CVGennaro Draisci
Address: 25 Lidyard Road London N19 5NR Mobile: 0044 (0)758 216 6223 E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.gennarodraisci.com Interests: music, art, travelling, sport
About me:
I have a very good eye for detail, great organisational skills and I work hard, especially under the pressure of tight deadlines. Over the years, the speed and accuracy of my work has been fundamental in ensuring deadlines are met and schedules maintained. Despite these time pressures, I have always managed to keep the quality of my design at its best.
Always very open and enthusiastic about learning new things, I have a positive attitude working in a team and collaborating. I love what I do and am looking to challenge and extend my knowledge in design, creativity is something I have always been into. It is a way of life rather than a job. I am creative in everything I do.
WORK EXPERIENCES
Progressive Digital Media (London) from 2010 - present
working on the following magazines:
�� Eat-out (Art Director) �� CFOAgenda (Art Director) online magazine �� Blueprint, Computer Business Review, CEO, Cost Sector, Defence and Security System International, Finance Director
Europe, FMX, Future Airport, Future Banking, Gas Technolgy Review, Hotel Management International, Ingredients Insight, Leaf Review, Lunch Business, Medical Device Development, Medical Imaging Technology, Modern Power System, Packaging and Converting Intelligence, Urban Transport Agenda, World Cruise Review, World Expro, World Pharmaceutical Frontiers, World Wind Technolgy (Designer)
and working on adverts, brochures, business cards, conferences and forums’ signage
2010
�� Logo design for OasisEcoResort (Goa, India)�� Logo design for Accademia Apulia UK (London)�� Website development and graphic design for www.nickbaylisphotography.com (London) �� Website development and graphic design for www.oasisecoresort.com (Goa, India) �� Website development and graphic design for www.gliamicidiclaudia.it (Italy) �� Mulberry website’s photos retouching for Red Camera Studio Ltd (London)�� Designer for Destination guides for Elite Traveler Magazine
2009
�� Cover graphic illustration for the book “The human upgrade” by Naomy Sesay (London) (on sale in Europe and USA)
�� Cover graphic illustration for the book “Sull’ onda dei ricordi...” by Pina Tartaglia (Italy)�� Logo design for Perfect Pitch Communications Ltd (UK)�� Shortlisted (20 out of more than 10000) in Concurio Logo competition �� 14th place in Mini- Space Rover 50 years competition (more than 7000 partecipants)�� Web site development and graphic design for www.carlodraisci.com (London) �� Web site development and graphic design for www.thehumanupgrade.com (London) �� Web site development and graphic design for www.laverah.com (South-Africa) �� Mulberry website photos retouching for Red Camera Studio Ltd (London)
2008
�� Collaboration with AlbertAndMildredStudio (London) for “Ito” (London) restaurant logo graphic design�� Mulberry catalogue photos retouching for Red Camera Studio Ltd (London)�� Web site development and design restyling of www.draisci.com (London) �� Web site development and graphic design for www.studiosixty6.com (London) �� Web site development and graphic design for www.redcamerastudio.com (London) �� Web site development and graphic design for www.joejamato.com (London) �� Web site development and graphic design for www.robertasardara.it (Italy)�� Web site development and graphic design for www.droitdaffaire.it (Italy)
Gennaro Draisci - Graphic designer
2007
�� Logo design for TWM (London) (Tecno-House band) �� Logo design for PULL-UP (Italy)(Music management agency) �� Logo design for dj Joe Jamato (London) (Dj and producer) �� Cover graphic illustration for the book “Rime familiari” by Pina Tartaglia (Italy)�� Junior flash developer and graphic designer for Saltech Srl (Italy) �� Web development and graphic design for www.multimarketonline.com (Italy)
2006
�� Web development for www.ladivinacommedia.eu (Italy)�� Collaboration for web graphic design for web site www.robbaciotta.eu (Italy)�� Collaboration for web graphic design for web site www.allset.it (Italy)
EDUCATION
2007 � 2d and 3d graphic’s course at Diffusione Informatica Srl (Italy) with final degree result 30/30
(Illustrator, Photoshop, Flash, Quark Express, Indesign)
� Graphic design degree with 110/110 vote at University of Urbino (Italy)
INFORMATIC LANGUAGES
� Action Script � Html/Css
SOFTWARES AND TECHNOLOGIES
� Adobe Indesign � Adobe Illustrator � Adobe Photoshop � Flash � Dreamweaver � Image Ready � Quark Express � Microsoft Office � Microsoft Excel � Microsoft PowerPoint
SPOKEN LANGUAGES
� Italian (mother tongue) � English (fluent)
Interests:
PortfolioGennaro Draisci
Portfolio
Mobile: 0044 (0)758 216 6223 E-mail: [email protected]
Eat-out magazine awards TWM - House band
DJ Joe Jamato
Eat-out magazine Top 20 awards Pull-up - Music management company
Concurio Finnish Software development Eco resort in India
Perfect Pitch Communication ltd
Logos
Portfolio
Mobile: 0044 (0)758 216 6223 E-mail: [email protected]
Portfolio
Mobile: 0044 (0)758 216 6223 E-mail: [email protected]
