Fast food's race is run so it's time for pizza
It's taken a while, but there is now sufficient bad publicity to turn the tables on the fast-food giants.
Obese kids are suing the burger chains for making them fat. At the start we all reckoned it would be laughed out of court, but a report has been published by the University of Wisconsin Medical School that says eating fat-loaded fast food is likely to be addictive.
At the same time, the Home Office is supporting trials at three prisons, where chips, pies and sweets are to be taken off the menu in the belief that this will reduce violent behaviour.
The weight of negative talk is turning burgers and chips into the new tobacco. It won't be long before they have to carry a Government health warning.
I think we've seen the end of the 99p burger, and the rapid expansion of the 1990s will turn into a slow drip of new stores. Diageo must be feeling relieved that it shifted Burger King when it did.
Although the negative publicity hasn't helped, I don't think that it's really to blame for the demise of fast food. I believe that the offerings on either side of the burger chains have improved beyond recognition.
You can now buy superb made-to-order sandwiches. OK, they're not hot, but you don't have the lingering smell and greasy packaging to get rid of afterwards. Or you can go to one of the mid-spend restaurants, such as Bella Pasta, Pizza Express, Ask, Garfunkel's, etc - not as quick, but they provide exceedingly good value.
No one is doing well in the current market, but the chains I have mentioned are doing a darned sight better than the fast-food boys. When the stock market finally bottoms out, that's where I'll be investing my cash for the recovery.
Stephen Evans, Chief executive, Food That Delights, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire
High time service got a smile of recognition
I was delighted to see Elena Salvoni getting the recognition she and so many others in the industry deserve (Caterer, 30 January).
There is no doubt that the celebrity chefs of the past few years have increased awareness of, and even encouraged a number of new recruits into, the industry. However, what about restaurant service? For too long it has been seen as the less-glamorous arm of the industry, and it's about time that changed.
Many individuals have chosen a profession in restaurant service, and they deserve to have their skills both acknowledged and celebrated. In time, this will raise the profile of this area, and in turn help us encourage newcomers to the workforce by illustrating that these positions are satisfying, worthwhile and interesting.
James Brown, Chief executive, Academy of Food and Wine Service, Hampton Wick, Surrey
Booking agents are a good business source...
I reply on behalf of the Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA) to the industry newcomer baffled as to the role of booking agents (Caterer, 30 January).
This angry hotelier is upset that there was no co-ordination between the sales activity at unit level and national agreements made by his/her head office - surely a matter for him/her to sort out.
Many companies do choose "of their own free will" to use an HBA for their UK, and sometimes international, hotel requirements. As my old granddaddy used to say: "You want to sell rooms - go to the sources that deliver business."
Within the HBAA, we have 50 members who abide by a code of conduct, and we have just concluded agreements with all the major hotel chains to sign up to the HBAA charter, which sets out very clearly how HBAs should interface with hoteliers.
I would ask the unnamed hotelier to check our website, www.hbaa.org.uk, to ascertain whether this "rogue" agent is a member of the HBAA and whether it has contravened any aspect of the charter. If so, please do write to us.
And may we invite this newcomer to attend the next HBAA event, so he/she can meet some totally professional HBAs.
Angie Mason, Chairman, HBAA
... so wise up and learn
Telephone 0845 6060 234 - that is the number for Jobseeker Direct.
I feel it's relevant to offer this to the "newcomer to the industry" who wrote so eloquently about whether the industry needs hotel booking agents - he/she will be looking for a new job in the not too distant future.
Do we also assume that this person was previously working in car sales and asked much the same question of that industry - Why do we need dealerships? Why not buy directly from the manufacturer? - and still does not have the intelligence to get the point?
My advice to this person is to get a little more educated in their chosen field before trying to reinvent the wheel.
Martin Wheeler, MeetingsFare, by e-mail
SOUNDBITES
A sad loss, but hardly a surprising one
I read with sorrow, but not much surprise, of the demise of the Epicurus pub fine-dining enterprise (Caterer, 30 January). To cook and serve a decent three-course meal takes at least one man-hour. Deduct the cost of good fresh ingredients and VAT, and I guess the business was producing a margin substantially less than £10 per cover.
My local garage charges £45 per man-hour and adds the cost of heavily marked-up spare parts.
Epicurus tried to survive on food income alone. Without substantial revenue from drinks, I'm afraid there is little chance of a commercial profit in the fine-dining sector.
John Anthony, Whytes Restaurant, Brighton
Storm in an inbox
May I add my support for chef Bruce Sangster (Caterer, 16 January), who was unfairly dismissed for sending pornographic e-mails at work.
In the comedy world in which we live, I expect the e-mails concerned were no stronger than those found on the TV shows of Graham Norton or Chris Tarrant. The tabloids stirred it up and, frankly, I bet a lot of chefs have been "tidying up" their e-mail inboxes since Bruce's case.
Bruce has done a lot to further the profile of Scotland and its chefs. He is a true ambassador for the industry. Give him a break.
Peter Joyner, Banbury, Oxfordshire