Finding new ways to use cooking oil waste could cut costs and potentially generate revenue for food processors, claims UK based company Bio Driven.
According to the company, 225,000 tonnes of used cooking oil are thrown away annually in the UK, and it claims that if this was all collected and refined, the resulting biofuel could generate more than 13,000 megawatt hours of electricity per year, the equivalent to the annual average consumption of 2,200 households.
Food and drink processors are facing rising energy costs, and as a result are being forced to look at alternative energy sources that could also help them meet targets to cut carbon emissions.
Cash asset
David Chalk, managing director, Bio Driven, told FoodProductionDaily.com that the firm can offer European food processors various sustainable and cost effective ways of managing their waste cooking oil such as a simple cash purchase for bulk oil for conversion to biodiesel at its own facility or a fully automated mobile unit for conversion of the oil at the food processor’s plant.
“We are the only company in the UK offering this portable conversion service. We can take 100,000 litres of cooking oil and convert it within four days into reusable biodiesel for plant power generation or for use in the manufacturer’s logistics fleet.
“Conversion on site in this way reduces road miles associated with shipping the waste oil off site for disposal or alteration and turns a waste stream into a cash asset,” argues Chalk.
He said the mobile converter will be introduced in early 2009 and that the company anticipates considerable demand from the sector for the facility.
Renewable energy source
Chalk added that the company can also provide training and expert advice on how to install and operate a permanent biodiesel plant at the manufacturing facility that would be tailored to a food processor’s particular requirements.
He said that the firm is currently in negotiations with a large German food manufacturer who is planning to install a converter on site to turn its output of 150,000 tonnes of used cooking oil a quarter into a renewable energy source.
“Working with Bio Driven will result in fuel price stability, significant savings and a greater understanding and positive contribution to current environmental issues [for the food processing sector],” said Chalk
Friday, 2 January 2009
Colour of Food
Foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, are increasingly being marketed on their colour and associated health benefits, according to new Euromonitor International findings.
Speaking at the Healthy Foods European Summit in London this week, Euromonitor analyst, Ewa Hudson, highlighted how colour is becoming a powerful marketing tool for foods such as superfruits.
This kind of marketing has become possible on the back on increased consumer awareness of the link between colour-giving components of foods. An example is anthocyanins, which are nutritious pigments that have been shown to benefit heart health.
Other examples include acai or pomegranate juices marketed as antioxidant-laden ‘red’ tonics, or green teas offering similar benefits.
According to Hudson, companies such as Parmalat, Unilever, Kelloggs and Kagome are employing this marketing technique
Kagome had released a colour wheel to educate consumers about variants in the spectrum, relevant ingredients and potential health benefits that ranged from heart health to urinary tract health to bone and teeth health and more.
Kagome’s colour breakdown includes:
Blue/purple: quercetin
Red: lycopene, capsanthin
Yellow/orange: beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthan
White: allicin, flavonol
Green: chlorophyll, lutein
Global health and wellness pushing $500bn
Colour foods are part of a health and wellness category Hudson valued at $480bn (€350bn) in 2007, up seven per cent over 2006 and 42 per cent since 2002.
Naturally healthy foods (33 per cent) accounted for the biggest slice of this pie followed by functional foods and beverages (31 per cent), better-for-you foods (30 per cent), organic (5 per cent) and intolerance foods (1 per cent).
Organic foods grew fastest between 2002 and 2007 at 86 per cent. Functional foods and beverages sales increased 48 per cent and are expected to reach $170bn (€123.5m) by 2012. Functional beverages are set to jump 30 per cent in the period, while functional foods are forecast to grow 17 per cent.
North America and Western Europe are the dominant regions, with 35 and 31 per cent market share respectively.
Omega-3s, antioxidants, plant sterols, soluble fibres, calcium, bio-active peptides, squalene, GABA, collagen and flax were highlighted by Euromonitor as ingredients that continue, or are beginning, to attract a lot of interest in the food industry.
