A grocery store is changing the face of foodservice in the high street, says Tricon Foodservice Consultants - and UK foodservice operators need to take notice of Whole Foods Market in Kensington.

The distinction between foodservice operators and food retail has become ever more blurred in recent years. Delis that offer take away meals and coffee bars that sell deli ingredients are familiar examples - these days you’d be hard pressed to find a big supermarket that doesn’t have several offerings that would once have been classified as foodservice - from food to go and take away meals to full service restaurants.

Whole Foods Market, the US retail chain of natural and organic goods that opened its first UK store in Kensington last June, got plenty of media coverage for the upmarket, health-focused food and ingredients it sells. However, in embracing issues like sustainability and animal welfare, the store is successfully appealing directly to an increasing number of consumers. Other UK retailers are trying to follow suit but, says Tricon Foodservice Consultants, foodservice operators need to catch up too - and right now they are way off the pace.

Tricon worked with Whole Foods before the opening of the store, undertaking an independent review of the design proposals prepared in America to ensure they conformed to all current UK legislation. Tricon also carried out a health, safety and hygiene review.

“What’s different is the whole philosophy of Whole Food’s operation, both in food retail and foodservice” says Tony Horton, Tricon’s CEO. “The ethical issues are promoted throughout the store and they go to great lengths to explain about animal welfare, sustainability, food miles and so on. Its ‘Take Action’ centres offer customers a wide variety of information on local, regional, national, and international issues of concern.

“Consumers are more and more interested in this type of approach - look at the way Fair Trade is taking off.”

It’s an approach that has worked well in the USA and looks set to work well in the UK, too. In the last quarter of 2007 Whole Food’s sales were up to $1.7 billion and the company was expecting 25 - 30% sales growth in Q1 of 2008.

Tricon believes that at some point soon, foodservice operators will be forced to catch up with the food retailers. “Other UK retailers are recognising the importance of displaying their ethical credentials and being seen to be promoting the issues to the public. But most foodservice operators on the high street are pretty much ignoring the issue.

“Whole Food’s foodservice operation employs the same philosophy as the store’s food retail side - and it works.    Meanwhile in other UK foodservice operations, more companies are saying the right things than doing them.”

Whole Foods represents a major challenge to UK foodservice operators, believes Tony Horton: “While it is setting new standards, it isn’t isolated - it’s part of a trend. Supermarkets and other food retailers are already attacking the traditional high street foodservice operators head-on. They’ll be looking to capture a much bigger slice of the foodservice market and they’ve certainly got the spending power to achieve it.”   

Tricon is Europe and the Middle East’s leading foodservice consultancy, providing integrated management and design services to clients in all sectors of the hospitality industry. For more information see www.tricon.co.uk, contact Tricon Foodservice Consultants on 0208 591 5593 or email admin@tricon.co.uk

Josef Stalin’s playful side is not widely publicised. But it’s clear he knew a great site for fun when he saw one. In the 1930s the dictator chose Mtatsminda, on the mountain towering over Tbilisi, to site a new entertainment and leisure park. At its heart an iconic three-storey building was erected, housing restaurants, a terrace with panoramic views over Tbilisi and the terminus for the funicular railway that carried revellers up the mountain.

Stalin’s building, with its striking arches and architectural features, could be seen from all over the city but, after the political upheavals over recent decades, it had fallen into disrepair. However, it still dominates the city’s skyline and is held in high regard by many Georgians, so the government decided to invite private investment to regenerate it.

The revitalised Mtatsminda (the first ‘M’ is silent) is set to become a major tourist attraction again - and the company leading the project to turn this communist-built icon into a modern facility with Western standards of hospitality is London-based Tricon Foodservice Consultants.

The company developing Mtatsminda is GMT, a Georgian property concern that also owns two Marriott hotels. In 2006 GMT called in Tricon to provide the expertise to conceive, design and oversee the installation of a range of foodservice offerings for this fascinating and exciting scheme.

“It’s a huge project - a $15million investment in a 10,000 square metre building over three floors,” says Tony Horton, who is Tricon’s project leader for the contract. “It gave us a complex set of problems, too, maintaining the historic features on this wonderful building while incorporating 21st century services and features. On the one hand, we were tasked to incorporate both classic and contemporary Georgian culture and cuisine. On the other, we had to plan for a wide variety of functions - from coffee shops and fast food outlets to banqueting suites and conference facilities, as well as a fine dining restaurant.”

