Are You Ready For Christmas?

Christmas may just be the hospitality industry's busiest time of the year and as an industry professional you want to ensure customers have the most wonderful time. After all, this is the time of year when 2.2 million people are willing to try something new, so it is the perfect time to be a little more adventurous.

The lead up to Christmas seems to get longer and longer every year so make the most of the festive season by making sure every base is covered.

Chefs Jobs UK have been established since 1990, so we thought we’d share some of the secrets we’ve learnt over the years to ensure your festive period is one to remember for the right reasons.

Planning is Everything

Sounds obvious, but you need a plan, clearly showing who’s on duty, and when. Make sure holidays and shifts are clearly marked – and set a deadline for how much notice an employee needs to give when wanting time off.

With almost half the year’s champagne and sparkling wine consumed at this time of year, it’s wise to take a look at your stock early. Ensuring your stock is high and your menu and offerings are thought out in advance is key.

Set your rotas for the front and back of house early, request holidays to be submitted in advance and contact your agency in enough time to ensure they can find the temporary staff you require.

Staff

Sometimes it’s impossible to anticipate the need of an extra pair of hands.

However, if you know you’re going have a welcome upturn in business this Christmas, try to make sure you arrange temporary cover as early as possible to avoid unnecessary stress and uncertainty going into your busiest time of year.

With so many contracts available during this period, Chefs are in high demand and can pick and choose the best work, so it’s important you look after your temporary staff to ensure they stay with you throughout the duration of the contract. If you offer live in accommodation, it’s a good idea to make sure their living quarters are clean, tidy and livable when your Chef first arrives.

Before you take on a temporary member of staff, you should be absolutely clear with the agency on the wages and any benefits such as travel expenses you are expected to pay and whether this is weekly or monthly. Having clarity on this subject will mean there won’t be any unpleasant surprises for you, or the candidate!

All of these handy hints will contribute towards the Christmas season flowing seamlessly.