Week beginning March 3rd - Get it fixed

A very good manager I worked with a long time ago taught me this. If something is wrong or broken, fix it immediately. If something needs to happen to make the work of your staff all that easier, do it as soon as possible. If you need a new piece of equipment that will improve the quality of your product and your efficiency, buy it now. (within reason of course).

It seems like common sense, and it is, but in the rush of hospitality and within the pressures of business, it is easy to just let things slide. The thing is, as the owner, if you don't fix it, or buy it, or do it, then no-one will. And then your standards start to fall. And the respect you should have from your staff starts to slip.

I read somewhere once a very good method for this is to have a little pocket notebook that you write down everything in as soon as you see or hear about it, so then you can get it done.

I just use my iPhone notes section. For example one of our superstars asked me today, 'can we please have a separate set of tongs to be able to get the butter circles we cut from the Lescure butter rolls onto the plates that we use for banana bread or toast'. Brilliant idea.

So I type that into my notes,  I have a section called 'Remember' which often has 20 or 30 points in it. Then when I get to sit down I write it in my 'to do list' in my diary. The key point then is of course to action it, as soon as possible.

But what if you don't action it, or forget about it, it's so easy to forget. Not only this one point, but any of the million and one brilliant ideas/improvements/DIY jobs/equipment requests your staff hit you with continuously.

I know how I would feel as a staff member. Not valued.

Now you can't do all of them, not all are practical or commercially viable, but most of them are. If you explain the reasons why it is not viable, that is a good start too.

Keeping on top of these things is really, really hard, but it is really, really necessary. And it is an integral part of keeping your business at it's peak performance at all times.

(I'm off now to buy a new flat head screwdriver so we can change our Anfim grinder burrs tonight, otherwise who else is going to?)

Please enjoy the menu for this week, as we will enjoy bringing it to you.

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.60

Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.60
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passion fruit) 3.70
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with home made preserves 1.90
Pumpkin seed and apricot fruit toast 2.40
Banana bread 2.40
Porridge with choices of cinnamon, dried fruit, chopped nuts, honey, golden syrup or compote 3.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissant 1.90
Pain au chocolat 2.50
Almond croissant 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet Muffin: Yarrow tiramisu pan-cake 2.40
Savoury Scone: Protein pretzel 2.40
Rhubarb friands 2.40
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 2.00
Afgan Biscuits 2.00

Lunch:
Soup: Spiced lentil 4.50

French retro baguettes 5.00
Ham, grapefruit mayonnaise, avocado, tomato, rocket

Aubergine, sweet chilli, thai basil, goats cheese, spinach

Foccacias 5.30

Smoked salmon, buckthorn hollandaise sauce, cucumber, spinach

Tomato, mozzarella, pesto and rocket

Salads: 5.50/6.90

Black rice, wild cabbage, almonds, roasted potatoes, pickled lemon and black pepper.

Rhubarb, hot smoked salmon, glass noodles, celery, carrot, chilli, fish sauce, peanuts, coriander and mint
Roasted purple mooli and green beans with ash cheese.

Tart: 4.40 or 7.90 with salad
Semolina pastry filled with almonds and ricotta, potato and spinach