This is even harder than it may seem, since traditional Georgian cuisine tends to feature rustic, country style recipes, based largely on big family occasions and feasts, and the owners’ criteria called for a more Western approach. “Before we began, it was essential to understand the differences with Georgian foodservice,” explains Horton. “For example, there are 100 feast days in the Georgian calendar, when most families party. The food is hearty rather than sophisticated, so the idea of a Georgian fine dining restaurant is something of a departure.” With 100 feast days you’d expect the catering industry in Georgia to be in good shape - except the feast days are matched by 100 fasting days. However, it may be a reflection of the Georgian psyche that restaurants offer special ‘fasting menus’ as well as feasting ones. “In fact restaurants make as much profit margin on a fasting menu as on the feasting ones - on the food, anyway,” comments Horton.

Tricon’s first job at Mtatsminda was to produce an economic feasibility study including a letting strategy for the various foodservice operations that were envisaged. The consultancy then produced a document offering a choice of options, all of which needed to incorporate the client’s criteria.

Once GMT had chosen the preferred option, Tricon developed descriptions of the various foodservice concepts, mapped out the operations from the financial side, wrote up the outline business plan for the whole building and began detailed designs reflecting the agreed strategy.

So what is Tricon helping GMT to develop at Mtatsminda?

The first floor is built around the funicular railway station (the railway itself dates from 1904) and will feature a variety of cafes, bars and fast food outlets as well as a reception area. A feature lift will whisk visitors who prefer not to use the main staircase to the upper two floors.

On the second floor visitors will find the spectacular fine dining restaurant and a smart adjoining bar. “One of the main design features is the kitchen, which protrudes into the dining area so that half of the work area is in full view,” says Horton. “This, combined with the gourmet menu and Western-style service, makes it a unique dining experience in Georgia.”

Meanwhile the top floor, with its panoramic city views, will house the banqueting facilities for up to 400, with associated kitchens and services. The main design problem here was lack of space - so Tricon advised glazing in much of the building’s upper terrace. This was achieved without compromising the historic exterior - and doubled the third floor’s effective working space.

So, will the new building achieve the combination of Georgian culture and modern Western hospitality, of 21st century facilities in an iconic 1930s communist setting, that the owners are seeking?

The answer relies on the next stage of the project. GMT has decided to operate the services in-house and Tricon is assisting in the setting up of the in-house foodservice operations, as well as the development of the policies, procedures and working systems, that will make the building - and its services - operate smoothly.

With Mtatsminda due to reopen its doors in 2008, the Tricon team are hard at work. And while Stalin’s iconic 1930s façade remains, the building’s catering facilities will take Georgian foodservice right into the 21st Century. 

Tricon is Europe’s leading foodservice consultancy, providing integrated management and design services to customers in all sectors of the hospitality industry. For more information see www.tricon.co.uk , contact Tricon Foodservice Consultants on 0208 591 5593 or email admin@tricon.co.uk

Editor’s notes
Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, lies in the centre of eastern Georgia, in the foothills of Mtatsminda. The city is dominated by the mountain, which is also the artistic symbol of Tbilisi and regarded by Georgians as a sacred place, thus the name ‘Mtatsminda’, which means Holy or Sacred. Tbilisi has a population of 1.5 million.

Tricon seminar highlights £250billion opportunity for UK economy

London Stock Exchange, 19th September 2007:
Caterers and facilities managers should be on the board of every major organisation in the UK. Why? Because they can make a greater contribution to productivity than anyone else.

So says Drew Fobbester of MyVitality, speaking at the ‘How Healthy Is Your Business’ seminar organised by foodservice consultants Tricon and held at the London Stock Exchange on 19th September 2007. The event was attended by over 50 delegates including contract caterers and facilities managers.

Fobbester also highlighted the ‘£250billion’ opportunity for UK business and industry. That’s a conservative estimate of how much extra the economy would make if we all functioned to our full potential and productivity, and counteracted absenteeism through illness.   Enormous benefits can be achieved by encouraging staff to eat more healthily.

Tricon’s Tony Horton spoke on Future Staff Catering. He underlined the trend towards healthier eating, as exemplified by the rise of outlets such as Whole Foods Market, the American chain’s new Kensington food emporium. When Tricon recently surveyed one major organisation’s workforce, the results clearly showed that the majority wanted a health-focussed foodservice operation. “We need to offer real choices,” he said, “The way forward is through evolution, not revolution, but the seeds of change are already here.”

