FCSI forum - taking the "con" out of consultants

Once again in February, we were inundated with new products and innovations from Hotelympia. Alongside this event ran the FCSI (Foodservice Consultants Society International) forum, which this year hosted a debate between catering contractors and consultants. CCB are full members of the FCSI, which is the worldwide body for regulating and governing the activities of its consultant members, who must abide by their code of conduct. The debate raised a number of pressing issues pertaining to the activities of food service consultants.

One of the core issues discussed by both consultants and caterers was in relation to how a consultant earns their fees when tendering out a catering contract on behalf of a client. A number of non-FCSI consultants do not charge the client for this activity, but will in turn charge their fees to the successful tendering contractor upon commencement of the contract. This contravenes the FCSI code of conduct and can be considered unethical. However, a number of non-FCSI members still earn their fees under these circumstances, with clients and often caterers unaware of the potential pitfalls. More and more caterers are choosing to opt-out of tenders conducted in this manner and will only tender for contracts that are managed either in-house or by FCSI consultants.

A second issue that was discussed at the forum was related to clients retaining the services of consultants following tenders to assist with monitoring and maintaining standards. When tendering for contracts, caterers are often asked to put a percentage of their management fee at risk that is directly related to performance. Whilst they are often more than prepared to do this, it places considerable responsibility upon management to achieve the required standards and this is where the gap for FCSI consultants was recognised. Through continual monitoring and auditing of contracts, the expertise available from FCSI consultants can ensure that performance targets are hit. This is important to both caterers as it is their management fee at risk, and clients, who clearly have an interest in the financial and operational management of the catering operation.

A third issue discussed was an attempt to try and combat the activities of consultants who do not charge clients for their work but take a percentage of any savings achieved as their income requirements. This is also often considered unethical as costs are often made at the expense of quality.

To discuss these or any other issues relating to consultancy, please contact Peter Pitham on 01322 280060.

Contract Wins for CCB

Catering Consultancy Bureau are delighted to announce a series of further contract wins over the last quarter.

At a prestigious conference centre, CCB have been commissioned to undertake an options appraisal and complete re-tendering of catering activities for the staff restaurant and conference functions.  CCB have also been awarded an on-going monitoring contract to ensure that the initial standards set are maintained and that the catering services are continually developed to maintain the prestige of this venue.

CCB have also been awarded a contract to tender out the entire catering and vending operations of a London college.  This project is being carried out as a joint venture with associates, Panache Consultancy, allowing the client to benefit from the expertise and best of both worlds.

A further contract win was for an Eastern local authority, whose current catering contract is nearing an end and requires market testing.

CCB's most recent contract award is within the airline industry, undertaking an options appraisal for in-flight catering services.

New website for CCB

Catering Consultancy Bureau are pleased to announce the re-launch of their website.  The new site provides information about us, what we do and also includes a section where you can view backdated issues of The Catering Concierge.  Visit the site:

www.ccbltd.biz

Chefs claim job satisfaction

A recent poll conducted by City & Guilds uncovered that chefs are some of the happiest workers in the country.

30% of chefs surveyed said that they are very happy in their job roles.  This percentage was only beaten by three other vacations: care assistants, hairdressers and plumbers.  Well, we've all heard how much plumbers charge - no wonder they're happy!

This can only be good news for the industry, which is already experiencing recruitment problems in the kitchen.

Overall, City & Guilds found that those in hands-on roles were generally happier in their jobs than white-collar workers.  However, only 49% of chefs felt their financial rewards were adequate. 

So, it appears there is a delicate balance between job satisfaction and financial rewards and employers must recognise this if they are to successfully recruit catering professionals.

Bites

Useless fact no. 63
Did you know that lemons ripen after they are picked but oranges do not?

Muesli – helping you between the sheets?

High fibre muesli has been linked to improved sexual performance. Why? Fibre is directly linked to stress and mood and people who eat lots tend to be less stressed out and in a more positive frame of mind, which is supposedly linked to sexual prowess!

The recipe adopted by Jamaican men is a bowl of cereal, mixed with milk and Guinness for a quick-fix energy boost. A Dorset based cereals firm has also increased sales by 10% as a direct result of the allegations over the past year.

Useless fact no 81
Did you know that dandelion roots may be roasted and ground as a coffee substitute? Essential information for the next time you’re stranded on a desert island!

Staff restaurant to replace the boardroom?

The staff restaurant is becoming more and more important in the social role of organisations so much that it has led critics to believe that it could be an essential cog in the wheel to contribute towards corporate success.

Professor Richard Scase, who has written a book entitled “Britain Towards 2010”, examined a range of social, cultural and economical drivers that will shape corporate activities into the future. One of his core findings was related to the function and role played by the staff restaurant and how more essential decisions and business meetings were going to be conducted here opposed to boardrooms.

A number of blue chip organisations are already investing heavily in social amenities and are reaping rewards such as time efficiencies and better financial returns. Facilities management is more than just bricks and mortar and Scase believes that the staff restaurant will become central to the success of an organisation.

Catering Consultancy Bureau provide the following services:

Market Testing / Tendering
Quality Audits
Health & Hygiene services
Catering Review
Purchasing Review
Benchmarking
Design & Planning
Marketing & Merchandising
Menu Planning
Contract Monitoring
Financial Advice

Contact us today on 01322 280 060 to discover what is right for you.