Hospitality 2013: Meet the experts

The Hospitality Show 2013's Business Briefings will bring many of the brightest business brains in the industry under one roof. So what will be their top tips for success in 2013? Rosalind Mullen has been finding out

 

Between 21 and 23 January you will be 
able to book complimentary 15-minute sessions with hard-hitters such as TLC Inns founder Steve Haslam, front-of-house consultancy guru and star of BBC’s The Restaurant David Moore, and Aktar Islam, winner of the BBC’s Great British Menu and head chef at Lasan.

 

Other mentors giving their time and expertise are Luke Thomas, chef-patron of Luke’s Dining Room, Nick Sandler, creative chef at Pret A Manger, Adam Marshall, managing director of Grand Union Bars, Kevin Charity, founder of Bulldog Pub Company, Hayden Groves, regional executive chef at contract caterer BaxterStorey and Ruth Hinks, UK Chocolate Master and owner of CocoaBlack.

 

When not in private mentoring sessions, this crack team will take part in live audience panel debates on the Business Briefing stage. The full schedule of briefings is available on the Hospitality Show 2013 website at www.hospitalityshow.co.uk. To book a one-to-one mentoring session, simply go to www.hospitalityshow.co.uk/mentors.

 

In the meantime, we can offer you a taste of the top business tips that the mentors will be giving for 2013 in their live panel sessions…

 

EXPERTS ON THE SPOT

 

Caterer and Hotelkeeper asked a few of the mentors for their tips for success in 2013

 

Adam Marshall, managing director, 
Grand Union Bars Hospitality operators should be looking at 2013 with great excitement. Although there are no specific big events or worldwide distractions, there will hopefully be a return to normality and steady trading patterns. As long as the weather holds out (and it can’t be worse than last summer) I think we’ll be in for a great, steady year. Every year there are great opportunities to be seized, so 2013 should be no different.

 

If you want to grow your business, the best advice I can give is to knuckle down, invest wisely and be careful with the choices you make. There are always opportunities out there, it’s just about working hard to find them and maximising them when you can.

 

If you are an entrepreneur thinking about striking out alone, just do it. If you have the passion, the ideas and hopefully finance, then there is no reason not to. This country is a country of entrepreneurs and we need to keep the spirit alive.

 

I think 2013 will continue in a similar vein to 2012. The recession has clearly had an impact on people’s dining requirements and finances, so value and quality will still dictate people’s choices. Professional service is always required, but I don’t see a return to tablecloths and pressed napkins in every restaurant right yet.

 

David Moore, owner, Pied à Terre and L’Autre Pied, London Outside London, business during 2013 will be tougher as customers will increasingly be looking at the prices. The best way forward is to give a perception of value â€" for example, offering lobster, salad and chips at £20.

 

If you are a start-up business you need to know your market and know your figures. If you don’t, even the strongest business plan can fall apart.

 

You need to do your homework on the location â€" stand outside the chosen premises and count how many people go in. Ask around about the area.

 

In a depressed economy, it is also worth approaching your landlord and trying to negotiate a good rent. We started Pied à Terre in 1991 and managed to negotiate a prime site on the West End’s Charlotte Street.

 

The key is not to be undercapitalised. You are better off not doing it and waiting six months. If you think you have just enough money, you probably haven’t. Get advice from government-funded organisations such as Business Link and see whether you are entitled to a grant.

 

Kevin Charity, founder, Bulldog Pub Company Customer expectations have risen more in the past two years than ever so you can’t afford not to deliver in 2013. In fact, you need to over-deliver. We do staff training courses because if the place is working well, customer satisfaction is higher.

 

The cost of staffing has become onerous over the past 10-15 years. The hourly rate rises every year and needs to be managed and monitored. We work hard at being cost-effective and maintain a good communication with our staff â€" which gives us better results.

 

I don’t think middle pricing is the place to be. Either you are a cheap offer with discounting or a quality offer at a higher price. If you’re in the middle you get lost among the decision-makers. We give value for money, but we aren’t cheap.

 

How to reinvent your food offer

 

Shelve all thoughts of slaving over exotically complicated dishes or extending your menu. For Nick Sandler, creative chef at Pret A Manger, the message for culinary success in 2013 is short and sharp: “Stick to what you know and do it well,” he says. “It’s what sets you apart from your competitors.”

 

Pret’s strength, Sandler says, is the fact that its sandwiches and salads have a short shelf life and are made fresh on the premises, unlike most other sandwich multiples.

 

He believes that his customers value quality ingredients over fussy recipes. So, while Pret does launch seasonal sandwiches and hot wraps such as chicken and chorizo, he describes it as a “blinding, but simple recipe that you can eat every day”.

 

The strict processes for developing recipes at Pret mean new products are tested in one shop before being rolled out. But they are not just judged on sales; they have to be the right fit for the brand.

 

“Know your offer and 
offer it consistently,” Sandler says. “Your own target market may be wealthy, so quality and high prices may contribute to your success. But be open-minded to change and adaptable.”

 

Sourcing will continue to be important this year, too, he says. Pret already uses high-welfare pork and chicken and the company policy is not to fly ingredients into the UK. “If you think customers don’t notice any corners you cut you are wrong,” Sandler adds. “You need to have great respect for them. They are aware of nutritional labelling and make their decisions based on food quality and dietary attributes.”

 

Sandler’s message chimes with that of Hayden Groves, regional executive chef at BaxterStorey. “Be authentic,” he says. “People want to understand what they are eating. The focus in 2013 will be to get back to sourcing and sympathetic cooking.”

 

Groves, who previously ran the catering at Lloyd’s of London, says the reason is two-fold. It’s partly the fact customers in this economy want good value and partly because it’s a dining trend. “Don’t cook for yourself; look at what customers want. The majority of customers don’t want egotistical cooking unless they are visiting a destination restaurant.”

 

As a contract caterer, Groves has a more immediate concern. He is conscious that he provides customers with a necessary purchase rather than a glamorous purchase â€" and if customers overspend during Christmas, they are more likely to bring in a packed lunch. “Historically for me January is the hardest challenge,” he says.

 

Nevertheless, the key to success in 2013 is to do what is right for your own company brand and keep getting customer feedback on your products.