Chef Skills Boost

Job Centre and York College team up to attract would-be chefs

SHORT but intensive training programmes are being launched in York to give would-be chefs a taste of the job and boost chef skills in the region.

Six people will be offered training in basic chef skills, through classroom and kitchen-based learning, with a guaranteed job interview at the end of the course.

Red Star Award for Norfolk Hotel

Hotel in north Norfolk named one of the best in the UK

A hotel in north Norfolk has been awarded the Red Star Award and has been named one of the best in the country.

The Blakeney Hotel was awarded four AA Red Stars for its outstanding level of hospitality and service.

The AA announced the winners for its Red Star Awards during a virtual ceremony on Monday, October 18.

The Red Star Award are the top accolade awarded to hotels by the AA and are given to businesses which offer the best customer experience and the highest level of service.

Simon Numphud, managing director at AA Media, said: “As the hospitality industry reopens after a challenging year, it is an honour to announce our latest AA Red Star winners.

“With the public looking forward to travelling further afield once again, it is inspiring to see hotels like these offering impeccable service and exceptional stays, providing guests with a comfortable and reassuring return to the hospitality sector.”

The AA star rating scheme was introduced in 1908 and are awarded annually to the best hotels in the country.

The original version of this article was first published on North Norfolk News. 

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Midlands Hospitality Sector Business Boost in sight!

Midlands hospitality sector pins hopes on Commonwealth Games for business boost

UK hotel trading performance is set to improve in 2022 following a volatile period due to the pandemic as demand continues to return, with the Midlands hospitality sector pinning its hopes on the Commonwealth Games for a boost in business.

PwC’s UK Hotels Forecast 2021-2022 says that although there are encouraging signs for hoteliers, trading is still not anticipated to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022.

The prediction forms part of its analysis into market conditions for hotels over the next 12 months. The forecast for occupancy rates by the end of 2022, is between 70% and 90% of pre-pandemic levels in London.

Meanwhile in the Midlands  the forecast is even higher at between 87% and 96% of pre-pandemic levels.

The speed of recovery will be the major issue in 2022, but will be driven by factors outside of the sectors’ control; the pace and size of the return of tourism, international and domestic business and events. An encouraging sign for hoteliers, when surveyed, 63% of people said they plan to take either more or the same number of holidays in 2022.

However, a difficult start to 2022 is widely expected, with the end of the majority of government financial support and rent and tax bills due, managing cash flow and operations will be critical to ensure success for hotels across the UK.  Meanwhile, rising payroll cost pressures are likely to continue into 2022 as labour shortages in hotels are at a critical level, leading to an above inflation increase in wage rates as hoteliers struggle to retain and attract staff.

The Midlands hospitality sector has seen mixed fortunes throughout the pandemic. Staycations have provided a boost to the sector, with occupancy rates and ADR in August 2021 significantly outperforming pre-pandemic August 2019.

For those areas boosted by staycation demand, summer 2022 may again see difficult trading conditions if international travel is back on the agenda for the domestic market, and pent up demand for guaranteed sun is released. The latest PwC research shows that 37% of people still plan to holiday within the UK in 2022. On balance, it is expected overall staycation demand to be similar to the summer of 2021 but be more evenly spread throughout the year.  High occupancy rates will help regional hoteliers raise their ADR and a moderate recovery could see it reach £67.05  in 2022, up from £61.59 in 2021. RevPAR could also increase to £42.36 in the regions.

In many regional cities decreased demand and increased supply have suppressed occupancy. The viability of large scale events, conferences and meetings with long planning cycles means the events market may take further time to recover, especially if uncertainty persists around potential restrictions.

Sarah Phillips, Midlands retail and consumer markets leader, PwC, said: “The hotel sector recovery has a long way to go. The speed of recovery in the region is likely to be dependent on international tourism and the speed at which business travel returns as markets lift their own restrictions on citizens travelling to the UK.

“In the Midlands, we hope to see a real boost to hotel occupancy resulting from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and generally from Business Tourism as we move to more in person events.