Omega-3 fish oil supplements grew strongly between 2002 and 2007, with average consumption rising 70 per cent to $2 (€1.45) per capita in 32 global markets. Last year, Norway had the world’s highest fish oil consumption at $24 (€17.40) per head.
In the plant sterols market, Hudson observed that yoghurts overtook spreads as the preferred application, with yoghurts surging 461 per cent between 2002 and 2007, while spreads dipped eight per cent. Global plant sterol food sales in 2007 came in at just over $3.2bn (€2.32bn), of which $2.6bn (€1.89bn) occurred in Europe.
Raw plant sterol ingredient sales surged 120 per cent between 2002 and 2007, with 18.2 thousand tonnes being sold worldwide last year.
The global health and wellness market will be worth $354m (€257m) in five years, Hudson said, a 22 per cent expansion. North America and Western Europe will continue to account for the bulk of sales at 34 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.
Speaking at the Healthy Foods European Summit in London this week, Euromonitor analyst, Ewa Hudson, highlighted how colour is becoming a powerful marketing tool for foods such as superfruits.
This kind of marketing has become possible on the back on increased consumer awareness of the link between colour-giving components of foods. An example is anthocyanins, which are nutritious pigments that have been shown to benefit heart health.
Other examples include acai or pomegranate juices marketed as antioxidant-laden ‘red’ tonics, or green teas offering similar benefits.
According to Hudson, companies such as Parmalat, Unilever, Kelloggs and Kagome are employing this marketing technique
Kagome had released a colour wheel to educate consumers about variants in the spectrum, relevant ingredients and potential health benefits that ranged from heart health to urinary tract health to bone and teeth health and more.
Kagome’s colour breakdown includes:
Blue/purple: quercetin
Red: lycopene, capsanthin
Yellow/orange: beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthan
White: allicin, flavonol
Green: chlorophyll, lutein
Global health and wellness pushing $500bn
Colour foods are part of a health and wellness category Hudson valued at $480bn (€350bn) in 2007, up seven per cent over 2006 and 42 per cent since 2002.
Naturally healthy foods (33 per cent) accounted for the biggest slice of this pie followed by functional foods and beverages (31 per cent), better-for-you foods (30 per cent), organic (5 per cent) and intolerance foods (1 per cent).
Organic foods grew fastest between 2002 and 2007 at 86 per cent. Functional foods and beverages sales increased 48 per cent and are expected to reach $170bn (€123.5m) by 2012. Functional beverages are set to jump 30 per cent in the period, while functional foods are forecast to grow 17 per cent.
North America and Western Europe are the dominant regions, with 35 and 31 per cent market share respectively.
Omega-3s, antioxidants, plant sterols, soluble fibres, calcium, bio-active peptides, squalene, GABA, collagen and flax were highlighted by Euromonitor as ingredients that continue, or are beginning, to attract a lot of interest in the food industry.
Omega-3 fish oil supplements grew strongly between 2002 and 2007, with average consumption rising 70 per cent to $2 (€1.45) per capita in 32 global markets. Last year, Norway had the world’s highest fish oil consumption at $24 (€17.40) per head.
In the plant sterols market, Hudson observed that yoghurts overtook spreads as the preferred application, with yoghurts surging 461 per cent between 2002 and 2007, while spreads dipped eight per cent. Global plant sterol food sales in 2007 came in at just over $3.2bn (€2.32bn), of which $2.6bn (€1.89bn) occurred in Europe.
Raw plant sterol ingredient sales surged 120 per cent between 2002 and 2007, with 18.2 thousand tonnes being sold worldwide last year.
The global health and wellness market will be worth $354m (€257m) in five years, Hudson said, a 22 per cent expansion. North America and Western Europe will continue to account for the bulk of sales at 34 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.
