry scheme in the immediate future, I can see the shocking reality of excellent restaurants closing their doors due to a chronic lack of staff. The amazing move by Claire Bosi, of Chef magazine, to drive for a Minister for Hospitality has really raised awareness and done great things, hopefully it will happen. The power of the vote is huge, and I am sure if nothing else the prospect of losing those votes will have an effect.
Long term we need to support initiatives to tempt UK nationals into hospitality as a career, and a great career at that. Truly, hospitality is one of the great meritocracies – it does not care about what a member of staff or recruit has done in the past or how many A levels theyhave. Hospitality only cares about how staff feel, how ambitious they are, how caring and talented. We owners need to look after our staff and nurture and help them with their careers. In return, they will look after us.
Chef Hours Continue to Tumble as Crisis Shortage Bites
It started slowly but the move to reduce chef hours is becoming a reality. More and more establishments have come to accept and realise that the only future they have is a happy one. Fewer chefs are prepared to work the hours they did before for the same money.
And, as a result, smart operators have realised that the best way to keep their staff is to keep them happy and motivated. Sat Bains reduced the number of services before the pandemic. Michel Roux stopped lunch at Le Gavroche once it was over. Simon Wood is planning to cut output to five good services a week and now Mike Robinson will stop serving lunch during the week at his restaurants The Harwood Arms, The Elder and The Woodsman.
There are few who would disagree. The move has been coming for a long time and the old-school attitude of working every hour just for the badge was never going to last. In the 1990’s/ 2000’s there were a generation of chefs schooled in the Marco Pierre White way – exhausted, bedraggled, passionate, brilliant. The mark of a young chef in those days was his or her ambition to master the craft no matter the hours. Back then it was the only way to succeed.
However, times change and with them attitudes and ambitions. American kitchens have known for a long time that the work/life balance is important for motivation and lower staff turnover. Now it’s our turn to come to the same conclusion.
Robinson told The Daily Telegraph’s William Sitwell: “If you are working lunch and dinner 5 days a week then you are exhausted on your two days off.” And this seems to be the nub of it. But, in reality it’s more than that. The exhaustion that chefs are experiencing is not only from the physical work they do but also the mental side of cooking. There is simply too much to learn in too short a time.
Robinson continued: “We want to put the focus on quality and effort in the evening and have longer evening services. Customer satisfaction is higher, our staff are so happy and you’re only ever as good as the people you work with. If we want to get the restaurant industry booming again the one thing we have to do is look after our staff.”
What that means in reality are weeks consisting of 45-55 hours – not 70. That has to be a good thing. Harness that with achievable artisan skills and the restaurant industry will be diverse, happy and strong.