“Hotels must continue to innovate and adapt to the markets available to them. Many businesses have publicly stated their ambitions to cut business travel even as restrictions are lifted. Hotels that previously focussed on the business market should think about how to capture domestic tourism, looking at this as a real opportunity and, as it returns, the international tourism market.

“In what could be described as a perfect storm, a raft of operational cost increases coincide with the increase in the rate of VAT next April. The ability for hoteliers to endure these costs and preserve profitability, will present a challenge in markets where demand is weaker and more hotel rooms are available.

“Recovery will not be easy or straightforward, but with the right planning and strategy, hotels across the UK can look forward to significantly better trading over the next 12 months”

Becky Frall, head of visitor attraction at West Midlands Growth Company, said: “It has been an undeniably tough 18 months of trading for the hotel industry, but this report backs up the experiences of our hotels across the region, demonstrating a return to more buoyant levels of business.

“The tourism sector in the West Midlands Combined Authority area generates more than £13billion a year for the regional economy and is expected to experience a significant uplift in visitor numbers during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“Large events, such as the Games and Coventry UK City of Culture, will enhance the region’s profile as a top destination for local, national and international travellers, providing a welcome boost for the hotel industry in the region.”

The original version of this article was first published on The Business Desk

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Hospitality Apprenticeships Week 2021

Hospitality gets behind Apprenticeships

The hospitality industry is looking for people who want to begin an exciting, lifelong career in which no two days are the same. Hospitality Apprenticeships Week 2021, taking place from 18 to 22 October 2021 aims to showcase the range of apprenticeships available across a diverse range of hospitality businesses and launches alongside the first ever hospitality apprenticeships hub, hosted by the industry support platform CareerScope.

The CareerScope hub is a one stop shop for careers advice and apprenticeship opportunities, with thousands of live roles, as well as sector pathway guides and case studies.

This year’s Hospitality Apprenticeship Week campaign is called ‘more than a job’. Current apprentices, former apprentices and employers alike are using the hashtag #MoreThanAJob on social media to inspire potential recruits about the breadth of roles and development opportunities hospitality can offer, as well as to showcase their brand and current apprenticeship vacancies.

There is a different theme each day during Hospitality Apprenticeships Week showing the different career pathways available. They are:

• Monday – hospitality and apprenticeships – busting the myths
• Tuesday – hospitality job roles: chef
• Wednesday – hospitality job roles: front of house
• Thursday – hospitality job roles: supervisors and management
• Friday – Join us: be part of our team

The campaign has been developed by the Hospitality Apprenticeships Steering Group, which is made up of some of the industry’s biggest employers, training providers, key industry trade bodies and government representatives in the UK.

Robert Richardson FIH, Chief Executive, Institute of Hospitality emphasised support from the IoH saying: “There has never been a better time to engage with the hospitality sector, and whether you’re starting your career journey, or changing direction, Hospitality Apprenticeship Week is the perfect opportunity to see, first hand, the eclectic and diverse nature of one of the largest industries globally.

“As a former hotelier, I have always championed apprenticeships and am delighted that the Institute of Hospitality is leading the way here with the appointment of two apprentices within 2021, both who will be front and centre of our championing this route into a dynamic and ever evolving career.”

Chris Gamm, chief executive of hospitality charity, Springboard, one of the organisations behind the campaign and the CareerScope hub, said: “It’s well known that hospitality needs to attract more home-grown talent to address the current staffing shortages and ensure there is a sustainable talent pipeline for many years to come.

“Hospitality Apprenticeships Week is a brilliant way to showcase the industry and your business to your customers and followers, show what a fun and dynamic industry it is to work in, and the brilliant opportunities it offers to develop and build a career.”

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality and member of the steering group, said: “Hospitality Apprenticeship Week is a fantastic way for people to learn about the wide range of roles in the sector, at a time when there are many opportunities to join the sector’s post-Covid renaissance. Hospitality has embraced apprenticeships as a gateway into roles as well as for upskilling its existing workforce. Anyone looking for a new job or a change of career would do well to take a look at what the sector has to offer. With furlough coming to an end from October and a shortage of staff in the sector, this is perfect timing.”