Catering Equipment
When it comes to setting up a business in the catering industry, it is essential that you plan all the finer points of your kitchen around the type of food you will be serving. There is a huge difference between equipment that is necessary for the smooth running of a carvery to a kitchen that is going to be serving stir fry and sushi. If you have ever had the pleasure of watching an episode of Hell's kitchen, The F Word, or any other Gordon Ramsay prime time tee vee show, you will have seen him rip kitchens to bits and rebuild them. Thanks to Mister Ramsay we are also all aware that working in a commercial kitchen is fraught with emotions and tensions are high, it is because of this that it is important to create a working area where everything can run smoothly. Having catering equipment installed to specification from a well drawn up plan means you can keep the staff at the stations they are meant to be at, with good access to the things they require to prevent trips, spills and interference.Pub KitchensThe kitchens in a Public House are likely to be serving up a high volume of quick to make food from lunch until dinner time. Traditional pub menus include cold foods such as sandwiches and a ploughman's lunch; a variety of deep fried foods like scampi, goujons and chips; oven baked favourites such as lasagne or toad in the hole and hob top traditional pub favourites like chilli, or a warming stew. To kit out this type of kitchen, you will need a large area dedicated to work surfaces, as the pre preparation of various ingredients will take up a lot of room, and it is likely that many covers will be served up at any one time. It is essential to have at least two commercial fryers to keep meat based and vegetarian fried foods separate. A high spec salamander grill is a versatile item of catering equipment that can turn a sandwich in to a toastie, keep plated up food warm, and brown off food that has been cooked in a microwave.Restaurant Kitchen To equip a restaurant adequately with catering equipment it is necessary to establish what the niche of the restaurant is, and take that in to account. There are some basic items that should be in any kitchen such as the salamander grill and deep fryers. It is likely however though that you will need to account for specialist equipment such as griddles and serving stations. As it is more likely that many people will be working at once, separate work stations are essential with under counter fridges and storage spaces. You will need to equip each area with its own utensils so everything is to hand and allow plenty of available hob space. If you are planning to cook a large amount of flash fry food, ensure that there are special large wok hobs fitted.It is not just the food preparation that needs to be considered when it comes to ordering catering equipment; there are a multitude of specialist equipment that is required for service and for the clearing up afterwards. To provide a fully professional service it is essential to make the most of any commercial standard equipment you can purchase. Glass washers, ice machines and serving gantry's are all part of the commercial world of kitchens. The best bet is to think ... What would Gordon do? If you imagine that he'd ball you out with expletives, then re think your design!
Tightening our belts
Where have all the sub-prime steaks gone? Gone to pork belly, every one. Even before the crash-bang-crunch was a 90-point headline, this was a year of gastronomic belt-tightening. The restaurants of conspicuous oli-gastronomy, with five glacier-faced, missile-breasted, Alaïa-clad Valkyries at the lectern who would never recognise any name that didn’t end in -ski and said you could wait in the corridor while they decided whether to feed you, are over.
Having the paparazzi outside is a sign that this is a place not to be seen in. The quality and calibre of celebrities caught outside unbookable restaurants have gone way down. Now it’s more likely to be a bloke who used to be in EastEnders, a drunk runner-up from Big Brother, and Piers Morgan. Gone are the days when Brad Pitt would engagingly take a swing at a pap, or some trashed techno-babe would wink pink getting out of a cab for the edification of 15-year-olds and downloaders everywhere. Big-money dining in multimillion rooms is so utterly over. Binge dinners are just not chic or smart, and the restaurants that specialise in them suddenly look embarrassing, passé and tacky. Sake No Hana had an overindulgent opening. Backed by Evgeny Lebedev, it is a perfect example of how to completely and utterly miss the zeitgeist, like turning up at a No Third Runway protest dressed like a 1970s Braniff hostess.