www.cbronline.comFebruary 2012UK £20 Europe €40 US & Canada $36 Rest of world $40
Hacktivism on the rise IT-business alignmentThe 4G conundrum
Socially irresponsible?Why larger firms may be snubbing social media at their peril
CBR0212_Cover.indd 1 24/02/2012 13:52
Computer Business Review
futureairportI n v e s t i n g i n t h e f u t u r e o f a i r p o r t s Issue 2 2012 • £25 €47.50 $58
ATC | Airport design & construction | Market intelligence
Ground handling | Day in the life | Passenger handling | Future Routes
www.futureairport.com | www.airport-technology.com
Eurocontrol calls for improved
ATM integration
Safety signal
FAI028_Cover_Final.indd 1 31/08/2012 11:51
Future Airport Future Banking
Magazine covers
Practical Patient Care
patient carewww.practical-patient-care.com Issue 13 2014 • £26.99 €41.99 $55.99
Professor Nicholas Finer on banding together to tackle obesity and type 2 diabetes
practical
Food for thought
Packaging & Converting Intelligence
AUTUMN 2011
The missing inkThe threat of migration
from recycled packaging
SuSTainabiliTy | paper & board | pharmaceuTicalS | maTerialSinkS, prinTing & prepreSS | food & beverage | coSmeTicS/perfume
PCI030_Cover_FINAL.indd 1 10/10/2011 10:19
Portfolio
Mobile: 0044 (0)758 216 6223 E-mail: [email protected]
Eat-out
In November, The Daily Mirror claimed
to have uncovered a scam in which
restaurants were hiring foreign chefs on
self-employed contracts to avoid paying
national insurance, holiday pay or sick pay.
Chains Loch Fyne and Brasserie Blanc were
reported to be using chefs from Romania and
Bulgaria, who are allowed to work in the UK
if they are self-employed; but the tabloid's
angle was that in fact the workers were
working as employees, without the hallmarks
of self-employment: being able to decide on
working hours, sending a colleague in their
place if they are unable to work, for example.
Two Mirror journalists contacted the
agency as job seekers, and were told that
although they must refer to themselves as
self-employed, they would not be able to
choose the hours or days that they worked,
or quibble with the working conditions. The
newspaper recently followed up the story
with an account of a Romanian chef who had
been dismissed from Loch Fyne with "three
week's notice and no redundancy pay" after
working 80 hours a week for two years,
because she was classed as self-employed.
The agency that reportedly supplied the
chefs has now lost its Gangmasters Licensing
Authority (GLA) licence because evidence
the GLA had gathered from interviews with
workers and clients indicated that the workers
it supplied were not genuinely self-employed.
Loch Fyne MD Liz Williams says she did
inherit a workforce that included self-employed
chefs, but the company has now stopped
using contractors. “I came to Loch Fyne in
June last year and found many Romanian and
Bulgarian chefs still being used in the kitchens
on a self-employed basis. They had been taken
on at a time when the group was rapidly
expanding and, because of pockets of skills
shortages, struggling to recruit chefs locally.
“I wanted to employ these people directly
and so gave them six months to get their papers
in so that we could recruit them and put them
on the payroll,” she adds. “The deadline was
the end of February. Those who still hadn't
sorted their paperwork were told that they
could return at a future date with the correct
papers and we would re-employ them.”
Although they are EU nationals (Romania
and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007), they don't
have the same rights to work as individuals
from the A8 countries who joined the EU in
2004, Poland or Slovakia for instance.
Many of the half a million or so Romanian
and Bulgarian (A2) nationals working in the
UK, do so on a BR1 certifi cation, or 'yellow
card', which they can only receive if they can
demonstrate that they are self-employed,
self-suffi cient or a student. After 12 months
of continuous lawful work with a yellow card
they can apply for residence under a ‘blue
card’, which allows them to work in the UK
without restrictions.
Some employers are unaware of the
restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians and
see them as Europeans who have full rights to
work. “Many who have obtained yellow cards
legal
New immigration restrictions are making it increasingly diffi cult to recruit non-EU staff on work permits and student visas, but employers face steep fi nes if they don't undertake proper checks on their European chefs. Emma Page reports
?Are your workers
eatout issue
may 2012 www.eatoutmagazine.co.uk22
EO0512_Issue.indd 22 04/05/2012 18:40
as self-employed workers are actually working
as employed persons via the back door. Some
are working without any papers or permits
at all,” explains Charles Kelly, editor of the
online advisory service Immigration Matters.
Other, more unscrupulous, employers
know what they are doing and choose
to exploit the illegal worker by paying
below minimum wage, usually cash in
hand. “There are thousands of restaurants
employing Romanians and Hungarians
illegally,” says Kelly. “They can pay them
as little as £3 an hour, and no holiday or
sick pay, but if the Home Office catches up
with them they face a fine of £10,000.
