We need to nurture management skills too
The long overdue recognition of education and training's role in the success of the hospitality industry in the form of David Foskett's well-deserved Catey (Caterer, 3 July, Catey supplement page 35) is welcome.
Perhaps those leading lights in the industry who regularly knock colleges and universities for not solving their staffing problems will at least concede that, while we may not be able to keep up with the growing demand for educated young people, we do at least try to prepare them with the wide range of technical and business skills needed in today's industry.
In the same issue (page 5) Forbes Mutch comments on the need for business and management skills. The only skills shortage that gets attention is that of food production yet, without management skills, even the best chefs will find themselves in difficulty.
MIKE TURNER
SENIOR LECTURER HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT, UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH
Chefs should take 'back to native' approach in their own back yards
I would like to echo and amplify the comments made by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall at the Skills for Chefs conference at the University of Sheffield (Caterer, 3 July, page 12). His "back to native" argument was not about being a killjoy or trying to block a chef's sense of adventure.
He suggested that, rather than thinking about how you could use strange jungle fruits and bushmeats like kangaroo and alligator, chefs should be serving outdoor-reared Gloucestershire Old Spot, and using bullaces and sloes.
This was just one of 11 business sessions during the conference, of which five were reviewed in your magazine. I am pleased the conference was covered. However, I would like to thank other people not featured in your article.
On the first day, Simon Woodroffe made a significant contribution in his motivational presentation on the story of Yo! George Kyprianou and Antonis Nicolaou travelled from Cyprus to educate us on Mediterranean cuisine. Tony Singh from the Oloroso restaurant in Edinburgh presented a session on flavours from around the world. William Pike, executive chef from Sodexho, not only worked on the conference dinner but also took to the stage to deliver a session on "Fine Dining for Vegetarians". Jean-Christophe Novelli brought the conference to a conclusion with a culinary demonstration that lasted 90 minutes, breaking the time record previously held by Charlie Trotter when he appeared three years ago.
I would also like to acknowledge the enthusiastic support from the Master Chefs of Great Britain, who have supported the conference since its inception in 1998 and have sourced many of the demonstrating chefs over the years.
DAVID McKOWN, DIRECTOR SKILLS FOR CHEFS, UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD
Sourcing local produce can bring many benefits
It was encouraging to read in the Spotlight on Speciality Foods (Caterer, 19 June, page 48) about the benefits to caterers of sourcing local produce. A recent National Opinion Poll survey commissioned by British Meat Foodservice has revealed that 71% of people are concerned about the origin of meat served in pubs and restaurants.
This is clearly the experience of farmer Rupert Harker, of TD Harker, who says that "chefs want to buy British because it sells well", and that "sourcing local beef gives chefs a traceability line that they can pass on to diners".
It's also worth noting that many producers in the UK offer excellent-quality alternatives to imported speciality foods. For example, air-dried ham is a tender, moist ham that can be used in recipes in much the same way as prosciutto.
The UK farming industry produces wonderful raw materials for caterers to work with, and sourcing local produce enables chefs to provide the reassurance their customers are seeking by offering fully traceable, quality ingredients.
Additional benefits are that it helps to support the local economy and naming the origin of the meat on the menu gives it a unique, rural feel. A restaurant would never just put "red wine" on the wine list without giving details of origin, so why should this not also apply to meat?
TONY GOODGER, TRADE SECTOR MANAGER, BRITISH MEAT FOODSERVICE, MEAT & LIVESTOCK COMMISSION, MILTON KEYNES, BEDFORDSHIRE
Help! Get me out of a jam
I'm planning to make banana and chocolate jam or apple and chocolate jam. The only problem is - what sort of chocolate should be used? Are there any companies which would be able to advise me? I need samples to see what would go with what, and then I would have to send out tasters to some of our customers, to see what they think.
NICK COOMBS, RIVER COTTAGE FOODS, 7 WEST QUAY MEWS, 12 WEST QUAY ROAD, POOLE, DORSET BH15 1JD
Where blame lies for inconsistent standards
In his letter "Don't tar all colleges with the same brush" (Caterer, 26 June, page 18) Phil Brown is right to suggest that standards of catering courses vary throughout the country, and "therein lies the rub".
The real problem for employers is, as Phil correctly identifies, that standards are far from consistent. It's easy to blame the NVQ system for this, as many people both outside and inside the further education system do, but in my experience, the problems are really threefold - resources, teaching standards and the integrity of the system.
On resources, practical courses such as catering require more funding to achieve a better finished product than courses in subjects such as retailing and customer service, or leisure, sport and travel and yet are currently in the same funding band. Furthermore, the funding received should be properly applied, providing sufficient hands-on practice with sufficient materials.
Teaching standards won't improve until the college system begins to offer salaries that will attract first-class craftspeople to apply for lecturers' positions, and deter those already in the system from applying for management positions to earn appropriate salaries. I accept that some colleges have senior lecturers who are still hands-on, but not enough.
The awarding bodies should implement more rigorous quality control systems and colleges should become a more consistent and dependable source of recruitment. Until we put this right, some employers will lack confidence in the system.
There are some first-class centres producing well-prepared students, but the reverse is also true. This has little to do with the size of the college or its restaurant.
During my 38 years in this industry I have eaten in dozens of training restaurants and I am far more interested in the standards of teaching and learning, and the quality of food and service, which may not be perfect but should demonstrate a level of skill appropriate to its purpose as a practical classroom.
Your students should not be deterred from entering the industry, Phil. If they are as well grounded as you say they are, they will progress.
This is an industry that's hungry for skills.
ALAN MAKINSON, BY E-MAIL