The original version of this article was first published on Hospitality and Catering News

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Hospitality Business Rates: Budget 2021

Chancellor unveils Hospitality Business Rates will be cut by 50%

Amongst other measures unveiled by the Chancellor, Sunak confirmed that the national minimum wage is set to rise for the second time this year by 6.6% to £9.50

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a 50% discount on business rates for the hospitality, retail and leisure sectors (up to £110,000), equating to a business tax cut worth £1.7bn, the biggest single-year rates cut for firms in over 30 years.

Unveiling his latest Budget in the Commons today (27 October), Sunak said it will help deliver a “stronger economy for the British people”. Nonetheless, he warned of “challenging months ahead”.

Sunak noted that while business rates will be retained, the government will introduce “key reforms”, with more frequent revaluations of rates set to be made every three years from 2023 onwards.

Following suggestions from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the British Property federation, Sunak also revealed that from 2023, every company will also be able to make property improvements without having to pay additional business rates for 12 months.

Amongst other measures unveiled by the chancellor, he confirmed that the national minimum wage is set to rise for the second time this year by 6.6% to £9.50 from £8.90 and will come into effect from 1 April.

For the food and drink sector, the chancellor also announced a five-step plan to overhaul alcohol duty, which he called “outdated, complex and full of historical anomalies”. As such, the government is slashing main duty rates from 15 to six – with the new duty aimed at working on the basis of the higher the alcohol level, the higher the rate of tax.

This was also accompanied by a lower rate of duty on draught beer and cider by 5% and a he also confirmed the planned increase of duty on spirits such as Scotch whiskey will be cancelled.

Meanwhile, the Universal Credit taper rate is set to be slashed by 8% from 63% to 55%, which is set to be introduced “no later” than 1 December.

It comes after Sunak noted that inflation has risen to 3.1% in September as demands for goods “increased more quickly” than the supply chain was able to handle, adding that this is set to continue with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expects inflation to average 4% over the next year.

Underlying debt was also forecast to be 85.2% of GDP this year, with this figure expected to rise to 85.4% in 2023 and peak at 85.7% in 2024. The economy was expected to grow by 6% in 2022, however, while the long-term hit of Covid was revised down from 3% to 2% of GDP.

While the OBR previously expected unemployment to peak at 12%, it now expects it to peak at 5.2%, which by its estimates, would lead to two million fewer people out of work than previously expected.

Sunak concluded: “This government chooses to invest and build a stronger economy for the future. We’re unleashing the dynamism and creativity of British businesses with a simpler, fairer, more competitive tax system.

“By the end of this parliament I want taxes to go down, not up.”

The original version of this article was first published on Catering Today

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Catering Jobs and Careers News

New College restaurant opens, helping catering jobs and careers

Rugby College opened the doors to its new on-site commercial restaurant to the public for the first time as part of Colleges Week celebrations.

Catering students showed off their culinary skills and cooked a range of dishes for visitors to the college, which is part of WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group). It will really support the students embark on their future catering jobs and careers.

‘Courses’ restaurant will provide hands-on industry experience to prepare students for catering jobs and careers working in the hospitality industry – and will be officially opening to the public to pop in for their lunch in the New Year.

Around 40 people attended the free-of-charge open lunch at Rugby College and were able to see first-hand the work the college is doing to help plug the skills gap in the hospitality and catering industry.

Workers from nearby businesses, staff at the college and families of the students were all among the customers on the day.

Food ranged from pork croquettes, fish goujons and BBQ pulled pork, to brownies, apple crumble tart and Eton mess.

Produce from across the college group’s sites was used to create the dishes. This included chillies, basil, rocket and other herbs which had been grown in the vertical farming facility at Pershore College.

Award-winning Pershore Press fruit juice, which is also produced on-site at Pershore College, was also served.

Floristry students from Moreton Morrell College were also involved on the day and created flower arrangements to decorate tables for diners. Some of the arrangements were created by under-19 students – giving them their first experience of creating arrangements for an event.