“A self employed yellow card is meant for
those who are genuinely running a business
providing services or goods or studying, not
working as a waiter or chef in a restaurant,”
he continues. “Employers cannot ‘employ’ a
chef or waiter on a self employed when that
person is clearly a full time employee.”
James Tait, an employment lawyer at
Browne Jacobson agrees: “If you have a chef
working certain dictated hours on certain days,
using your equipment and producing your
food, you simply cannot say that they're self-
employed. It's diffi cult to engage
chefs on a self-employed
basis because as long as
they are under direction
they are employed.
“One of the
hallmarks of self-
employment
is that you
can send a
replacement, but how many restaurant
operators would want a replacement turning
up? If you come under scrutiny it's going
to be very diffi cult to argue that any chef
working in a kitchen is not an employee.”
Liz Williams doesn't think so: “As all the
self-employed chefs in an area working for
Loch Fyne knew each other it was easy for
them to send in replacements if they wanted
to. Of course they worked under direction.
But that doesn't stop them being self-
employed. We were allowed to provide them
with a uniform and health and safety training
because they were representing our brand
and working on our premises.”
"You can call someone self-employed
but a court will look at the reality of your
relationship," adds McGrath lawyer Nick Stott.
The Supreme Court’s Autoclenz v Belcher ruling
last year confi rmed that 20 car valeters were
actually employees, and not self-employed, as
their written contracts suggested. “Not only
were they subject to control and direction
by staff; they had no control over their hours
or deductions made by Autoclenz from their
pay for the cost of insurance and materials.
Their contracts gave them the right to send a
substitute if unable to work, but in reality they
had to book time off. The Supreme Court's
decision here was unusual for a labour case
in that it went beyond the facts of the
contract and scrutinised the reality.”
Some employers are unaware of the restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians and see them as Europeans who have full rights to work.
The study route
Romanian and Bulgarians who study
vocational or sandwich-type courses, such
as QCF (the Qualifi cations and Credit
Framework, which replaced NVQ’s this year)
are allowed to work full time. Provided they
stick to the course and work legally for 12
months, they'll be granted a blue card.
Loch Fyne has been able to transfer a handful
of its self-employed chefs to payroll by employing
them under apprenticeships. “Our apprentice
scheme fulfi ls the educational requirement of
a yellow card so they are allowed to work for
us directly,” explains Williams. “But the transfer
was problematic. We were relying on the
agency to support and advise these chefs on the
application process because we had to be careful
not to overstep the mark. Demonstrating any
commitment to them, even at an advisory level,
could be seen as a hallmark of an employer -
employee relationship.
“We still fi nd skills shortages in some areas
but we would rather pay relocation costs than
use agency chefs now. We genuinely wanted to
move to local recruitment but there's a loophole
in the system in which individuals are working
hard without any basic rights and nobody's
breaking the law.”
James Tait warns: “The danger is to let people
work for you without undertaking proper checks.
Not only could you run into problems with the
Home Offi ce, and a £10,000 fi ne, but there are
further
penalties
under the Agency
Workers Regulations
(AWR), which could
mean you end up at an
employment tribunal.
Apart from immigration rules
there are tax implications for self
employed people.The AWR gives all
agency workers the entitlement to the
same basic employment and working
conditions as if they had been recruited directly. If
and when agency workers complete a qualifying
period of 12 weeks in the same job which means
they will receive the same salary, holidays and
other benefi ts as permanent staff. Charles Kelly
agrees. “Go to the UK Border Agency website
and check out the rules regarding anyone
working for you. And sort out your paperwork. If
you've made some effort to undertake proper
checks and can produce, copies of passports you
may pay a reduced fi ne.”
eatout issue
23www.eatoutmagazine.co.uk may 2012 23
EO0512_Issue.indd 23 04/05/2012 18:41
Eat-out
eatout trendtracker
Are restaurant and pub leaders feeling optimistic?It will be another tough year for Britain’s best pub and restaurant operators. But how optimistic are they feeling? The annual Peach Business Leaders’ Survey reveals the industry’s sentiment.
only 1 in 4 is pessimistic about the coming
12 months
think frequency of visits will decline
62% are fairly optimistic
10% are very optimistic
SIBA’s membership has grown from
Local Brewers: Thriving today, threatened tomorrowA decade of Government investment in local brewing has produced an industry that is thriving today, but whose future is threatened by punitive levels of beer taxation, claims the Local Beer Report 2012, published by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).
25%
The number of employees in member breweries increased by 235 to
550 brewers
2/3of brewers invested in new premises and/or equipment to meet growing demand.
Around1/5answered positively to a new question about
building ‘green’ premises using bio-materials, energy conserving design
and heat-exchange systems.
