During the past decade, the Bank of England has embarked on modernization and refurbishment plans for its London premises. In the midst of this, there was a need to review the foodservice facilities at all levels. The catering facilities were outdated and highly labor-intensive. The equipment installed was obsolete and energy-intensive. There was also a need to replace main boilers and elevators in the central catering block, which is separate from the main bank buildings.
The particular building that will be examined had been developed over the years to provide a variety of services:
- first floor: quick lunch bar, waitress service based on a typical mid-1950s highway service station
- second floor: conventional meat-and-vegetable cafeteria
- third floor: management dining room and salad bar
- fourth floor: carvery
- fifth floor: coffee shop and table tennis room
- sixth floor: coffee shop
One of the system's obvious flaws was that there was a washing machine on every floor but only a single kitchen, in the basement.
Foodservice in industry is therapeutic: employees perform better if they know that their lunch is going to be well served and nicely presented in pleasant surroundings, and after such a meal there is a tendency for morale to be higher in the afternoon.
In this building, however, it was evident from customers' comments that there was general dissatisfaction with the services provided, and the participation rate, the percentage of bank employees who used the catering facilities, had dropped to approximately 45 per cent. Among the employees' complaints was that the menu was divided illogically between floors, so that someone who wanted roast beef could not dine with a person who wanted a salad.
The catering staff, which is generally forgotten, was also asked to express a view. The employees pointed out that their working conditions were less than satisfactory and indeed, in some cases, hazardous.
Following consultation, it was decided to appoint a designer specializing in catering, who, together with the company's own management team, set about reviewing the service requirements and making recommendations as to future service styles. 1
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