The seminar’s conclusions were striking: research shows that eating more of the right foods doesn’t just make people more alert, it also reduces many of the common illnesses that people simply put up with - including stress, high blood pressure and digestive problems.

The seminar speakers were not advocating doing away with ‘bad’ foods altogether- a little of what you fancy can do you the power of good. But if you want to improve productivity, improving diet is vital. [See editors’ notes for more details].

Michel Roux Jnr: “Contract Caterers are very creative. They have to be. “

Michel Roux Jnr kicked off the event with his own idiosyncratic view of health - and the importance of a decent breakfast. The audience laughed at his reference to the old adage ‘never trust a thin chef’ - his slim frame is the result of hard work, running and a healthy diet. “These days being a chef is a high-stress job. A fat chef probably drinks, smokes and doesn’t spend enough time in the kitchen!” he joked.

As well as being Chef de Cuisine at the renowned Le Gavroche, Roux is also Chef Consultant to contract caterers Restaurant Associates. He and his team provided a health-aware breakfast that included ‘foods with a twist’, such as Carpaccio of Pineapple & Coconut with Coriander and a vegetable juice of carrots, ginger and beetroot.

Roux reserved special praise for contract caterers: “They are incredibly creative, giving their customers something different every day. In a restaurant, even your very best customer probably only visits two or three times a month. For contract caterers, the best customer visits every day, maybe two or three times a day. So the menu has to be different and exciting.”

Tricon is Europe’s leading foodservice consultancy, providing integrated management and design services to customers in all sectors of the hospitality industry. For more information see www.tricon.co.uk , contact Tricon Foodservice Consultants on 0208 591 5593 or email admin@tricon.co.uk

EDITORS’ NOTES:

Copies of the presentations are available on request. 

Drew Fobbester, Managing Director, MyVitality:

How Healthy Is Your Business?

• Cost of sick leave to business: c£11billion
• Degenerative diseases are rocketing
• We all need nutrients
• Exposure to chemicals & pollutants mean we need MORE nutrition
• Many people don’t get enough nutrients (e.g. 31% don’t get enough zinc)
• Food quality/nutritional content is variable (e.g. oranges can contain from 0 to 116mg of Vitamin C)

Research and figures based on Optimum Nutrition UK (ONUK), a survey of 37,000 adults published 2004, and Food For The Brain, a survey of 10,000 children published 2007: 

• Most workers are ‘vertically ill’ (they come to work despite symptoms such as headaches, depression, backache etc)
• The average worker is between 54% and 62% of ‘optimum’ wellbeing
• Underlying health factors undermine performance
• Foods like fresh fruit, salad, water, nuts & seed have a positive effect
• Foods like wheat, dairy, tea & coffee, have a negative effect
• Some foods (e.g. seeds and nuts) improve academic performance
• Case studies: “I have gained more stamina and energy.”

Conclusions:

Reduce: Coffee/tea vending; sugar snack vending; processed and refined foods; wheat and dairy based meals

Encourage: Water; fresh fruit and vegetables, salads nuts & seeds; fresh whole foods and organic foods

The result? Improved productivity could add £250billion to the economy. 

For more information on the ONUK and Food for the Brain reports, email Support@myvitality.com

Tony Horton, CEO Tricon Foodservice Consultants:

Future Staff Catering

• A catering policy that supports healthier eating and provides greater choice

The advice:

Reduce sugar, fat & salt; increase fruit and vegetables; more whole grains, nuts & seeds; fewer stimulants (like caffeine)

Catering concepts:

• Fruit & Juice Bars
• Salad Bars
• Deli & Sandwich Bars (including hot food offerings)
• Hot & cold drinks
• Lunch time main meals

To maximise nutrition and ethical standards, we need to focus on food that is:

Local; Organic; Ethically traded; Has a lower carbon footprint; Animal-welfare aware

Conclusion - Preparing for change:

• Evolution, not revolution
• Offer real choices
• Reappraise the company policy
• Financial incentives (subsidies) to encourage healthy eating

“The traditional big cafeteria was designed to meet a broad range of customer requirements - hot meals, salads, sandwiches.   But staff get bored and the choices on offer become invisible.  How does the caterer react?  By offering more choices.”

Meanwhile, the customers are looking for healthy, quick options that they can eat on the hoof or at their desk. 