They always say that catering is the first into a recession and the last out, and I think the food knows, I think the ingredients can tell. Knives and pans have a sibyl’s sense of what's coming. There has been a move away from tables with five layers of linen, glasses big enough to breed goldfish in, and a special spoon just for supping your jus. The writing was on the wall for amuse-bouches and unordered shot glasses of tricksy gunk with caviar on top. No more gold leaf on your risotto, or truffle oil on everything. The slow-cooked rediscovery of British Industrial Revolution food overcame everything this year. For the first time in two decades, there must have been more English-restaurant openings than Italian. The fear of poverty has coincided with a digestive nationalism, a confidence in the home-grown — and thank God.
The writing on the wall also told us what field our cow came from, and the name of the wendy house in which the chicken brought up her happy, multicultural brood. Menus stopped being written by Barbara Cartland and all read like they’d been penned by WH Auden, Ted Hughes and Bill Oddie. Food went back to the sideboard, to scrubbed oak tables and bentwood chairs, served by people who wore home-baked shoes and had degrees in sustainable English. Pubs merged into restaurants, and restaurants served five types of beer. There was a sense of generous austerity about, and a cool pride.
Cooks’ menu envy made them compete to see who could serve the most gangleous of remote cuts and the weirdest hedgerow weeds. Fillet steak became braised shin; shoulders replaced cutlets; every time you opened your mouth, it was filled with a mustardy snout, ear or fry (bollock). The totemic dish of the year was the ubiquitous pork belly: a slow-roasted slab of crackling and fat, held together by slivers of exhausted muscle. It’s in every TV chef’s Christmas cookbook, and personally I’d happily not eat it again for a year. Brit food has been forcibly and good-humouredly taken back from the xenophobes and Little Englanders, from football yobs and the false teeth of pensioners. It’s not granny food or school food or hospital food, or the clubbable, stuffy, sticky, paunchy Sunday food any more. It is smart and sexy: who’d ever have thought that pies and mushy peas would be lubricious? But, it turns out, they really are. And there were dripping-fried chips with everything. We all went out to eat home-cooked without irony.
The Times
Having the paparazzi outside is a sign that this is a place not to be seen in. The quality and calibre of celebrities caught outside unbookable restaurants have gone way down. Now it’s more likely to be a bloke who used to be in EastEnders, a drunk runner-up from Big Brother, and Piers Morgan. Gone are the days when Brad Pitt would engagingly take a swing at a pap, or some trashed techno-babe would wink pink getting out of a cab for the edification of 15-year-olds and downloaders everywhere. Big-money dining in multimillion rooms is so utterly over. Binge dinners are just not chic or smart, and the restaurants that specialise in them suddenly look embarrassing, passé and tacky. Sake No Hana had an overindulgent opening. Backed by Evgeny Lebedev, it is a perfect example of how to completely and utterly miss the zeitgeist, like turning up at a No Third Runway protest dressed like a 1970s Braniff hostess.
They always say that catering is the first into a recession and the last out, and I think the food knows, I think the ingredients can tell. Knives and pans have a sibyl’s sense of what's coming. There has been a move away from tables with five layers of linen, glasses big enough to breed goldfish in, and a special spoon just for supping your jus. The writing was on the wall for amuse-bouches and unordered shot glasses of tricksy gunk with caviar on top. No more gold leaf on your risotto, or truffle oil on everything. The slow-cooked rediscovery of British Industrial Revolution food overcame everything this year. For the first time in two decades, there must have been more English-restaurant openings than Italian. The fear of poverty has coincided with a digestive nationalism, a confidence in the home-grown — and thank God.
The writing on the wall also told us what field our cow came from, and the name of the wendy house in which the chicken brought up her happy, multicultural brood. Menus stopped being written by Barbara Cartland and all read like they’d been penned by WH Auden, Ted Hughes and Bill Oddie. Food went back to the sideboard, to scrubbed oak tables and bentwood chairs, served by people who wore home-baked shoes and had degrees in sustainable English. Pubs merged into restaurants, and restaurants served five types of beer. There was a sense of generous austerity about, and a cool pride.
