Adapting Corporate Catering Post-Lockdown
27.04.2020, 16:43
Adapting Corporate Catering Post-Lockdown
Catering and FM industry representatives in virtual ‘Connect and Collaborate’ workshops hosted by Bartlett Mitchell, have identified ‘takeaways’, shift-based lunches, and pre-ordering as key features of any new ‘normal’ when the UK’s corporate catering sector enters into a phased recovery from COVID-19 lockdown.
The workshops discussed significant changes that are expected in the workplace as the country emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic; and increasing numbers of employees shift to homeworking, with employers additionally introducing ‘shift’ patterns as part of a gradual retreat from lockdown.
They featured feature leading voices from across the catering and FM sector, including consultants, FM directors and workplace experts. Meeting regularly in virtual hubs, the groups discuss the key challenges facing the sector and how the physical, cultural and behavioural shape of catering and FM will be adapting during the next 12 months.
Consultancy firms represented included Neller Davies, Stern Consultancy, Catering Consultancy Bureau, IJEss Consultancy, and Turpin Smale; with other senior participants including FM and procurement directors from major law, tech and finance firms.
Key findings at the seminars, included:
Reshaping menus
- Food offers for a post COVID-19 world will need to change dramatically, with menus needing to be more ‘delivery’ friendly, or be able to be hosted in newly designed workplace restaurants
- Any sharing, or self-service style food to be removed
Health and safety
- Specific training and development will be required by teams when preparing for a return to work in a new socially-distanced environment
- Customers and guests will need to be offered guidance and information about new ways of working and measures taken to minimise risk. Restaurant hosts and guides are likely to be deployed to guide people through zones and control the movement of people
Shift-based footfall
- Some City of London businesses are likely to implement shift patterns for those who come to the office. ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams are likely to be deployed on a weekly basis
- There are likely to be lunch shifts in some organisations to reduce traffic and queuing wherever possible
Intelligent technology
- There will be more on an emphasis placed on using technology to pre-order food, as well as communicate key messages to customers and guests to help reassure them during the initial post-lockdown period. ‘Click and collect’ is expected to feature heavily during the initial months
BM is using the findings to feed into conversations with hospitality trade association, UK Hospitality, whose Board, company founder Wendy Bartlett, is a member of. The foodservice forum of UK Hospitality is using insights on workplace catering to inform government policy on release from lockdown.
Speaking at the most recent event, Wendy Bartlett, said: “The world that we have all known and loved for so long is certainly likely to change dramatically in the foreseeable future and we are all need to be prepared.
“Whatever happens in the coming months and years, we will all have learnt some valuable and probably tough lessons.
“It is, however, very inspiring to work together with our ‘frenemies’ from the contract catering world to put forward one voice to government with UK Hospitality.
“By working as a cohesive group, we have supported each other during this time. We will look back and say yes it was tough, but working together we had a common message and strategy and hopefully it will help us through.”
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