Volume sales by SiBa members grew by 9.7% last year – compared to a -3.5% decline in the UK beer market overall.
of brewers made significant capital investment in 2011. 65%
Draught beer
makes up 82%
of SIBA brewers’
output and 97%
of this is
cask beer.
trendtracker
april 2012 www.eatoutmagazine.co.uk10
of brewers have had to increase brewing capacity, several of them more than twice.63%
65%
EO0412_TrendTracker_ex-Stats_1.indd 10 03/04/2012 14:59
eatout trendtracker
Food is the key for enduring pub tradeFood could be the key to improved business performance for pubs according to a recent survey by The Mystery Dining Company. This will come as good news for pubs that have already been tapping into consumer demand for quality informal dining options and looking towards pubs to deliver this.
9 out of 10
people also confirmed that they will check out the food menu in a pub even
if they are not intending to eat during their visit
choose a pub for just a drink
visit a pub at least once a week
Value for money remains the most important factor
for the customer
Expanding brands target shopping mallsRestaurant, café and quick service chains are increasingly looking to shopping malls as must-have locations as the UK’s latest malls become a showcase for established eating out concepts as well as the market’s emerging brands. Operators are attracted by the high volume of customers in malls, seven-day week opening, long opening hours and the captive market.
Byron, the gourmet burger brand, is the fastest growing concept of the past
months. 6
Westfield Stratford City features at least 15 emerging brands which are showing rapid growth in the UK including café and
bar concept; Balans, Bumpkin, Cabana, Caribbean Scene, Comptoir Libanais and frozen yogurt outlet Pinkberry.
Foodservice areas in malls typically include food courts, kiosk-style dining outlets, food markets as well as fast-casual dining and bar concepts aimed at the evening trade.
11www.eatoutmagazine.co.uk april 2012 11
of respondents believe that the customer service
in pubs has improved significantly in the past
five years
80% choose a pub for socialising with
friends
36% 31%
42%
EO0412_TrendTracker_ex-Stats_1.indd 11 03/04/2012 15:00
Magazine layouts
Portfolio
Mobile: 0044 (0)758 216 6223 E-mail: [email protected]
Aspire
Aspire The Clink
26
from the street in Cardiff.
Clink’s restaurant ambassador and FCSI administrator Vic Laws and the
Society’s chairman David Bentley were approached before the Cardiff launch
and asked if they could get support from members for the projects.
They have certainly done that and now are really enthusiastic about plans
for the future with a target of opening two Clinks each year over the next five
years, calling on continued valuable support from FCSI members.
In addition the Society is supplying management consultants to help train
prisoners, with Vic and fellow supporter Andrew Etherington spending three
to six days a month in this role.
“From the soaring success of the first Clink in Surrey where 30 inmates
are being trained, it soon became apparent that the project needed to be
expanded to train more prisoners,” said chief executive Chris Moore.
The FCSI is now assisting similar operations across the country, after the
Clink launch at HMP Cardiff - staffed by inmates from HMP Prescoed – The
FCSI Allied Members donated more than £100,000 of equipment.
“The Clink’s future projects are being assisted by FCSI members, in Brixton,
south London by Tony Galvin and Tim Dunn in Bronsfield, Ashford, Middlesex.
Overall the support for the Clink operations represents corporate social
responsibility being shown by FCSI members,” said David Bentley.
Crisci said that his original concept was that he wanted to give something
back and help people, and was amazed by the inmates’ talents. “It seemed
to me that it was such a waste these skills were not put to good use.”
The Clink Cymru opened in September 2012, with up to 96 diners enjoying
meals prepared and served by inmates, working full-time in the restaurant
and kitchen, before returning to their prisons at the end of the day.
The one difference between the two is that visiting dining members
of the public have to enter the prison in
Sutton, but can access the restaurant from the
street in Cardiff.
Who are the catering equipment companies supporting the Clink Cymru?Celltherm; CKM; Churchill China; Dawson; Environmental Product
Services; Espresso Service; European Water Treatment; Fireworks;
Gram; Halton; Hamilton Pollock; Hepburn Associates; Hubbard Ice;
Imperial; Linda Lewis Kitchens; Marco; Mechline; Meiko; MP Electrical;
MKN; RH Hall; ScoMac; Shelf Span; Standex; Trak; Hupfer; Williams
ASPIRE2012_Log 127 The Clink.indd 20 07/01/2013 13:33
27
The Clink Aspire
They are training towards gaining City and Guilds NVQ qualifications, and
on release the charity will help to find them employment in the catering and
hospitality industry.
As with the Surrey venture, it is all part of an initiative aiming to help
rehabilitate prisoners through front of house and chef training.
What paying customers may not realise is that the kitchen infrastructure
powering the menu on offer is testament to the generosity of the catering
equipment industry and the FCSI.
Given that The Clink operates as a charity, getting such a project off
the ground would have been considerably more difficult were it not for the
support of FCSI members, such as Duncan Hepburn.