Cooks’ menu envy made them compete to see who could serve the most gangleous of remote cuts and the weirdest hedgerow weeds. Fillet steak became braised shin; shoulders replaced cutlets; every time you opened your mouth, it was filled with a mustardy snout, ear or fry (bollock). The totemic dish of the year was the ubiquitous pork belly: a slow-roasted slab of crackling and fat, held together by slivers of exhausted muscle. It’s in every TV chef’s Christmas cookbook, and personally I’d happily not eat it again for a year. Brit food has been forcibly and good-humouredly taken back from the xenophobes and Little Englanders, from football yobs and the false teeth of pensioners. It’s not granny food or school food or hospital food, or the clubbable, stuffy, sticky, paunchy Sunday food any more. It is smart and sexy: who’d ever have thought that pies and mushy peas would be lubricious? But, it turns out, they really are. And there were dripping-fried chips with everything. We all went out to eat home-cooked without irony.
The Times
Recession hits football catering hospitality
As the credit crunch bites, the corporate prawn-sandwich brigade are also feeling the chill of the recessionary wind. Clubs have long since taken their core supporters for granted, so the decreasing number of wealthy fans is far more significant to their hopes of keeping the gravy train running and the gravy boat moving.
The downturn in the lucrative hospitality market is seriously hurting top clubs and no more so than at Arsenal, where catering revenue appears to be well below expectations. Delaware North, an American company, paid £15 million up front for a 20-year catering contract, only to find that many executive box-holders who pay £100,000 a year for the privilege are refusing to pay a further £100 a head for pre-match meals. For the first time, Arsenal have also put Champions League tickets on general sale this season.
A Premier League seat was once the hottest in town. Now even Liverpool regularly put seats on general sale, while Aston Villa, whose win away to Arsenal last weekend confirmed their Champions League credentials, cannot get gates up to last season's 40,000 average.
Troubled Newcastle United have suffered the biggest exodus of fans in England, with gates down almost 5,000 per game. Only the match against Hull City in September has topped 50,000 this season and that was because the supporters wanted to shout abuse at Mike Ashley, the owner, and Dennis Wise, the executive director (football). Newcastle's club shop has also slashed 25 per cent off replica shirts.
Much as the rest of the country's supporters find it hard to resist laughing at the Toon Army, the empty seats at St James' Park and Ashley's failure to find a buyer for the club are as much to do with the credit crunch as the way Newcastle are run. And now even the Premier League's top four are feeling the effect.
Even before the turndown, the Virgin Money Football Fans' Inflation Index showed a 21 per cent rise in match-day costs since last season, with an estimated outlay of £106.21 per fan, the first time it has been above £100. Scott Mowbray, a Virgin Money spokesman, said: “In the past year fans have had severe pressure on their finances from rising mortgages, fuel prices and energy bills. The recent fall in oil prices might see a small drop in our next index in January, but fans are still paying a lot more.“It will also be interesting to see whether clubs attempt to put their prices up even higher as revenue from programmes, food and replica shirts falls.”
Train fares have also rocketed way above the rate of inflation. Steven Powell, of the Football Supporters' Federation and an Arsenal fan, said: “Most fans can't afford the train because there are no longer cheap advanced booking fares. So they go on the official coach, on a minibus or drive with friends and share the petrol costs. Supporters are also cutting down their stadium spending, taking their own food and even flasks.”
The Times
The downturn in the lucrative hospitality market is seriously hurting top clubs and no more so than at Arsenal, where catering revenue appears to be well below expectations. Delaware North, an American company, paid £15 million up front for a 20-year catering contract, only to find that many executive box-holders who pay £100,000 a year for the privilege are refusing to pay a further £100 a head for pre-match meals. For the first time, Arsenal have also put Champions League tickets on general sale this season.
A Premier League seat was once the hottest in town. Now even Liverpool regularly put seats on general sale, while Aston Villa, whose win away to Arsenal last weekend confirmed their Champions League credentials, cannot get gates up to last season's 40,000 average.
