To help you focus on your mind, we’ve portioned up the 20 categories of the Food Made Good Awards 2019 into bite-sized piece -making them easier to digest. In the second of these blogs about how to complete a winning submission, we assess the key points you should be making when entering the three Society categories.
Think Society, think people. Whether it’s getting the very most out of your most prized asset – your staff, taking advantage of your position in the community to make a positive difference to the people that live there or using your culinary skills to ensure your customers, of all ages, have the opportunity to choose delicious, nutritious food.
Through the intricacies of the Food Made Good Sustainability Rating we’ll quantify how you treat your staff, support the community and feed your customers. Your award submission is where we expect to see the qualitative impact of your society ethos. Check out the stunning achievements of the 2018 winners and you’ll get a feel for the innovative and ideas and they way in which they’ve been delivered with true passion. Here are three awards where we want to hear about you having a big impact.
Check out the brief category descriptions and take inspiration from the 2018 winners before you put pen to paper in the categories in which you excel and have a story to share and inspire others.
Treat Staff Fairly
Attracting and retaining a quality team is key ingredient in any foodservice business. Flexible hours, equitable tipping policies, extensive training opportunities and support for mental and physical wellbeing are just some of the ways that progressive employers in the sector are demonstrating a commitment to value their staff. The judges will be looking for a business that’s devised a winning recipe for encouraging more to pursue a long-term career in the sector
2018 winner: Cafe St Honoré
Neil Forbes: “We set out not to be a good employer, but the best. We pay liveable wages, introduced mentoring and at least one daily shared meal for all staff, while cutting down to a four-day, 45-hour work week. It kicks off first thing in the morning with a simple hey, morning, how are you, sleep well? Fancy a coffee? A huddle around the coffee machine before starting work and asking about family, troubles and problems is crucial.”
Support the community
Foodservice businesses have the power to be a major force for good in the local and wider community. The judges of this category will be looking for examples of inclusive employment practices, support for local charities and organisations that go above and beyond financial donations as well as examples of real engagement with the community both on the doorstep and further afield.
2018 winner: The Breakfast Club
Eva Arnaiz, Head of People and Charities: “We created an online platform, Good Day Productions, and a series of events to encourage other restaurants to learn from our experiences and create ‘good days’ for local charities, their employees and their customers. Charities are given a platform to share their expertise, businesses in hospitality are given the tools and knowledge to network with like-minded individuals, and local communities can benefit from the businesses’ pledge to act upon what they’ve learnt.”
Feed people well
While eating out remains a treat for many, rising obesity rates and food related health problems, mean operators have a responsibility to feed people well. A winning entry for this award could include a smart initiative to get kids to eat more veg, calorie counting, or a radical review of the menu to provide customers with a range of delicious, nutritious choices.
2018 winner: Farmacy Kitchen
Heidi Nam Nudsen, Operations Manager, said: “Our mission at Farmacy is to help raise consciousness around food and promote a healthy lifestyle. We are supporters of using education and information to create conversations on wellness, conscious eating, responsible food growing practice and sustainability. We work hard to evolve and innovate constantly and keep moving to be better at what we do best; the Farmacy Kitchen Cookbook embodies this ethos!”