As founder of Gloucester-based Hepburn Associates, Duncan designed
and project-managed the Cardiff kitchen, liaising with more than 20 different
brands, each contributing or subsidising specific pieces of equipment.
“We came up with the design and created a schedule of equipment stating
our need for under-counter refrigeration, a dishwasher, a couple of combis,
a cooking suite and various other items,” said Hepburn.
“We went to the market and the industry was really generous with offers of
equipment at cost and completely donated as well as other contributions.”
Initially Hepburn and Clink’s Chris Moore, visited the Welsh location, formerly
housing an off-site visitor centre. Despite early problems a series of concepts
was developed and after structural changes, work sprung into action
“It was agreed that The Clink needed a bit more seating space so we
added a small extension as well as external seating for customers wanting
somewhere separate or large groups,” said Hepburn.
Given the need to maximise space, with the kitchen confined to a tight
on-site footprint, Hepburn designed the layout around walls that couldn’t be
relocated, opening up one section for the main MKN cooking suite, one of
the main focus areas of the design.
“The suite has been cut around a column of the building that is in situ,
so it is not a set suite. It had to come in two pieces so that it could be
fitted,” said Hepburn.
“Equipment includes Standex new combination ovens, Gram and Williams
under-counter refrigeration units, and Halton Vent Master canopies - so
there is a nice mixture of technology. We are extremely grateful to those
contributing equipment or time.”
ASPIRE2012_Log 127 The Clink.indd 21 07/01/2013 13:34
CSFG Aspire
19
The Clink Aspire
Revolution rolls onThe sTirring success of Clink restaurants in prisons wiTh a second opening in wales
lasT auTumn and a TargeT of 10 across The counTry by 2015, is being made possible parTly Through The goodwill of The foodservice equipmenT and consulTancy indusTry
25
he foresight of the Foodservice Consultants Society International
(FCSI), the premier association promoting professionalism in
foodservice and hospitality, has played a key role in the launch
of Clink restaurants in Her Majesty’s Prisons.
The revolutionary venture was founded on the successful concept of
operating restaurants run by low risk prison inmates, boosting their chances
of work and a career on release initially created by Alberto Crisci, MBE
Highdown’s catering manager.
The aim is to train them to develop employable skills of preparation,
cooking and front of house work and, hopefully, leading to the reduction of
reoffending rates. The Clink charity says that each project, with investment
of around £500,000, is “a positive influence” on rehabilitation.
The ‘coupe de grace’ came with the decision to open the eateries to
general members of the public who could see food created by prisoners and
then be served by them.
The first was launched at HMP High Down in Surrey in 2009 with a
commercial-grade kitchen, followed by a second in Cardiff, backed by
FCSI members giving their time, expertise and equipment.
The one difference between the two is that visiting dining members of
the public have to enter the prison in Sutton but can access the restaurant
t
ASPIRE2012_Log 127 The Clink.indd 19 07/01/2013 13:32
Eat-out
eatout issue
june 2012 www.eatoutmagazine.co.uk22
Diners eating out are more likely to
choose a restaurant for its food and
the venue rather than taking their
social responsibilities seriously.
Mark Linehan of the Sustainable Restaurant
Association felt, however, that it was a
challenge for the larger restaurant and pub
chain operators to try to get the ‘green
message’ across to their customers.
“We can’t expect all restaurants to go fully
‘green’, but we would like to see a lot more
operators being progressive, honest, clear and
straightforward when it comes to what’s on
their menus.
“If all things are equal, we have to
highlight our call for people to consider
whether outlets are sustainable from the food
they source and their waste disposal policies.
When diners increase their spending their
expectations are likely to be higher.
“At the end of the day, however, when
people are dining out it should always be
a pleasurable experience, whether it is a
romantic meal or a company dinner, and
there must be a balance between enjoying
themselves and being urged to keep
scrutinising the menu.”
Peter Knibb, chef patron of Restaurant
23 in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire,
where he uses a variety of ‘green’ kitchen
technology learnt from his early days at
Claridge’s, agreed that customers don’t judge
outlets on their ‘green’ qualifi cations.
“It’s the food and often the venue
reputation that interests diners but they
are becoming more interested in food
provenance.”
On the question of food waste, whether
it is surplus or put in the bin, the amount is
always under-estimated by operators who
focus mainly on the produce in storerooms.
“Studies show that the average outlet
A panel of trade experts meeting to discuss sustainability, decided that operators in the restaurant and pub sector still have a long way to go, but the 'green' message is beginning to get across to operators and their customers. Les Leonard reports
greenchallenge
Silla Bjerrum “restaurants in key position to promote
sustainability”
Mike Mellor “myths can be created with shameless lies”
Mark Linehan “operators have to get
message across"
Corin Earland – “we must shout loud and proud”
EO0612_Issue.indd 22 01/06/2012 10:20
eatout issue
23www.eatoutmagazine.co.uk june 2012 23
wastes 21 tonnes a year with two-thirds
being avoidable. And when we checked one
major pub chain over the festive period we
found that if they reduced their wastage
by 10 to 15% they would save £1.4 million
across the chain nationally – so there’s a lot at
stake,” said Mark Linehan.
