I was lucky enough to have realised at an early stage that my life and
my career was going to be about looking after people. I signed an invisible
contract, if you will, starting as a commis de rang at the Hotel des Trois
Couronnes in Vevey, Switzerland;
and through the likes of Restaurant Fredy Giradet, Bibendum and Restaurant Guy
Savoy in Paris as the Restaurant Manager. Even now,
some thirty to forty years on, it’s still at the very forefront of what I do.
My consultancy work for the likes of Tom Aikens and Heston Blumenthal, Brett Graham, Phil Howard – and
my hospitality lectures, ‘Just John’ – are fuelled by an unquenchable passion
for helping others and showing that Hospitality is indedd a great profession
This will never leave me.
With this as a solid foundation, my work in the hospitality industry
has always been an extension of my personality, my love for people, and above
all, absolute pride.
It’s a hard profession, there’s
no doubt about it. I’ve worked so many hours over the years and sometimes under
very difficult circumstances; but when I think about the people that I’ve met,
and the different people that I worked with - in Switzerland for over ten
years, for example – I realise that I made some of my strongest friendships
during my career. The brigade at Fredy Girardet, for example - the brigade of
15 - there were 9 or 10 of us that worked the full ten years together. Imagine
the teamwork that was involved there, the consistency, the passion, Louis
Villenueve who was the Restaurant manager when I joined Girardet is still there
– 40 years of service!
I had initially trained as a
chef, down in Bristol, but after experiencing a
summer at the Baur au Lac Hotel in Zurich
in the summer of 1971, I realised that my invisible contract was better suited
to the dining room. It was enchanting, the people so full of grace; it was
something I wanted to be involved in desperately, and I consider myself so
lucky to have been a part of it, and even luckier that I can pass down my vast
knowledge
It was always about the
customers in the dining room, never about the people.
I’ve served the King of Italy, Charlie
Chaplin, Michel Platini, Richard Burton, Richard Nixon, and Freddy Mercury (who
thanked me for, what he called, a culinary striptease); the list goes on and
on. But, prince or pauper, they deserved the restaurant’s respect, as did the
kitchen, with the invisible contract very clear on this point.
Offering good service is
understanding your restaurant, understanding your clients, and working well
with the kitchen. In the mornings when you go to work, if you’re front of
house, pop in a simple, ‘Morning gents, how are you?’ They might not answer,
but it doesn’t matter, you’ve done your bit, and you’re creating a better
environment by embracing the kitchen. You can’t work without the kitchen, and
neither can they without you. Greet your managers, let everyone know you’re
there. Be the most popular guy in the restaurant, both with your clients and
with the other members of the staff. It makes such a great difference and it
should be the most natural thing in the world.
Just john
This is the
fundamental point of my consultancy, ‘Just John’. Every point of contact is
crucial; from the first impression to the last, the pot washer to his Lordship.
The art of
hospitality is just as specific as it is all encompassing. The obvious may not
seem so obvious; what are the best times to speak to customers and how to read
their body language? What are the teamwork skills that build confidence and
bring more success to the business? How can I diffuse difficult situations with
ease and grace?
Having worked and trained
in some of Europe’s best restaurants, private members’ clubs and luxury hotels
as well as working in restaurants as far afield as Los Angeles.
My casual yet sophisticated
manner has inspired countless hospitality professionals over the years and now my
tailored training days are available to both new and established businesses.
It doesn’t matter what
nationality the staff are or what cuisine or offer your business does.
Hospitality is a human trait and I have worked with brigades with
multi-nationalities.
I think I can say I became
an acknowledged leader and expert at training both large and small hospitality
teams to work together to achieve better service, increased sales and greater
customer retention and return
Training and recruitment go
hand in hand and I can help you with both and find the best staff for you and
once you have them in place train them and your team to achieve better results.
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