“So we end up with a canteen typically offering a wide range of hot meal options each day.  But 70% of the users aren’t after a hot meal, they’re more likely to go for a sandwich and a coffee, or a salad and a soup.”

Since hot meal provision is the most labour intensive, and requires the most space and equipment, it means that most of the foodservice resources are delivering choices that only a relatively small proportion of the workforce want. 

“Achieving zero subsidy and keeping competitive is almost impossible in this situation,” explains Horton.  “Switching to a Deli Bar solution - offering fresh sandwiches and salads, a limited choice of (say) three hot meals and a coffee bar - delivers huge savings and encourages more take-up by the workforce - because it’s providing what most of them want. 

“With a Deli Bar, most clients find that zero subsidy, or close to zero, is well within reach.” 

 The Deli Bar concept answers not only a business’s needs but also those of its workforce.  For example, staff are under increasing pressure to work longer, so the average lunch ‘hour’ is now down to 26 minutes.  Which means most staff want a ‘grab and go’ solution, not a hot meal.  In many big City organisations, at least 60% of staff have lunch at their desk. 

“One particular client was offering a traditional cafeteria with 12 hot meal choices and was paying £500,000 per year in subsidy.  We were brought in to look at ways to reduce the subsidy.  After consultation with the client, workforce and contract caterer we recommended a switch to a Deli Bar.  The change cost an initial £400,000 - but they now operate at nil subsidy, and have much greater take-up from the staff.” 

The Deli Bar concept can also be applied to smaller B&I catering operations.  “A site catering for 1,000 to 1,400 staff can provide a deli shop and coffee bar - they’ll answer the needs to most of the workforce. 

“At several sites we’ve set up this type of operation, with zero subsidy, and it’s delivered a small operating profit - which in turn has been used to provide a subsidised hot meal for staff who want it.” 

Is the Deli Bar the future of B&I foodservice?  Not quite, says Horton.  It is today’s solution, but it’s probably not tomorrow’s. 

Organisations are increasingly concerned about the health and well being of their staff.  This is partly for altruistic reasons, but healthy staff will be more productive, too.  So fresh salads and sandwiches for the grab-and-go generation are just the thing? 

“There are two problems: where you eat and what you eat.  Eating at your desk is stressful and it’s not seen as a healthy solution.  And although sandwiches score well in speed and convenience, nutritionists will tell you they don’t deliver a well-balanced meal.” 

In which case, what will the caring organisations of the future be offering their workforce for lunch? 

Says Tony Horton: “The way our digestive systems work, the best time to eat a ‘proper’ meal is breakfast.  The second best is lunch.”  (The worst time is when most of us do eat one, in the evening).  “Where you eat - that should probably be a communal, stress-free area.  And what you eat should be a well-balanced hot meal.”  

Sound familiar?

So it’s back to the future for the next B&I foodservice solution.  “The workforce is increasingly well-informed about and interested in healthy eating, so we expect to see increasing demand for a balanced meal at lunch, away from the desk, with snack meals in the evening.  And employers will be happy to provide it, since it will deliver a healthier, more productive workforce.  And with modern systems in place, zero subsidy is realistically achievable. 

“In years to come, we may see the return of the big cafeteria, offering a choice of hot meals for lunch.”

Tricon is Europe’s leading foodservice consultancy, providing integrated management and design services to customers in all sectors of the hospitality industry.  For more information see www.tricon.co.uk , contact Tricon Foodservice Consultants on 0208 591 5593 or email admin@tricon.co.uk

In 2000 the Wallace Collection put up a spectacular glass roof over its sculpture garden and created a magnificent light and airy restaurant in the central courtyard as well as other improvements to facilities for visitors. The feel was of a unique destination restaurant, not simply a museum cafe.

But, five years on, the foodservice operation had drifted from the original intention and a re-appraisal was needed.

“The Wallace Collection initially sought a review from us as we had developed the strategy for the original restaurant back in 2000,” explains John Downman from Tricon. “We were able to identify the shift in market position and this led to the invitation for proposals from potential new operators.”

The Wallace Collection was formed in the nineteenth century by successive Marquesses of Hertford and by Sir Richard Wallace (the illegitimate son of the fourth Marquess), whose widow bequeathed it to the nation in 1897 to be preserved as a national museum “unmixed with other works of art.”