Richard Wakefi eld, passionate about
sustainability being “key to the future”, has
spent 27 years with the Bedruthan Steps and
Scarlet Hotels in Cornwall and has lobbied the
operating company for as many energy and
water saving devices as they could afford.
“We now have a policy of acquiring
equipment which can convert food waste
into energy but there is a lack of incentive
from the authorities who impose a number
of restrictions.”
Silla Bjerrum managing director of the
Feng Sushi chain, said that she learnt the
pleasure of locally sourced food, particularly
seafood, in her homeland of Denmark where
industries have to split up all kinds of waste
into different groupings.
As regards to food on the menu, she felt
that restaurants were in a good position to
promote sustainability but for start-up ventures
it was more a question of survival with cost
saving coming highest on the agenda.
The panel discussed 'greenwashing' where
false claims are being made and Richard felt
that the public was not silly and would know
if they were being hoodwinked.
But Chris Creed of Creed Foodservices
stressed that often supplies were made to
look more ‘green’. “If diners are told that the
strawberries for dessert are English and organic,
they tend to believe it. And products are often
described as British when this is not true.
“In the case of chickens, claims have been
made that they are British but the fi gures
are higher than the number that are actually
farmed. If buyers are not getting clear
information it makes the process harder.
Mike Mellor of Space Catering Equipment
said: “Myths can be created making it
diffi cult from the start of the food chain to
the table. There are a lot of shameless lies or
misconceptions. Some produce does a lap of
the universe before coming to a venue.
“If the busy foodservice industry is being
sold a pup and paying for being green when
it’s not, with unscrupulous dealers telling
customers what they want to hear, this is an
issue of major concern
“It is a case of visiting the suppliers and
checking the shelves for yourself. But at
the end of the day on the consumer front,
when people want a treat, the thought of
sustainability goes out the window.”
Panel chair Sarah Daly strategic sustainability
consultant of My Green Eye said: “There’s
nothing black and white about ‘green’.
Suppliers can say that their British apples
are freshly picked but they can have been in
chillers for months where those coming from
New Zealand might in fact be fresher.
“But as long as we live and promote
our ‘green’ conscience then the situation
must improve. We have got to keep asking
questions and when there is this demand from
consumers the industry will respond. This was
shown when the SRA used customer power in
the past on such issues as tap water.”
Corin Earland, executive chef for Peach
Pubs said: "The more we promote and drive
forward the sustainable message, the more
The more we promote and drive forward the sustainable message, the more other businesses will join in. It's a case of shouting loud and being proud as leaders of green kitchens and the whole package.
The panel of industry experts round the debating table
EO0612_Issue.indd 23 01/06/2012 10:21
june 2012 www.eatoutmagazine.co.uk24
eatout issue
other businesses will join in. It's a case of
shouting loud and being proud as leaders of
green kitchens and the whole package.
“People will always copy others, so it
is a matter to continually innovate,” he
said adding that his company website had
obtained 5,000 signatures on the question of
sourcing MSC sustainable fi sh and seafood.
But Silla, who introduced seasonality
while taking spawning fi sh off her restaurant
menus, added that on approaching other
similar sushi restaurant groups about joining
up to ensure such a sustainable policy, she
found a general lack of interest.
“It is a matter of trying to champion a
certain kind of behaviour. We don’t want to
give orders to diners on what they should
eat, but inform them. But no-one can convert
to sustainability all at once – we have got
to work through the process gradually
converting each section of the business.
“Customers ask if everything on our menus
has an MSC label but that is impossible to
achieve.”
Stephen Kinkead managing director of
Winterhalter UK, the German warewashing
systems supplier, said: “The customer is our
top priority and more and more are saying
that they want energy effi ciency, while nine
out of 10 want to know the payback.”
Chris Creed felt that this payback was
getting shorter with new technology but
Mark said the SRA was fi nding that big
companies did not have the luxury of looking
some fi ve years ahead as they had to satisfy
today’s shareholders with their returns.
Richard said that for his Cornish kitchens when
Myths can be created making it diffi cult from the start of the food chain to the table. There are a lot of shameless lies or misconceptions. Some produce does a lap of the universe before coming to a venue.
looking for a reasonable priced top of the range
model he had to think of energy, but when he
went to an Italian company they “did not appear
to be selling the ‘green’ aspect really well.”
Mike Mellor of Space added: "Purchasers
have to make commercial decisions. We stress
that a certain piece of equipment may be
more expensive but long term it could lead
to a drop in energy costs. But often they are
looking at an overall venue upgrading and the
kitchen is the last matter to be considered.
“Everyone from independent operators to
bigger restaurant chains with a long-term holistic
viewpoint are getting this message of being
interested in the ‘green’ footprint,” said Mike.
