Y o u a n d t h e R A F
Food First I
t’s true to say that this change has been a long time coming but, to give the RAF some credit, when it
saw the results of the Pay as You Dine trails running at Henlow, Leuchars and Halton, it decided that significant changes would have to be made if the programme was to deliver the kind of service our people deserve.
In January 08 the RAF were allowed to remove the requirement of a ‘core’ menu and they were able to improve the catering offer. This has significantly increased the choice for customers and uptake has notably improved. At the same time the commercial partner ESS introduced popular high street brands, Costa Coffee and SP
AR to the three trial sites.
The main aim of the tri-Service CRL project is to deliver a modern and fairer system of food provision, supported by wider retail and leisure facilities that will allow individuals a greater freedom of choice. There is also a guarantee that all CRL units will provide a minimum of two service special meals priced at the prevailing Daily Food Charge rate (£3.89 gross per day as at 1 Apr 08).
So for those who have a limited income, three meals a day should still be affordable. Perhaps the most significant change is that those who opt not to take a meal will not now be charged for it (a common complaint from the 50% of personnel who choose to miss meals during the working week and the 80% who frequently opt out of weekend meals).
More importantly, the venues and opening times of catering facilities will be far more flexible and the CRL programme also recognises the 21st century habits of ‘grazing’ and snacking outside what traditionalists would call meal times.
RAF units will see CRL introduced as part of 32 Winter 2008
www.raf-families-federation.org.uk
the re-let of existing Multi-Activity Contracts, where they exist. For some units, this will mean CRL arrives as soon as 2009, whereas roll-out for Main Operating Bases is expected to start in late 2010. New recruits/phase 1 trainees will remain on the Daily Food Charge until they finish their initial basic training when they will transfer to CRL. The only exception is for those attending the Phase 2 RAF Regt gunner course. Just for your information the Army have already introduced 70% of their units and the Navy has the majority of their bases operating CRL.
The bottom line is that CRL is coming and it is up to each unit, supported by the CRL Team at HQ Air Command to decide how best to shape and influence this project to the best advantage of their people. We must also include mention of family members, contractors, and civil servants, all of whom should see improved access to modern catering facilities at unit level. The more people who use the facilities, the better
Where old style eating habits and inflexible charging processes are seen as out-dated and unfair, the Armed Forces committed to introducing a new way of delivering Catering Retail and Leisure. Having consulted the CRL experts at Air Command, Dawn McCafferty explains what this means to the RAF.
the RAF’s share of the commercial partners’ profits and the more money there will be to invest in a unit’s CRL facilities.
Some family members have expressed concern that the existing welfare facilities offering low-level catering services, will be stamped out by the big commercial partners. The RAF is aware of this concern and each unit commander is empowered to negotiate the continuation of existing facilities. Welfare groups like Red Shield are currently protected under a Service Level Agreement, however, their operation must not be in competition with the commercial partner. Each unit will be required to establish a CRL User Working Group where these types of issues can be debated.
For more information go to www.raf.
mod.uk. The CRL team is based at HQ Air Command and can be contacted via the CRL website at:
www.hqstc.raf.r.mil. uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48