Catering

Qube Magazine Facilities Management Journal
Putting the ‘kit’ into kitchensThe benefits of outsourcing your drinks vending machine
By Richard Marris, UK Market Director, KLIX
No amount of signs, meetings or rotas can ever make the office kitchen perfect, or sometimes even just pleasant. However, when you get it right, vending machines remove arguments, hassle, disruption and even cost. In fact, the benefits that can be enjoyed from outsourcing your drinks vending machine may come as somewhat of a surprise.Work environment benefits Firstly, consider the environment in which you work. If you work in a busy office, it doesn’t take long before the dirty coffee cups start stacking up in the kitchen and the spilt sugar, milk and water start to cover the work surfaces. No-one wants to work in an unclean space, in fact some people may even be put off using the facilities altogether. A messy kitchen is not exactly professional looking for visitors and clients either. Modern drinks vending machines will not only provide a cleaner, more pleasant working environment, but also reduce the time and cost of cleaning up the mess at the end of the day. Less mess also means less risk. Health and safety in the workplace should be of paramount concern to employers. Do yourself and your staff a favour, de-clutter your workspace and offer your staff a better choice and quality of drink. This can only lead to a reduction in complaints about the facilities available and the state of the kitchen!Staff benefits Of course outsourcing your vending machine will not only benefit the space in which you work, but most importantly the people who work in it. Vending machines offer a wide range and choice of hot or cold drinks and soups, and stock all the major brands that most people would choose to drink at home. There is also the option to vary the product offering depending on the season or the general requirement from the workforce. Vending machines now offer an alternative range of healthier drinks, which makes for brighter and more productive staff. A major benefit of outsourcing drinks vending facilities is the reliability and consistency of the drinks supplied. Vending machines consistently supply that perfect drink, guaranteeing consumer satisfaction even for the most discerning tea or coffee drinker. You’ll also get your drink at the perfect temperature – never too hot or too cold. There are many different types of vending machines available, all are simple and easy to use and are often operated by pressing a single button. You can also opt for other options such as key or coin operated machines, depending on whether you will require your staff to pay for the drinks or not.You may find that your supplier will run occasional competitions or offer prizes to promote new products or services – this is of course at no extra cost to the customer, but of great value to the user. Financial benefits You may not have considered the financial benefits of using vending facilities, but the potential savings could be substantial. If an average member of staff drinks between five and ten hot or cold drinks every day, this can equate to anything up to an hour spent just making drinks! Vending machines are quick and easy to use, saving precious time wasted in the kitchen. This downtime has serious impacts on the productivity of your workforce, and lets face it, we all have better things to do with our time.Vending machines can also replace the need for water coolers, which will save you the extra expenditure of separate purchase, hire or operating costs. You will also reap the financial benefits of not having to provide the coffee, tea, milk, sugar, etc.Drinks from vending machines are an affordable option for most companies with many providers offering a variety of purchase or rental solutions. You may even be able to negotiate the use of a drinks vending machine free of charge, depending on the volume and type of usage.Operational efficiencyOnce your machine is installed you can normally chose from a variety of service options. You could opt for a fully managed service where everything is done for you. Alternatively, if you are happy for a member of staff to clean, empty and restock your machine, then all you’ll need to do is re-order the stock, or request technical support as and when required.As you would expect, drinks vending machines are fairly maintenance and hassle free. Of course any standard maintenance that does need to be done, will be done onsite and with minimal disruption. If there is a problem with a machine, this can normally be quickly resolved over the phone with the support of a technical help desk. Some companies also offer a guaranteed rapid response time, so any problems you do have can be quickly resolved with minimal disruption. However, modern vending machines are extremely reliable so you shouldn’t experience any problemsEnvironmentally-friendly / sustainability in drinks vending When choosing your drinks vending machine, you should be aware of their environmental impact and opt for a system that offers recyclable raw materials and packaging. In addition to the physical environment, more and more people are becoming aware of and supportive of ‘Fairtrade’ issues. Try and source a company that has a genuine ethical approach to its producers, suppliers, customers, employees and the environment.

Cuisine with a conscience
Defence, aerospace and electronics company Thales Research & Technology (UK) Ltd have awarded a contract for the provision of a comprehensive range of quality catering services. Thales delivers high technology solutions in areas from flight simulation to integrated communications for military and civil applications. 70% of its 9,000 UK staff are in engineering and the business has 60 sites across the UK.The catering contract includes the highly successful ‘Foodhouse’ food service concept which embraces contemporary cuisine, flexibly provided, passionately prepared and ethically sourced whenever possible. The service includes main meals and desserts, hot and cold snacks, grab-and-go salads, sandwiches and premium coffee for around 250 Thales employees at the prestigious site. Quality catering services will also be provided for meetings at the site, which welcomes visitors from around the world.Employees will also benefit from a traditional trolley service bringing quality food direct to their offices as well as a continuous vending installation for confectionery and hot and cold drinks. The contract was awarded through Faceo – the Thales facilities management company. It required a total transition from the previous supplier to the new foodhouse concept to be developed and installed in only two weeks, including signage, graphics and catering equipment. This task was achieved on time by the mobile Relief Team, which is used to provide back-up support to operations across the region.Mick Wray, fm manager for Faceo said, “This was a remarkable achievement given the very short timescales which we had to impose but which were outside our control. We had heard excellent reports of the ‘Foodhouse’ formula from another Thales site in the UK but by any yardstick this was a tough challenge. The benefits in food style and quality as well as the improved standards of service were obvious and immediate.”

Heading for the Highlands
Scotland’s largest – and the UK’s fastest growing – outsourcing business has taken steps to give its 2,600 employees the best quality and widest choice of contemporary food at work.Response, which is part of Murray International Holdings, has awarded a major contract to ‘Just Deli’ and ‘Foodhouse’ restaurant brands across its four sites in Glasgow and Clydebank. Although these catering formats are highly successful throughout the rest of the UK, this is the first time that they will have crossed the border into Scotland.The Just Deli format provides contemporary food options with influences from modern international cuisine, ranging from light snacks to freshly prepared meals served in a spacious, clean and comfortable environment. The brand reflects the tastes and standards set by many leading restaurants and deli bars across the UK and Europe.Foodhouse is an innovative restaurant format, which fits within any commercial or office premises. It makes available constantly changing menus of nutritious and tasty meals using fresh ingredients, freshly prepared and includes the Costa Coffee range.Response chief executive, David Wallace, said: “As a progressive company, we are always looking for opportunities to provide value-added benefits for our employees. Response is committed to ensuring that staff enjoy a comfortable working environment, and the partnership we now have will offer an extensive choice of quality, freshly prepared food on a daily basis.”