He agreed with the chair that it was an
‘economy of scale’ with prices possibly dropping
as demand increases but added: “The super fi ne
dining venues are not at one with sustainability
aims.”
Sarah further asked if catering colleges
were preparing new trainees coming into the
industry on the advantages of sustainability.
Peter Knibbs said: “Probably not overall but
just in a few select cases.”
Mark said that perhaps surprisingly the SRA
had found that mobile caterers were leading
the way as they were under pressure from
event organisers, from Lords to
Glastonbury, to operate more
sustainably and this applied to
staffi ng.
The SRA has gained
advantageous rates from
insurance brokers for
companies stressing their
sustainability policies that
were a better risk with less
likelihood of staff complaints
and industrial tribunals. Renewals had gained
thousands of pounds in discounts in some
cases.
Richard said staff at Bedruthan Steps and
Scarlet hotels get an induction course on
sustainability. “The welfare on such elements
as staff feeding leads to loyalty. It’s important to
be seen as a sustainable business. And we have
won awards for looking after our workforce.
“Food sustainability is being well taught
in schools. People have got to want to care
especially in catering colleges.”
Mike said Space had found that the Eden
Project in Cornwall had to ‘walk the walk
and talk the talk’ on staffi ng and because
this policy is promoted they care more for
the business. “It goes beyond savings to
wider issues.”
The SRA has found that staff treat their
employers differently when they realise the
good that is being achieved on such fronts
as recycling of waste.
Research by the London School of
Economics found that companies with
sustainability high on the agenda, saw
increased customer loyalty and were often
doing better with an improving survival rate.
*The SRA has launched its Sustainable
Kitchens guide in a link up with Space
Catering. For details log on to www.thesra.
org or www.spacecatering.co.uk or www.
mygreeneye.co.uk
EO0612_Issue.indd 24 01/06/2012 10:22
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Hotel Management International | www.hmi-online.com24
Special report > EHMA 40th anniversary
T he year is 1973 and the first in a series of enlargements of the European Communities is
underway. Negotiations around the establishment of a directly elected European Parliament are gathering pace and the introduction of the exchange rate mechanism the previous year has even prompted speculation regarding a universal European currency.
All the talk is of a united continent promoting the free movement of people, goods, cultures and ideas. In Rome, five of the city’s top general managers begin meeting at the Hotel Ambasciatori to discuss what their role might be in this fast-changing landscape.
If a number of decisions are to be taken at an international level, how does one guarantee a voice in proceedings? Furthermore, if we really are witnessing an increasingly laissez-faire attitude towards borders and sovereignty, might it not be an idea to explore the possibility of collaboration with our
brethren across Europe. If nothing else, it should make for a great party.
They conceived this uncomplicated, proudly elitist concept: “An association of professional managers operating first class or luxury hotels of international repute committed to fostering fellowship and fraternity.”
So, the following year, representatives from some of the continent’s grandest hotels gathered at the Ambasciatori for the first general meeting of the European Hotel Managers Association (EHMA). But questions were raised regarding the pan-European nature of the group; among its first 40 members, only ten were non-Italians.
By the 20th general meeting in 1992, however, total numbers had swollen to around 380 members drawn from 20 nationalities. Fast forward another 20 years and EHMA, under the presidency of Peter Bierwirth, is gearing up to celebrate its 40th general meeting. It now boasts 425 members from 25
European countries, representing 350 hotels, 90,000 rooms, 70,000 employees and an annual turnover of some €6 billion.
While its founding principles remain undimmed, the luxury hotel sector looks remarkably different to that of the mid-70s. Its centre of gravity has shifted towards the Middle East and China; large international operators have become ever more prevalent; revenue and operating models are unrecognisable; human resources and technology costs continue to skyrocket. In order to remain fit for purpose, evolution has been necessary.
“It’s long been clear that we must do a lot more than gather together for delicious dinners and a few nice bottles of wine,” says Bierwirth. “The internationalisation of the hotel sector has helped to professionalise EHMA as a body. The soul of hospitality remains the European way of hotel-keeping – but the brain is increasingly American: marketing, controlling, the legal aspects and so on. We must find a way of
Over 300 of the continent’s top hoteliers and friends will gather in Milan in April to celebrate the 40th anniversary
of the birth of the European Hotel Managers Association. Phin Foster talks to EHMA president Peter Bierwirth;
Ezio Indiani, general manager of Milan’s Principe di Savoia; Johanna Fragano of Rome’s Hotel Quirinale;
and Michael Gray, general manager of The Churchill in London, about EHMA’s past, present and future.
Euro vision
HMI054_108_EHMA Anniversary.indd 24 28/03/2013 13:31
Hotel Management International | www.hmi-online.com 25
Special report > EHMA 40th anniversary
merging these two philosophies in order to continue improving and bring the most out of ourselves.”
The exchange of ideasMembers seem to be in general agreement that this is best achieved through harnessing a network of top professionals in order to share best practices, discuss challenges, exchange talent and build long-term relationships. The delicious dinners and nice bottles of wine are simply an added bonus.
