Andy Fyffe Executive Director, EY


The last word


Through the difficult trading conditions of the last five years, the restaurant and man- aged pub sector has proven to be resilient


Julie Proctor Head of Hospitality, Lifetime Training


The workforce For some time now the hospitality sector has suffered from a lack of talented chefs who possess the right skills and attitudes to


deliver what today’s consumer demands. We must find ways of sourcing the right people to mould into our future chefs.


The reason chef recruitment proves par- ticularly elusive is that chefs need to have such a wide array of technical skills to suit all the latest food trends as well as possess- ing the softer skills, like creativity, to satisfy presentation requirements which help to re- engage consumers with the food they are eating. It’s not easy finding someone with the necessary skills and passion to fill such a role. It’s for this very reason that we are cur- rently working with a number of clients in the sector, delivering chef apprenticeship academies. In addition to the standard qual- ification, we invest time in engaging them in workplace culture, mission and values and operate technical masterclasses and work- shadowing initiatives to ensure these team members have the best foundation possible for future career success. We’ve also identified specific skills that require some attention… IT and social media is becoming the norm in the restau-


“We must find ways of sourcing the right people to mould into our future chefs” Julie Proctor


Restaurant Insight Report | September 2014


“We expect London to remain a ‘hothouse’ for emerging brands and eating-out trends” Andy Fyffe


and is now benefiting from the upturn in the UK economy. At EY, we are confident we are seeing a sustainable recovery, and, with con- sumers showing willingness to spend larger proportions of disposable incomes on eating out, we predict the sector is entering a poten- tially exciting period of growth.


In order to respond to rising demands and


expectations of consumers, the industry has become ‘innovation-rich’. Driven by a need to differentiate, there has been significant focus on refining the customer experience, using technology in increasingly different and effective ways and implementation of new service models, with a range of new con- cepts and brands entering the market. While the casual and fast-casual dining categories in particular appear to be entering a vibrant phase with a plethora of new con- cepts and cuisines, the steady encroachment of major managed pub companies into the casual-dining space continues, with these operators introducing restaurant concepts and/or quality food in many of their outlets. We expect London to remain a hothouse


rant environment particularly with regards consumer communication and promotion so upskilling teams in their IT and digital capabilities should be seen as a must-have to stay ahead of the competition. It’s no longer good enough to hold your hands up and say ‘I don’t understand it’. For a sector that sees so much change it’s inevitable that teams also need strong lead- ers at the helm of any business. It’s therefore critical that hospitality com- panies invest in the next generation of managers and leaders who will steer these businesses for years to come. Covering top- ics like how to communicate across gener- ations and strategic thinking and planning will remain a priority.”


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for emerging eating-out brands. However, increasing competition may mean that tacti- cal expansion outside the M25 needs to be a key part of any growth strategy. In order to be relevant nationally, it will be critical to under- stand what matters to customer groups in specific locations, and have offerings that can be flexed to local requirements. So what else might happen in the years to come? Could we see a further overhaul of the dining experience as our world and high street changes? What new developments will cap- ture customers’ imagination? Will the focus on healthy eating accelerate and how will this impact what, where and when we eat? How much time will customers have for meal occasions and how will this impact service delivery? How will operators embrace new technology in response to this? Or, as we begin to suffer from technology and sensory over- load, will we see the sector go back to basics? One thing is for certain, operators that are able to adapt to changing market dynamics and customer preferences will be among the most successful.


A clear lesson from many sector develop-


ments in recent years is that standing still is a recipe for failure.


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