Question
I am buying a freehold pub in the next few months. Are there any courses available that would enable me to master basic pub food?
Answers
Jane Sunley, managing director, Learnpurple:
You could contact your local catering college and see what short or part-time courses they have available.
When you are carrying out your business planning, if you are unable to put sufficient contingencies in place (such as back-up chefs), I would advise you to go for a simple food offering.
Think about whether there is an establishment similar to the one you aspire to have, and talk to the owners about how they achieved it. They might even let you do a stint in their kitchen alongside their chefs (for free).
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Once you've decided on a manageable food operation, work with your chef to ensure you could take over if need be, though this should be your last resort rather than your first port of call. After all, if you're tied up in the kitchen, you can't be out there running the business and looking after your customers.
Wendy Bartlett, director, Bartlett Mitchell:
You have a number of options.
First, research on the existing and potential customer base will enable you to decide on the type of food you wish to offer. Second, research on surrounding outlets, particularly the larger chains, will give you a good base from which to start. As far as some snack items are concerned, there's no point reinventing the wheel.
Once this is done, your chef can put in place specific recipes, with portion sizing and methods. These, coupled with one-to-one demonstrations, will allow you not only to produce these dishes confidently but to ensure consistent quality - and keep an eye on your costs, too.
There are a number of courses available. Many colleges run evening classes which would probably include the type of cooking you're looking to reproduce.
Check out the internet, too - you'll find everything from cooking holidays to part-time courses. You'll soon be feeling more confident and trying out dishes you've never dreamed of.
If you'd like to submit a question, send it to chris.druce@rbi.co.uk.
