Allow more time for school meals
I note that the Food Standards Agency survey into school meals (Caterer, 20 February, page 10) proposes to look at the time allowed pupils for eating. This is a major area that must be considered in trying to improve children's eating habits.
A vast majority of secondary schools now allow less than an hour for the midday meal despite having populations averaging 800 to 1,000 pupils. The caterers' challenge is how to serve these pupils in such a short time frame.
Additionally, more and more secondary schools are moving to a Continental day (operating from 8.30am to 2.30pm or 3pm), thereby further shortening the lunch period to 30 or 40 minutes.
With the delegation of both funding and powers from local education authorities to schools, the responsibility for organising the school day now lies directly with each individual school.
Therefore, if everyone wants to improve the school dining experience and encourage pupils to select a more balanced school lunch, I would suggest that we have to start with the length of the lunchtime break.
Richard Ware, Total Catering Solutions, Dagenham, Essex
Lloyd's of London provides long-term cover against the threat of terrorism
Forbes Mutch's Comment on the inevitable downturn in trade due to the Iraq war situation (Caterer, 13 February, page 5) prompts me to refer readers to a Lloyd's of London insurance policy that may help them.
It is almost certainly too late at this stage to obtain cover against the "knock-on effects of terrorism" for the immediate future. But the threat of terrorism is now an ongoing business risk as much as fire or burglary, and insurance cover can be bought for it in the longer term.
To give you an example of how this would work, a hotel or theatre in central London would have had a valid claim for the immediate drop in takings after 11 September.
Equally, a tourist attraction near (but not right inside) an epidemic zone could have claimed during the foot-and-mouth crisis in 2001.
I have been telling hoteliers and tour operators about this Lloyd's policy (details can be found on the website: www.cbicover.co.uk) for more than two years - before 11 September, in fact - and I am sure that their shareholders would be quick to approve the quite modest premiums.
Alan Broad, Retired Insurance Broker, Oxford
Where honesty should prevail
Why do some chefs insist on using classical culinary terms for new dishes that neither look like nor resemble the original dish or cut?
When I was working in a hotel in Herefordshire a few years ago, the chef there put wild mushroom ravioli with a cappuccino cream on a wedding breakfast menu. To my horror, this turned out to be two warmed pieces of lasagne pasta - one covered with mushroom fricassée and topped with the second piece of pasta at a slightly different angle, with the rest of the sauce from the fricassée frothed up with a hand blender. I'm sorry, but that isn't wild mushroom ravioli, so why call it that?
I am a chef of some 30 years' experience and I am aware that food styles change rapidly and there is a demand for new, exciting dishes. But surely chefs who create their own dish can put a new name to it as did our great chefs from the past?
Martyn Rae, Executive Chef, Gwynedd
Educated experience
Following the letter "We are still overlooking the value of experience" (Caterer, 9 January, page 16): this also rings true for the educational side of the industry.
After teaching for 25 years, I was retired in 1997 at the age of 50 from a small catering college in Wales, due to the lack of student numbers and college finances. Since then I have found it easy to be employed within the industry but impossible in education.
I have full teaching qualifications, but I have been told to qualify again. Why? I have seen more of the industry than many people dealing with verifying National Vocational Qualification (NVQ). When I was teaching I went back to the industry unpaid every summer break to update my own knowledge and communicate this to the students. But now it seems I am "past it", despite my long experience. I can now understand why so many chefs are disgruntled with NVQ standards.
Malcolm Scott, South Wales
SOUNDBITES
Take criticism on the chin
Table Talk sarcastically said (Caterer, 13 February, page 22) that "we will be quaking in our boots" from comments on the Whingers-united web site. Why do we fear criticism and not celebrate it for what it is - a call from consumers to get things right? Hospitality firms pay consultants to check quality against consumer expectations, but the complainants can give the same advice free of charge.
In a brief review of the site, a fast-food chain has a problem in its drive-through ordering system; a theme pub might have some poor mathematicians (or perhaps a fraud); and customers still refer to Moto service stations as Trusthouse Forte. These companies should be pleased that the problems have been noted.
David Wood, Chief Executive, British Association of Hotel Accountants
Rooting out the rogues
The issues regarding hotel booking agents identified by the "industry newcomer" (Caterer, 13 February, page 21) are generic and have been for several years. Yet all industries, especially those supplying a client-facing service, suffer from the ignominy of rogue traders every day. If "rogue" agents continue to be the "evil" of our industry, why do hotels work with them? If they decided not to accept their business, then their corporate clients would no doubt follow suit and employ a reputable one, such those within the Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA).
Richard Eades, Business Development Director, BSI, and Chairman-elect, HBAA