The Real Food Cafe – Staff Training & Development Winner 2024 Case Study

The family-run business, the Real Food Café Tyndum is regularly named as one of the ‘best places to work’ in the hospitality sector. It’s nestled between the stunning surroundings of Loch Lomond and is the gateway to the West Highlands of Scotland, where it has been serving customers exceptional food from a roadside, diner-style setting since 2005.

At the National Fish & Chip Awards 2024, it won the Staff Training and Development title, which was sponsored by Blakemans. Sarah Heward, owner of the Real Food Café Tyndum, tells us more about the road to success.

Cultivating a fulfilled and happy workforce

The Real Food Café employs 28 people in total and the first thing I’d say is that our employees are a team, as opposed to a group of employees, there is a subtle but significant difference. Our team members support each other, they listen to one another, they speak honestly and respectfully and demonstrate patience and kindness under pressure. Brian is the longest serving team member. He has been with us for 18 years! He was the fryer for many years and now works on the till, taking orders. 

Setting realistic expectations prior to commencing work is vital when it comes to successful hiring. We actively seek to encourage candidates to deselect if they haven’t got what it takes by making the job ads, application process and interviews demanding and straight talking. 

Once hired but before coming on board, new recruits are sent various online induction training and educational modules to complete ahead of joining. Upon starting, new recruits are shown round by their ‘buddy’, another team member who supports the new starter for the first two weeks. They will then undertake 24 hours of training in the first two weeks. 

I am often asked to write and speak at industry events and in publications. When talking about the vital subject of recruitment and retention, I always include the Staff Training and Development Award win as it is a great validation that we are very proud of. Motivation, pride, energising and improved focus on quality and standards are just some of the positive influences it has had on the team.

Be named the real deal

Winning an award at the prestigious National Fish & Chip Awards adds significant and real value to your business because these are the ultimate industry accolades – they truly are our industry Oscars. The rigors of the award process will stretch you and your team to aspire and plan to operate to higher levels, all the while improving your business and your own performance in the process.

The recognition from customers to these awards is very high and that’s in a crowded awards field. The National Fish & Chip Awards is well recognised and while it’s a trade award, it’s rated by the public, too. It makes our regulars feel great because it validates their choice and support of our business and it’s a great way of building your brand to a wider market throughout the whole of the UK, reaching people we could never afford to reach on our own.

We have plans to open a food production unit over the winter of 2024/25 and a takeaway fish and chips unit in 2025, so our training and development foundations will be crucial to our success in executing this. We are spending money in this area which we look at as an investment and priority.

Big rewards from the awards

As part of the prize, we were also invited by the awards’ principal sponsor, Seafood from Norway, to its Norwegian study tour, which was fabulously motivating and uplifting, great for building my network and was so educational. The thing that made by far the biggest impression on me was Seafood from Norway’s attention to detail, the scale of investment, its long-term approach and adherence to values and principles in the pursuit of excellence throughout its entire operation. It was both impressive and inspiring. 

My advice for businesses is to enter the awards but think it through and plan strategically. Work up to Takeaway of the Year by getting some categories under your belt first. Make sure you can give the time necessary to enter properly, because there is no point in doing a half job. Don’t leave it until the last minute, work on it gradually, honing and improving it.

The competition is fierce and it’s only worth entering with a super strong entry – the very best you can muster. Pick your category carefully and don’t enter too many. Go for inch wide, mile deep, rather than the scatter gun! Lastly, talk to some of the previous winners and get first-hand tips and advice from them. They’ll be happy to help and advise – people like to be asked in my experience. Taking part is stretching, motivating and rewarding and we intend to do it all again this year!

https://therealfoodcafe.com