The event was part of the Association of Colleges’ Colleges Week 2021, which ran from 18-22 October. The week is part of the Love Our Colleges Campaign and provides a platform to shout about everything that FE colleges do.

Rita Young, Head of Catering at Rugby College, said: “This was a wonderful opportunity to welcome people into the college and showcase how we are developing the next generation of hospitality professionals.

“It was also a platform introduce those who may not have sampled it before to the wide range of produce that we grow and make across the college group.

“For some of the students, this was their first experience of working in a real-world environment and that workplace experience is something that the ‘Courses’ restaurant will provide when it opens fully to the public in the New Year.

“Colleges Week is a great chance to shout about everything great that we do at WCG and the ‘Courses’ restaurant is a perfect example of how our provision is supporting the economy and responding to local needs.”

For more information on Food, Drink and Catering courses and apprenticeships at Rugby College visit www.wcg.ac.uk/rugby

The original version of this article was first published on Hospitality and Catering News

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Hospitality Skills Boost

New training programme will boost hospitality skills

DRINKS giant Diageo has a launched a new 15-day training programme which will give a hospitality skills boost to help young people in the north to access employment in the sector, which has been hardest hit during the pandemic.

The Guinness Learning for Life – Gateway to Hospitality is a free 15-day pre-employment training programme which will give 18- to 26-year-olds the targeted industry skills along with an accredited qualification and a guaranteed industry interview.

And the launch has taken on added significance with many people having left the hospitality sector due to the impact of the pandemic.

Participants in the programme, which has been developed in partnership with employment charity Springboard and the Andras Group, will gain targeted industry and business skills, achieve an accredited industry qualification, be provided with CV and interview technique support and be guaranteed an industry interview.

Diageo corporate relations manager Claire Hutchinson said “We are passionately committed to supporting the hospitality industry and recognise the pressing issue of staff shortages following months of mandatory closures.

“This programme will provide young people in Northern Ireland with the tools, training and skills in the key areas they need to gain employment and thrive in the hospitality trade.

“The need to fill the skills gap has never been greater, with businesses having been closed and young people, so crucial to the vibrancy in the industry, moving away to seek employment in other sectors.”

Sharon Thorpe from Springboard said: “We’re delighted to partner with Diageo on the Gateway to Hospitality training programme with the collective approach being to raise awareness of the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry, encouraging young people to choose it as a real career option.

“It is a fantastic opportunity to learn many new skills and gain industry accredited qualifications, all in just 15 days.”

The original version of this article was first published on The Irish News

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Hospitality Scholarship To Support Students

Victor Ceserani scholarship set up to support hospitality students

A hospitality scholarship to support hospitality students has been set up in the name of inspirational catering educationalist Victor Ceserani.

Ceserani was behind industry bibles Practical Cookery, Advanced Practical Cookery and The Theory of Catering, which he co-authored with Ronald Kinton and David Foskett. He died in 2017 aged 97.

The Victor Ceserani Student Memorial Scholarship has been established to celebrate his legacy and help students in further and higher education onto hospitality courses.

The aim of the hospitality scholarship is to collaborate with hospitality businesses to reach a minimum target of £50,000, from which bursaries of up to £2,000 will be provided to students to pay for their educational fees or equipment. It has been founded by a team from education and the industry including David Foskett, Steve Munkley and Gary Hunter.

Foskett said: “Victor Ceserani was and is an icon of hospitality. As head of hospitality at Ealing College now University of West London, he pioneered many initiatives.”

Munkley added: “When I was asked to be part of this initiative, I jumped at the chance. My working life has been in kitchens, guiding chefs through their careers. Having run a successful apprenticeship programme for 24 years at the Royal Garden hotel, training and development was at the top of my priorities. Helping students of the future will just be amazing!”

Ceserani was presented with the Catey Special Award, then called the Personality of the Year, in 1984, and received the Catey Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992.

Hospitality Reviews

TripAdvisor blocked almost one million fake hospitality reviews in 2020

Almost one million fake hospitality reviews were rejected or removed from TripAdvisor in 2020, the company has revealed.