The Collection contains paintings of the British, Dutch, French, Italian and Spanish schools, miniatures, sculpture, French furniture and porcelain, European and Oriental arms and armour, goldsmiths’ work and ceramics. It opened as a museum on 22 June 1900.

“As outsiders we could look at the foodservice operation without prejudice and identify the most important considerations for the potential restaurateur,” says John. “The restaurant is an intrinsic part of the Wallace Collection, needs to reflect the atmosphere of the building and encourage in outside diners. It was important that the offer captured the essentially French character of the Collection.”

Situated in the heart of the West End, just a five-minute walk from Oxford Street, the restaurant faces tough competition and as it needs to contribute financially to the Collection, it requires a successful commercial operation.

As part of Tricon’s initial investigations, first-hand experience of the restaurant service was essential.

“We visited unannounced as mystery diners on a number of occasions and commissioned an independent restaurant critic to appraise the service,” says John Downman. “We felt that the service standards and food quality had been slipping in the old restaurant and the menu was no longer seen as good value for money by many of its customers. Our view and that of the independent critic was of significant movement away from the original target position in the market.”

Tricon made recommendations for the setting up of the new restaurant and guided The Wallace Collection through the selection of the new restaurateur. A foodservice prospectus was prepared outlining the commercial opportunities, the Collection’s objectives and the responsibilities of the new restaurateur who was also expected to invest in improvements in the facilities as part of the contract.

Any innovations needed to satisfy visitors to the Collection and attract casual diners, workers and residents in the surrounding area, competing against a number of well-known restaurants in areas such as St Christopher’s Place.

“Once the bids came in the choice was evident,” says John Downman. “Top of the list was Oliver Peyton, a restaurateur committed to giving good service and full of ideas with a string of diverse and successful venues behind him. He captured the ethos of the Collection and the integrity of a traditional French brasserie.”

The new restaurant The Wallace now offers a classic French all day menu or a la carte menu, courtesy of head chef Thierry Laborde, featuring seasonal dishes with most ingredients imported from France. With the atmosphere of a French brasserie harking back to an age of informal elegance, The Wallace is open from breakfast and lunch through to afternoon tea, and dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Tricon is Europe’s leading foodservice consultancy, providing integrated management and design services to customers in all sectors of the hospitality industry. For more information see www.tricon.co.uk, contact Tricon Foodservice Consultants on 0208 591 5593 or email admin@tricon.co.uk

“There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but the ‘income-tax-free-lunch’ is alive and kicking and waiting to be used,” says Tricon’s Tony Horton.  ”It’s all about salary sacrifice.  Members of staff agree to give up, say, £1000 a year in salary.  That money is then put on their account and they can use it to buy food in the staff dining facilities.  There’s no income tax to pay - so for higher rate tax payers, they are effectively gaining £400, albeit to be spent on food.”

For example, an employee might be earning £30,000 a year.  If they ’salary sacrifice’ £1000, they will pay PAYE on £29,000.  The £1,000 will go on their food account, with no income tax (or National Insurance) to pay.

Cashless systems for foodservice provision are increasingly popular, says Horton, but not all employers realise that they could be giving their staff a tax break.  ”Most cashless systems are paid for by vouchers that staff purchase, or cards they top up.  Paying for the cashless system by salary sacrifice means that the cost of the lunch is income tax-free - that’s a great perk.”

But is it legal?  ”Absolutely, it’s perfectly sound.  We think many more B&I organisations should be taking advantage of this tax break on behalf of their workforce.  All companies are looking for ways to hang on to their best staff and this is a powerful staff-retention benefit in its own right.”

Tricon is Europe’s leading foodservice consultancy, providing integrated management and design services to customers in all sectors of the hospitality industry.  For more information see www.tricon.co.uk, contact Tricon Foodservice Consultants on 0208 591 5593 or email admin@tricon.co.uk

Co-ordinating and monitoring all the different aspects of a successful catering operation is a bit of a juggling act.  Unfortunately, not everyone is a trained juggler.  ‘Bundled service’ contracts are becoming commonplace but, as Tricon Foodservice Consultants points out, that doesn’t mean they are easy to manage and negotiate.

“Adding reception services to the catering contract, or placing catering and cleaning under a single umbrella, or bundling together vending and catering services: they all offer clear synergies,” says Tony Horton, chief executive of Tricon.  “But how can you be sure all the services will be delivered successfully?

“Companies have to be careful that bundled service contracts don’t become bungled service contracts.”