Troubled Newcastle United have suffered the biggest exodus of fans in England, with gates down almost 5,000 per game. Only the match against Hull City in September has topped 50,000 this season and that was because the supporters wanted to shout abuse at Mike Ashley, the owner, and Dennis Wise, the executive director (football). Newcastle's club shop has also slashed 25 per cent off replica shirts.
Much as the rest of the country's supporters find it hard to resist laughing at the Toon Army, the empty seats at St James' Park and Ashley's failure to find a buyer for the club are as much to do with the credit crunch as the way Newcastle are run. And now even the Premier League's top four are feeling the effect.
Even before the turndown, the Virgin Money Football Fans' Inflation Index showed a 21 per cent rise in match-day costs since last season, with an estimated outlay of £106.21 per fan, the first time it has been above £100. Scott Mowbray, a Virgin Money spokesman, said: “In the past year fans have had severe pressure on their finances from rising mortgages, fuel prices and energy bills. The recent fall in oil prices might see a small drop in our next index in January, but fans are still paying a lot more.“It will also be interesting to see whether clubs attempt to put their prices up even higher as revenue from programmes, food and replica shirts falls.”
Train fares have also rocketed way above the rate of inflation. Steven Powell, of the Football Supporters' Federation and an Arsenal fan, said: “Most fans can't afford the train because there are no longer cheap advanced booking fares. So they go on the official coach, on a minibus or drive with friends and share the petrol costs. Supporters are also cutting down their stadium spending, taking their own food and even flasks.”
The Times
Hospitality Outlets
Number of hospitality and catering outlets -
The number of UK hospitality and catering outlets dropped marginally in 2007 to 263,053 establishments, down from 263,657 the previous year.
The number of hotels and guesthouses fell by almost one percent during the year, with many reverting to residential or other business uses. There were also fewer pubs.
Nevertheless, the total number of meals served increased to 8.73 billion, up from 8.64 billion in 2006.
Food inflation (food represents 30% of operators’ costs) and the credit crunch had started to hit sales in restaurants and pubs by July.
The greater focus on food in many pubs responding to the smoking ban is believed to have added extra capacity that is 6% above current levels of consumer demand.
Article continues below
These factors have favoured takeaway and fast-food outlets, along with strong mid-market brands and managed pubs.
The figures cover both the profit sector (which includes hotels, restaurants, quick-service outlets, pubs and leisure venues) and the cost sector comprising catering in business and industry, healthcare, education and Ministry of Defence sites.
The number of UK hospitality and catering outlets dropped marginally in 2007 to 263,053 establishments, down from 263,657 the previous year.
The number of hotels and guesthouses fell by almost one percent during the year, with many reverting to residential or other business uses. There were also fewer pubs.
Nevertheless, the total number of meals served increased to 8.73 billion, up from 8.64 billion in 2006.
Food inflation (food represents 30% of operators’ costs) and the credit crunch had started to hit sales in restaurants and pubs by July.
The greater focus on food in many pubs responding to the smoking ban is believed to have added extra capacity that is 6% above current levels of consumer demand.
Article continues below
These factors have favoured takeaway and fast-food outlets, along with strong mid-market brands and managed pubs.
The figures cover both the profit sector (which includes hotels, restaurants, quick-service outlets, pubs and leisure venues) and the cost sector comprising catering in business and industry, healthcare, education and Ministry of Defence sites.
Hospitality and Recreation
Where are the job opportunities?The hospitality industry is growing fast, but it's also changing. Some people say that you have only to look at the USA to see where the British hospitality industry is going: fast food and lots of it, theme parks and themed restaurants, so many eating places that dining out becomes as common as dining in, and an emphasis on customer service.
There are now more than two million people employed in hospitality in the UK, and by 2004 that is expected to reach 2.5 million. And it's an industry that's changing fast, as anyone with an eye on the news will have noticed.
