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 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.