Horton says bundled service contracts are a growing trend, and the problems are growing too.  Tricon is being asked more and more to evaluate the benefits of such contracts, and to develop tendering strategies for their implementation.  Meanwhile the company is also monitoring existing sub-contractor relationships, to ensure a smooth transition between contractors. “We have to focus on the key management issues to ensure a company’s catering and associated services operate to their full potential,” he comments.

“What’s required is an independent, balanced overview of the total foodservice operation,” Horton adds. “There are so many hidden pitfalls, that it can be difficult for someone within an organisation to spot where things might be going wrong.”

Organisations also need to be open-minded, he says: “It’s important to challenge the established thinking within a company and to ensure alternatives are looked at, taking account of their benefits and limitations.”

A common example of bundling is in the support of meeting and conferencing facilities.  Rather than have different parties for the various requirements - refreshments, AV, cleaning and overall reception services - they can all be placed under a single contractual ‘umbrella’.

“Tricon is not only being asked to ensure that all the services in a bundled contract are being delivered satisfactory,” adds Horton, “We’re also being brought in to assist at other stages in the project - at the beginning with feasibility studies, developing contracting strategies, planning and design, contract tendering and negotiation, right through to on-going service auditing when the bundled service contracts are up and running.”

Tricon is Europe’s leading foodservice consultancy, providing integrated management and design services to customers in all sectors of the hospitality industry.

For more information see www.tricon.co.uk,

contact Tricon Foodservice Consultants on 0208 591 5593

or email admin@tricon.co.uk

Tony Horton, Chief Executive at Tricon Foodservice Consultants, is becoming a respected voice in facilities management and is an advocate of integrity within the industry. Now he’s to share his views in a series of courses and seminars organised by Quadrilect and the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM).

“To get the best from your corporate catering requires a clear strategy and creative, practical know-how,” says Tony. “These courses are designed to arm managers with the knowledge required for a successful operation.”

With some 25 years experience in the food services sector Tricon is in a good position to be involved in the planning and delivery of facility management training. At a one-day Corporate Catering conference in May, Tony used his expertise to lead a panel session examining the issues involved in Guaranteed Performance Contracts.

“In the past there has been a breakdown in trust between the client and the supplier that ultimately leads to a failure in the service provided,” says Tony. “So it’s not surprising we’ve seen the rise of the Guaranteed Performance Contract and a more competitive model for tendering.”

This in itself however, throws up problems and hidden risks when companies cut corners to underbid each other. What is needed is an independent overview of the tendering process that can pull together all the strands and present a clear picture of the status of the operation.

Tony also delivers two-day Training Courses for the British Institute of Facilities Management. These focus on how to get the best from contract catering and are designed for those with overall responsibility for catering within an organisation. There is still time to book for the next course scheduled for October 2006.

Tricon is Europe’s leading foodservice consultancy, providing integrated management and design services to customers in all sectors of the hospitality industry.  For more information see www.tricon.co.uk, contact Tricon Foodservice Consultants on 0208 591 5593 or email admin@tricon.co.uk

Tricon takes a completely impartial overview from food purchasing and supplier credit terms through to labour costs and training budgets. From this, Tricon builds up a comprehensive picture and identifies any hidden areas where the contract caterer may be taking advantage of the company.

“Our in-house consultancy team has over 25 years experience and, as we are totally independent, our clients can be assured that we always act in their interests to make sure they are getting the best service possible. We recognise that the contract caterer needs to make a profit but we believe the whole operation should be transparent and that our clients should know exactly where their money is going,” says Tony Horton.

Tricon has clients in the corporate, commercial and public sectors and is committed to better working practices within the industry. It offers practical and cost effective solutions to all aspects of contract catering and can oversee catering practices within any type of organisation.  After the initial audit Tricon can continue to monitor the catering operation on a permanent contract. This provides a client with complete confidence in its catering service.

To promote awareness of contract catering practices and spot potential pitfalls between client and contract caterer, Tricon delivers two-day courses in conjunction with the British Institute Facilities of Management Training. Designed for those with overall responsibility for catering within an organisation, the next course is being held in October 2006.

Tricon is Europe’s leading foodservice consultancy, providing integrated management and design services to customers in all sectors of the hospitality industry.  For more information see www.tricon.co.uk, contact Tricon Foodservice Consultants on 0208 591 5593 or email admin@tricon.co.uk