“That’s the real meaning of EHMA,” declares Ezio Indiani, general manager of Milan’s Principe di Savoia, which will host this year’s general meeting in April. “When I first joined 18 years ago, it was more a case of contemporaries coming together for friendship and a bit of fun. That’s still very important, but we now share a lot more information and there’s a real focus on learning. If you’re a member, there’s no question that you’re extremely good at what you do. Being able to learn from the best in the business is a privilege.”
The criteria surrounding EHMA membership guarantees excellence.
Not only must a perspective candidate be nominated by two active members, he or she also requires at least a decade’s industry experience and a minimum of three years spent as general manager at a deluxe or first-class hotel “of international repute”. Applications must also be approved by the applicant’s national delegate and EHMA’s management council. Such exclusivity has long given general managers something to strive for.
“I’d been following the progress of EHMA since its foundation and it was something I’d always aspired to,” says Johanna Fragano, EHMA treasurer, former president and general manager of Rome’s Hotel Quirinale, where the association’s headquarters are located.
EHMA members convene at the organisation’s first general meeting in Rome in 1974.
The 17th general meeting took place in Berlin in 1990,
the year after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Three founding members draw up the inaugural
EHMA statute.
Princess Cristina of Sweden greets members at the 16th general meeting in Stockholm in 1989.
EHMA’s commitment to global expansion led to its
38th general meeting being held in St Petersburg.
1982 patron King Juan Carlos of Spain.
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42 Hotel Management International | www.hmi-online.com
Insight > Design
T he nhow Hotel in Berlin is not what most people would think of as a five-star property. Billed
as ‘Europe’s first music hotel’, it sits in the buzzing city centre and boasts two professional music studios. Guests can order ‘guitar and keyboard room service’, play at an open mic night or arrange a jazzed-up teambuilding event. These perks are far removed from silver service and cosseting concierge.
Then there’s the building itself. Designed by star architect Sergei Tchoban, it consists of three brick
towers. Only the four-storey cantilever jutting out precariously 25m above ground disrupts the sense that we are viewing a stack of industrial brown boxes.
But it is Karim Rashid’s interiors that veer furthest from luxury clichés. High-tech and hypermodern, the patterns and shapes are derived from data visualisation. There is digipop artwork on the headboards, two-way mirrors that morph into chrome desks, personalised lighting and white gradient glass bathroom walls. In short, there’s not a chandelier in sight.
And yet the nhow Hotel belongs squarely to the upper tier of the marketplace; a place where marble staircases formerly held court. Gone are the days when luxury was synonymous with conspicuous consumption, or when identikit glitz was sufficient to hold guests’ attention. Recent years have seen a profound shift in the market, with preferences veering away from the straightforwardly lavish towards something far more inventive.
“Luxury today is seamless technology in the hotel, not expensive, heavy,
The luxury hospitality sector has long served as a magnet for ambitious young architects. But with excess
falling out of vogue, how are today’s designers redefining the concept of
a five-star hotel? Abi Millar discusses the opportunities and challenges with
Francesca Alder-Schweizer, Manfred Jäger and the renowned
interior architect Karim Rashid.
Intelligentdesign
Interior dialogue: the reception area at the nhow Hotel in Berlin.
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43Hotel Management International | www.hmi-online.com
Insight > Design
excessive materials,” says Rashid, a fêted industrial designer and interior architect. “Luxury is perfect lighting. Luxury is new, inspiring aesthetics. Luxury is a perfect fluid experience. Most luxury hotels just spend the money on luxurious cladding, but I prefer to use smart, more inexpensive, intelligent contemporary surfaces and create human experiences.”
This way of thinking gained momentum as a direct result of the financial crisis. In its traditional form, luxury hospitality was badly bruised. Even among those guests who could still
afford it, priorities were changing – they were starting to care more about sustainability, for example, and less about excess for its own sake.
Experience the difference‘Experience’ became a buzzword. What could one luxury hotel offer that others couldn’t? With competition at an all-time high, operators sought out differentiators that were hard to replicate. In some cases, this meant gambits like nhow Hotel’s music theme. In others, it simply meant authenticity. In all cases, however,
careful design was key; supersized suites and gold-plated mirrors were not enough.
“For me, it’s important that each project has its own strong and exclusive look,” says Francesca Alder-Schweizer, who has worked on two design hotels nestled deep within the Swiss Alps. “It’s a demanding challenge to distinguish between luxuriousness and just expensive equipment. It’s in the small details, the careful planning and the accurate selection of materials.”
Alder-Schweizer designed the interiors for the Giardino Mountain and Giardino
1. The Music Lounge at the nhow Hotel in Berlin. 2. A shower cubicle in the spa and wellness area.
3. The hypermodern feel extends to the restaurant.
HMI054_113_Luxury Hospitality.indd 43 28/03/2013 14:18
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