The platform’s latest Review Transparency Report said that of the 26 million reviews posted in 2020, 3.6% were found to be fraudulent and 67% were stopped before they made it onto the website.

In total, TripAdvisor penalised 34,605 properties for fraudulent activity and banned 20,299 members for failing to abide by the platform’s community standards in 2020.

The company’s fraud investigators also identified 65 new paid review sites and blocked paid review submissions from a total of 372 different paid review sites last year.

TripAdvisor has long faced pressure from the hospitality industry to clamp down on false reviews on its platform. In 2018 the owner of a company selling fake reviews to hospitality companies was jailed for nine months by the Italian courts.

And in 2019 the platform was accused of failing to stop a torrent of fake five-star reviews for hotels, including a Travelodge site.

That same year TripAdvisor published its first Review Transparency Report and called on other review sites to take ‘aggressive action’ against fraudsters.

Becky Foley, head of trust and safety at TripAdvisor, said: “We know from our investigations that if a fraudster is trying to infiltrate TripAdvisor with fake reviews, then they are targeting other platforms as well – and they will always follow the path of least resistance. We must stay committed, working together and in cooperation with law enforcement agencies, to stop fake reviewers and protect travellers.”

To view TripAdvisor’s 2021 review transparency report in full click here.

The original version of this article was first published on The Caterer

We are a hospitality and catering recruitment company. Are you struggling with your Hospitality Staff Recruitment? Maybe we can help or if you are looking for a hospitality job, take a look at our latest vacancies.

Chef Recruitment in the West Midlands

Compass Group launches industry academy to train next generation

The world’s largest food and support services provider Compass Group has launched a multi-million flagship training and development hub in the West Midlands to train the next generation of hospitality workers. Chef Recruitment in the West Midlands could become much easier.

The state of the art physical and online hub is due to open in 2023 and it will train people in a range of disciplines, including hospitality, culinary and services, amid talent shortages across the industry.

Being right at the centre of the UK, the Academy will target people in the UK’s ‘cold spots’, the parts of the country with the lowest prospects in education and employment, to provide an opportunity to enter the world of work and develop a fulfilling career.

Robin Mills, managing director for Compass Group UK & Ireland, said: “I am delighted to have launched our Compass Group Academy, it is a really important step in our commitment to create opportunity for all, whatever someone’s background.

“Compass is uniquely placed as a business to do this; our reach extends across the country and we have a genuine ability to create opportunities in the places that need them most. Our Academy will help address the skills crisis the industry faces but will also help people in the most disadvantaged areas get on that crucial first rung on the ladder.”

From early next year, Compass will begin measuring the social-economic background of its 40,000 employees, with the view to provide the support to help colleagues from all backgrounds progress and grow careers in the business.

To ensure the Academy achieves Compass’ goal of improving social mobility in the UK, the food and support services provider has appointed Chris Moore as its managing director.

Moore added: “Overseeing the creation, development and operation of this centre for excellence is really exciting. This is a hugely ambitious project that will really drive social mobility as well as bring great benefits to the hospitality sector. The social outreach ambitions coupled with learning excellence are what will make the Compass academy unique.”

The Academy will aim to train over 12,000 people a year. As well as training its own employees, a fifth of the academy will be dedicated to outreach. This will include:

• Schools engagement – educating and inspiring students from socio-economically challenged and diverse communities in the West Midlands.
• Working with disadvantaged groups – expanding Compass’ work with partner organisations such as The Springboard Charity, The Clink, The Prince’s Trust, and National Care Covenant to help people into real jobs and careers.
• Attracting young people into the industry – supporting post-Covid initiatives such as traineeships and kickstart programmes by giving the younger generation opportunities to gain the skills they require.

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, commented: “It’s exciting to see the opportunities that the Compass Academy will create for people and I am delighted to see Compass aligning its social mobility commitments with its sustainability goals, a challenge that the industry as a whole has to swiftly address.

“The talent that comes through the Academy will help address the industry’s acute skills crisis, while creating a new diverse generation of industry leaders.”

The original version of this article was first published on Craft Guild of Chefs

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