You're Hired!

The hospitality industry has never been famed for attracting long term staff retention, many staff members are merely passing through, between college courses or simply filling in until something better comes along. So how can we expect these staff members to be fully committed to their role and whole heartedly promote your business in the best possible light?

An apprentice could well be the answer you have been looking for and the process of recruitment has never been easier.

When you take on an apprentice they are of course employed and paid by you, the government funds their training though local specialist training providers and as the majority of the training is on the job the apprentice is earning a wage whilst learning their chosen trade. Following completion of the apprenticeship, usually around12 months the apprentice will be in possession of a nationally recognised NVQ and will be a valuable, well trained and committed member of staff.

Apprenticeships are available in many trades but the hospitality and catering NVQs provide a solid base for a career in the industry whether training as a Chef, Waiter or Hotel Manager.


Editorial by: Mark Raines, Poultec Training Limited
We have one clear aim - to promote excellence in training.
Tel: 07531120817
Email: mark.raines@poultec.co.uk
www.poultec.co.uk

The Anticipation of Seasonal Food

“Seasonal”, ”fresh” and “Local”, are the three watch words that govern our kitchen and they should be in your thoughts when you do your weekly shop.

From my point of view, the Anticipation of the first delivery of Spring Lamb, Asparagus and Strawberries is phenomenal, the smell of the lamb roasting, the sweet taste of the first strawberry of the year and the snap of the asparagus are all moments that I long for all winter! Every season has its specialities, The Mussels, when the sea cools down in October, Pheasants and Partridge during the shooting season and of course venison in the autumn and winter.

Our supplies of vegetables changes as the months pass by, hardy winter kale are followed by tender spring greens and in the summer we have such a choice of salad it’s hard to know where to start!

If we had all these delicacies available all year round, which of course we can, would they or do they still taste as good and fresh as those that we look forward to so much?
This is how my kitchen works, could it, should it work in yours as well?


Editorial by: Robert Mills, The Saracen’s Head, Wolterton
Come and share in the community spirit of Norfolk’s great food and drink.
Tel: 01263 768909
Email: info@saracenshead-norfolk.co.uk
www.saracenshead-norfolk.co.uk

Spring Delights

Spring in Norfolk has so much to offer in the way of great produce for us to produce some amazing tasting dishes. We have for instance amazing Cromer crab, Sandringham organic red poll beef and King’s Lynn brown shrimp.

Not to forget of course our very own asparagus, soon to be in season ( end of April ) which is so versatile it can be used in a verity of ways and is a fantastic ingredient for a simple spring supper, lightly char grilled with a poached free range hen egg or added to risottos.

With such great produce on our door step, we are passionate about showcasing all of what’s local and in season and local farmers markets are a great place to frequent to pick up the best of what’s about. We love Norfolk and all it has to offer and we hope that our food reflects that.


Editorial by: Market Bistro, King’s Lynn
We cook and serve food that we love to eat, in a relaxed and informal environment.
Tel: 01553 771483
Email: info@marketbistro.co.uk
www.marketbistro.co.uk

Norfolk's Finest

When great food and drink is talked about in Britain the wonderful diversity that Norfolk offers seems to regularly be overlooked. Maybe that’s because we haven’t shouted loudly enough about the huge variety that can be found or the strong tradition of good produce tied closely to the landscape. It has a character of its own.

Wide open skies, dipping hills, sea breezes and mud flats. Honesty boxes dotted around, a few eggs here, some homemade jam there. They all contribute to the food culture from crabs, samphire, Stiffkey blues and mussels to asparagus, potatoes, orchards and grain to make beers. There is beef and pigs and cheeses. The Norfolk Black turkey might be well known but it’s not the only thing we should be talking about.

The Norfolk Diet started from this very idea of diversity when one local producer decided to eat only Norfolk produce for one month. The idea grew into a small group of like-minded people who wanted to see Norfolk food and drink be celebrated across the county and across Britain.

There are amazing producers and fantastic produce and our aim is to bring these together at events like our Spring Farmer’s Market in Norwich on 14 May and promote them on social media and in the press.


Editorial by: The Norfolk Diet
Come and share in the community spirit of Norfolk’s great food and drink.
www.thenorfolkdiet.co.uk

Eyes on the Pies

There’s a lot to raise the spirits of a pie-maker and our pie HQ makes my heart soar. We make our pies on the beautiful Bayfield estate on a ridge above the Glaven valley looking down toward the sea.

We created our state-of- the-art bakery in a light and airy high-ceilinged flint barn that used to house the farm’s bull. The buildings have won approval from CPRE for sensitive conversion. In the summer swallows swoop outside and hares and buzzards live in the field next door.

In the winter we’re kept warm by a communal wood burning system, fed from the estate’s trees. Our neighbours drop in, take in parcels, chat and taste new pie flavours. The super-exotic Berber Interiors let me use their showroom as a location for photoshoots and our cheery landlord has welcomed me to perch in his stately home kitchen for Country Living.

Sometimes I take visitors for a meeting-walk down the flower-banked lane to Glandford Ford rather than sit and talk formally, ideas flow beautifully in the sunshine and I like to think that just maybe part of the magic of our patch of North Norfolk finds its way into the pies.


Editorial by: Brays Cottage Pork Pies
Making fine artisan, award winning pork pies on the North Norfolk Coast.
Tel: 01263 860944
Email: info@perfectpie.co.uk
www.perfectpie.co.uk

Outstanding Cuisine

Winter is at last coming to an end and we can all look forward to summer evenings out at your local pub or restaurant and enjoy some of Norfolk’s finest produce.

I have been at Morston Hall for 18years and the wealth of local produce just gets better and better. We are now coming in to the best time of the year for restaurants to source locally produced foods, and Norfolk produces some of the finest, New Potatoes, Broad Beans, Various cuts of meat, Trout or Bass, it doesn’t matter whether it is a gastro pub or Michelin star restaurant, locally produced foods are readily available, and we all try to support local suppliers.

We were awarded a Michelin Star in 1999 and because of our consistency in giving our customers excellent food we have now held this for 13 years because we focus on what we are doing and serve quality food, washed down with a glass of your favourite wine, is there a nicer way to end a summers day.


Editorial by: Galton Blackiston, Morston Hall
An intimate country house hotel with its origin in the 17th Century, located 2 miles from Blakeney.
Tel: 01263 741041
Email: reception@morstonhall.com
www.morstonhall.com

Are You Being Served... Properly?

Restauranteurs are all aware of the importance of good customer service training and maintaining a solid, ongoing training programme for staff but how often do they put it to the test?

It is very important to walk the customer journey from time to time to experience exactly what your clients do, see what they see and taste what they taste!

Mystery shopping, or in this case Mystery Dining is the best way to get unbiased, honest feedback on all aspects of the customers experience starting with the initial impressions on arrival, through the ordering process all the way to paying the bill.

Inspectors will comment on appearance, cleanliness, staff attitude, service received and of course the quality of the food.

The resulting feedback will provide you, as proprietor, with a comprehensive report focusing on over 70 points of the visit, scored with feedback notes and suggestions where appropriate.

I recommend investing in a programme of quarterly visits as the scoring system allows you to monitor progress as the areas highlighted are focused on within the ongoing staff training.

If you have rooms then you may wish to include the overnight stay in the report, all aspects of the accommodation are reviewed including comfort of the room, facilities and even breakfast.


For more information about Mystery Dining please contact Mark Raines at The Mystery Diner 07531120817 or email sales@markraines.co.uk