In this episode of Simply Hospitality, we dive into best practices for conducting a risk assessment to create a safer, more efficient cellar environment. Ruth and Lucy speak with Simon Ambridge an industry professional with over 20 years of experience in drink distribution, about the essential steps for identifying, assessing, and managing risks in cellars. Whether you’re managing a pub cellar or a large storage facility, this episode will guide you through the key aspects of cellar safety.

Key Takeaways

1. Identifying Common Hazards

- Cellars come with unique risks like slips and falls, manual handling injuries, CO2 leaks, fire hazards, and confined space risks. Each cellar setup may require customized safety precautions.

2. Assessing Who Could Be Harmed

- Beyond staff, cellar risks can affect visitors, customers, and nearby businesses. Identifying all possible people at risk is critical for a comprehensive safety plan.

3. Implementing Control Measures

- Ventilation to prevent CO2 buildup.

- Regular cleaning and drying to reduce slip hazards.

- Lifting aids and equipment for safe manual handling.

- CO2 detectors for gas safety.

- Fire extinguishers and fire-resistant storage for hazardous materials.

4. Advanced Safety Precautions

- In some cases, additional measures like emergency procedures, health monitoring, equipment maintenance checks, and clear signage may be necessary to ensure a safe cellar environment.

5. Ongoing Risk Assessment

- A risk assessment isn’t a one-time task - it needs to be reviewed regularly, especially with changes in staff, equipment, or cellar layout. Staying proactive and continuously improving safety practices helps prevent incidents.

Final Advice from Simon:
To maintain a safe cellar, stay vigilant. Regularly review your procedures, take feedback from your team seriously, and make safety a daily priority.

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Recruitment: Where are the good ones hiding?

In this episode, where we discuss effective approaches to navigating the recruitment challenges faced by hospitality, we welcome two guests!

Liz from Whitehead Ross Education talks about their innovative Hospitality Skills Boot Camps, which are designed to get people back into the workforce with leadership skills tailored for the hospitality industry. Liz discusses how these boot camps focus on not only essential hospitality skills but also critical leadership qualities like effective communication, customer service, and team management, helping candidates level up to supervisory roles.

Sam Brown, founder of Candid Hospitality, discusses the talent shortage currently affecting the hospitality industry and the innovative approaches needed to attract, recruit, and retain high-quality employees. Sam shares insights on what’s driving the current recruitment challenges, the importance of a positive candidate experience, and how smaller operators can effectively compete in a tight labour market.

Connect with Whitehead Ross:

https://www.wrecltd.co.uk/

Local restaurants and hospitality businesses are encouraged to reach out via the Whitehead Ross website to connect with new talent and explore opportunities for ongoing collaborations.

Connect with Candid Hospitality:

https://candidhospitality.co.uk/

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• Follow us on Instagram @simply_hospitality_the_podcast

• If you enjoy this episode please give us a follow!

In this episode of Simply Hospitality, we discuss how to navigate the slower periods between summer and Christmas, as well as the post-holiday lull in January and February. We share five actionable tips to help boost sales during these quieter months.

Some strategies may already be on your radar, but others might inspire new ideas!

1. Maximise Key Date Promotions Use upcoming events like Halloween, Black Friday, Christmas, New Year, and Valentine’s Day to drive sales. Plan ahead with a calendar, and consider unique dates relevant to your business, such as National Sausage Roll Day or Beaujolais Nouveau. At The Coastal Kitchen Family, we plan our promotional focus quarterly to stay ahead of the curve. For example, our Halloween children's platter became so popular last year that it’s now a tradition.

2. Gift Vouchers for Special Occasions Tap into the gift-giving season by offering beautifully packaged vouchers. Whether it's blank vouchers or specific experiences like “High Tea for Two” or a “Chef’s Table Experience,” creating immersive gift options adds value and appeal. People are increasingly looking for experiences rather than cash gifts.

3. Host Themed Nights Themed events can attract customers during slower times. From Mussels Wednesdays to Oyster Happy Hours, seasonal or niche offerings bring in a crowd. Consider special nights for holidays like Burns Night, which adds a festive atmosphere and benefits both guests and staff.

4. Loyalty Cards Build a returning customer base with loyalty cards, especially crucial when relying on local foot traffic. Be creative with rewards; instead of another free coffee, offer something unique, like breakfast or a takeaway cake, to encourage repeat visits and introduce customers to new menu items.

5. Turnover Tables, Reduce Table Hoggers Prevent low-spend, long-time customers from affecting your bottom line by limiting remote workers who linger for hours. Take inspiration from coffee shops like The Collective and Milk and Bean, which have implemented restrictions on laptop use during peak hours to boost table turnover and enhance the venue's atmosphere.

Tune in for these practical tips to help your business thrive through the quieter seasons!

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• Follow us on Instagram @simply_hospitality_the_podcast

• If you enjoy this episode please give us a follow!