Hospitality Influencers

Back in Catering College while doing my management training I was taught that a 'boss' would simply manage their employees while a 'leader' will push his/her employees to innovate, think creatively and strive for perfection every day!

Here are the five biggest challenges I face as a restaurant manager, and how I try to overcome them. 

I never thought that 16 years ago, while working as a barman in a little pub in the middle of small West Yorkshire, I would be asked to share my thoughts on the entire hospitality industry.

I have enjoyed an exciting and fast-paced journey in my hospitality career, having worked in the Coffee Industry for just a little over 5 years. When I first started working in a coffee house in Vancouver, Canada, I did so because I was looking for a job that would allow me to get to know local residents and insert myself fully into Canadian life, and not one that could offer me a fantastic stepping stone into a new and exciting career.

When I first started out in the industry back in 1995, I had a part-time job as a catering assistant in a food kiosk called the ‘Ranch House’. It was a ‘tex-mex’ themed small business selling burgers, tacos, burrito’s etc.

As a Chef, you're up against many challenges throughout your career. These are 5 big problems I think we face as Chefs.

Recruitment is a big issue. It needs to be done correctly within a workplace to ensure you hire the right staff, and they are retained for as long as possible.

We’ve all heard how important social media engagement is to keep your brand at the forefront of everyone’s feeds. Restaurants are busy establishments, and it can be difficult engaging online and in real life (which should continuously be happening during service).

How can you get off to a great start in your chef career? Being a chef can be a tough career with long (and often unsociable) hours, and you'll often be working when your friends with 'normal' jobs will be out having fun.

Creating a menu for some can be a nerve raking experience. You are putting your skills and knowledge of food out there for everyone to see and taste. A menu can be a make or break of the establishment and the menus creator. No pressure!