Carl Smith discusses the dos and don'ts when you put your ki

Unless you can control the quality of food coming out of your kitchen you're sunk. Obvious isn't it. So how come you're getting complaints and losing business? Last month, I talked about the need for managers and pub owners to have practical kitchen knowledge and expertise because it helps in dealing confidently with the chef. Let's now talk about how to integrate a new chef into your business so that standards are not only maintained but improved. You must be clear in your own mind what aspects of your food operation must be preserved! You may have a number of dishes on your menu that you're quite rightly proud of. Customers may love your steak and ale pie and apple crumble, so make sure that you have recipes written down for the good stuff. You know for a fact that unless you can get food to the customer's table within 10 minutes at lunch time, they'll stop using you. To your horror, you find that your new guy is trying to dish up nouvelle cuisine-type presentation and it's taking forever. In the meantime customers are making sarcastic comments. Sit down with your new chef and carefully go through all aspects of your food business. It's equally important to find out exactly what makes your prospective chef tick before you employ him or her. It's better to discover from the outset that you're not made for each other. One more thing, get references! I can't believe how few people bother to call or write to me about ex-employees. Ask your chef (better still tell him) not to make any changes without talking to you first. Ask him to make notes, which can be discussed at the end of service. He should spend the first month doing things your way. If you let him make changes based on poor knowledge he'll just end up upsetting the staff, customers and you. Once he's had time to have a good look, that's the time to discuss new ideas. Keep in mind, the simple fact that what you most want from your chef is good food, good profits and good hygiene. There must be an easier way to make a living! l Carl Smith is licensee of two Young's Pubs ­ the Guinea and the Windmill in Mayfair