Not only have there been some major business deals - notably the take-over last year of hotel giant Forte by Granada - but there are some small but significant trends. Who would have thought a few years ago that we'd be ordering take-away pizza from petrol forecourts, for example? Or having coffee and breakfast in a pub?Or paying to cook our own food in a restaurant? These are just some of the offers coming on-stream, and there are undoubtedly more interesting ones to follow.That's the good news. The bad is that the hospitality industry still has problems, above all with its image. But the over-riding message from recruiters is that the low pay and long hours for which hotels and restaurants are famous are becoming a thing of the past. The sheer growth of the industry has meant that employers are putting together far more attractive recruitment packages to attract the right staff. For potential managers the prospects can be tremendous.
Roddy Watt, chief executive of recruitment agency Berkeley Scott, which monitors the industry's pay levels closely, says management salaries in hospitality are increasing ahead of those in other sectors. "I would argue that he industry today is not the poorly paid at all," he says. "I think a lot of that is a hangover from the past. There are some very good packages on offer. A good reason to go into the industry is that there is a continual shortage of top-calibre people, so good qualified people will progress very quickly and can probably expect a similar amount of money to what they would earn in any other industry at an early age".
Hospitality has always been an industry in which bright things and entrepreneurs can succeed, regardless of qualifications, and employers are now realising this. Many say they want personality and charisma rather than a clutch of qualifications.
Steve Mullings, training and development manager at Bourne Leisure, which is expanding its 20-strong chain of holiday parks in the UK and North America, says firmly: "Personality is first. We're looking for outgoing, highly motivated people who are very much focused on business results - the sort of people who would one day want to run their own businesses".
Says Watt: "Good qualifications won't do anybody any harm at all, but I don't think they're by any means a prerequisite. My personal point of view is that very often good qualifications tend to mean 'high intellect' and 'good at doing exams'. These are not necessarily the best competencies for the hospitality industry. It's more important that people are the right type of individual. They've got to like other people".
Tony Goddard, human resources director at Bass Taverns, believes qualifications still count. But he adds: "Having said that, I think this is one of the few industries where you are performance-orientated. You can get as far on your performance as your ability will take you".
Pub restaurants are one of the fastest growing areas of hospitality. Bass recruits about 850 people every year for management positions within the company, and these 130 are graduates who join the company's graduate retail scheme. Within two or three years they can expect to be managing their own pubs, with 30-40 staff and a turnover of well over £1m. Average earnings are £24,000, but some reach £60,000.Goddard says the sheer pace of development in the pub industry means it's a good one to join, as brewers are constantly looking for managers for their new brands.Bass's own include All Bar One and Irish-themed chain O'Neill's. There are increasing opportunities within the chain for people working their way through the ranks. Thirty percent of managers are recruited internally, and Goddard wants to bring this up to 75%.
Laurence Watson, vice president human resources with Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, believes career progression is becoming faster because of better training and planning on the part of firms. "all sectors are becoming more competitive in their rates of pay and benefits packages, and most major groups are revitalising their graduate entry programmes," he says.
However, the hotel industry admits it still has some way to go to catch up with some of the pub and restaurant brands. Jennifer Neary, senior personnel and training manager with County Hotels, part of Queens Moat Houses, admits that she is honest with people she speaks to who want to enter the industry. "I'm not going to say yes, we pay wonderful salaries, because we don't. And as an industry we've got some way to go on that. But one thing I think our company - and probably the industry - does is that it gives fairly young people a lot of responsibility early on. If you show aptitude and the right attitude to work, you're able to progress quite quickly.
"But I say to them: I'm not going to lie to you. You do have to start at the bottom, you've got to learn the basics, and it's long hours and you will be working weekends."Nevertheless, Neary says the company is trying hard not only to make good links with schools and colleges, but to make its positions more attractive to youngsters. "We're working towards trying to get rid of things like split shifts, for example".
There are now more than two million people employed in hospitality in the UK, and by 2004 that is expected to reach 2.5 million. And it's an industry that's changing fast, as anyone with an eye on the news will have noticed.
