PubChef Food Excellence Awards WINNER - Food Training concept

Related tags Cost Management

PubChef Food Excellence Awards WINNER - Food Training  concept
PubChef Food Excellence Awards WINNER - Food Training concept
Finalists developed training materials to support the needs of tenants and lessees looking to introduce or improve their pubs' food offer. Solutions...

Finalists developed training materials to support the needs of tenants and lessees looking to introduce or improve their pubs' food offer. Solutions offered a "hands-on" approach, intended to suit their time-pressed target audience.

Judi Houghton

Catering and development manager, ThwaitesThe concept:​ Judi has developed "the Box" - a comprehensive training kit for tenants who already offer food or are about to develop a food business. The Box is also used to support the catering part of the managed estate.

The Box contains a guide to specials, a menu-costing guide to help licensees maximise the catering operation, a beer-with-food recipe book, a promotions CD, due-diligence guide, a guide to HACCP - the new food hygiene regulations, kitchen risk assessment and a stock-and-order file.

Background:​ Having spent time as a tenant of a very busy catering outlet, Judi identified areas of the business that people find difficult and time-consuming. She says: "I decided to write down the different elements of the business which I - as a tenant - would love to have had available and which I - as a catering development manager - was able to develop."

Judi says: "One of the most widely used sections is the costing formulas. Many licensees use a 'guess' method hence many businesses are not profit making."

Some ideas - like the beer-and-food recipes - came from managers and tenants. Judi holds regular Catering Buddies forums to keep the amount of paperwork included in the Box to a minimum. The Box costs tenants £25 which covers Thwaites costs.

There are more than 150 Boxes in use at pubs in the estate. The Boxes are also being promoted to Thwaites' free-trade accounts.

Related topics Chefs

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