Not only have there been some major business deals - notably the take-over last year of hotel giant Forte by Granada - but there are some small but significant trends. Who would have thought a few years ago that we'd be ordering take-away pizza from petrol forecourts, for example? Or having coffee and breakfast in a pub?Or paying to cook our own food in a restaurant? These are just some of the offers coming on-stream, and there are undoubtedly more interesting ones to follow.That's the good news. The bad is that the hospitality industry still has problems, above all with its image. But the over-riding message from recruiters is that the low pay and long hours for which hotels and restaurants are famous are becoming a thing of the past. The sheer growth of the industry has meant that employers are putting together far more attractive recruitment packages to attract the right staff. For potential managers the prospects can be tremendous.
Roddy Watt, chief executive of recruitment agency Berkeley Scott, which monitors the industry's pay levels closely, says management salaries in hospitality are increasing ahead of those in other sectors. "I would argue that he industry today is not the poorly paid at all," he says. "I think a lot of that is a hangover from the past. There are some very good packages on offer. A good reason to go into the industry is that there is a continual shortage of top-calibre people, so good qualified people will progress very quickly and can probably expect a similar amount of money to what they would earn in any other industry at an early age".
Hospitality has always been an industry in which bright things and entrepreneurs can succeed, regardless of qualifications, and employers are now realising this. Many say they want personality and charisma rather than a clutch of qualifications.
Steve Mullings, training and development manager at Bourne Leisure, which is expanding its 20-strong chain of holiday parks in the UK and North America, says firmly: "Personality is first. We're looking for outgoing, highly motivated people who are very much focused on business results - the sort of people who would one day want to run their own businesses".
Says Watt: "Good qualifications won't do anybody any harm at all, but I don't think they're by any means a prerequisite. My personal point of view is that very often good qualifications tend to mean 'high intellect' and 'good at doing exams'. These are not necessarily the best competencies for the hospitality industry. It's more important that people are the right type of individual. They've got to like other people".
Tony Goddard, human resources director at Bass Taverns, believes qualifications still count. But he adds: "Having said that, I think this is one of the few industries where you are performance-orientated. You can get as far on your performance as your ability will take you".
Pub restaurants are one of the fastest growing areas of hospitality. Bass recruits about 850 people every year for management positions within the company, and these 130 are graduates who join the company's graduate retail scheme. Within two or three years they can expect to be managing their own pubs, with 30-40 staff and a turnover of well over £1m. Average earnings are £24,000, but some reach £60,000.Goddard says the sheer pace of development in the pub industry means it's a good one to join, as brewers are constantly looking for managers for their new brands.Bass's own include All Bar One and Irish-themed chain O'Neill's. There are increasing opportunities within the chain for people working their way through the ranks. Thirty percent of managers are recruited internally, and Goddard wants to bring this up to 75%.
Laurence Watson, vice president human resources with Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, believes career progression is becoming faster because of better training and planning on the part of firms. "all sectors are becoming more competitive in their rates of pay and benefits packages, and most major groups are revitalising their graduate entry programmes," he says.
However, the hotel industry admits it still has some way to go to catch up with some of the pub and restaurant brands. Jennifer Neary, senior personnel and training manager with County Hotels, part of Queens Moat Houses, admits that she is honest with people she speaks to who want to enter the industry. "I'm not going to say yes, we pay wonderful salaries, because we don't. And as an industry we've got some way to go on that. But one thing I think our company - and probably the industry - does is that it gives fairly young people a lot of responsibility early on. If you show aptitude and the right attitude to work, you're able to progress quite quickly.
"But I say to them: I'm not going to lie to you. You do have to start at the bottom, you've got to learn the basics, and it's long hours and you will be working weekends."Nevertheless, Neary says the company is trying hard not only to make good links with schools and colleges, but to make its positions more attractive to youngsters. "We're working towards trying to get rid of things like split shifts, for example".
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