Background
This is clearly the topic at the top of mind for many of us in the industry, judging by the reaction to my post on my experiences.
With that in mind, and in answer to a number of questions I’ve been asked, here’s a guide I’ve developed, based on my experiences, and conversations I’ve had with others.
I’m not claiming that this is the definitive guide. Nothing can be in such a rapidly changing situation. However, it is a good start point for anyone wanting to re-open. I spent the weekend wondering if I should say more on this subject. The uproar and negative publicity about Bicester Village yesterday is what finally decided me to write something to try to help the hospitality industry get it right.
There are two areas to consider; operations and people
Operations
Planning: You will need time to review and make changes in advance of re-opening. Make sure the fundamentals are covered in your plan. Once you have made a plan, go for it. Keep an open and flexible mindset. This is not a time to be precious. Many things will need to change and you will learn as you go. Prioritise action over extended debate, review learnings regularly, and adapt where needed.
Timing: You will need time to implement changes before you open. There will be extra signage and maybe physical changes such as new screens. You may need to order new equipment such as extra hand wash stations, which may have a lead time of a few weeks.
Open only when you and your team are ready, and remember to inform the EHO of your plans for opening.
It’s already clear that how businesses are handing re-opening is a subject of great public and media interest, and reputations are being enhanced or damaged on a daily basis. Make sure yours is enhanced.
Risk assessment: This should be done for every area of the business and for all tasks. Work out a simple system for risk assessing tasks, such as:
- Green – someone working on their own at social distance.
- Amber – people working together in a way that can be adapted to meet social distancing guidelines.
- Red – people working together in a way that can’t be adapted to meet social distancing guidelines.
Work out how processes will be adapted where they can, and work out what to do (extra PPE etc) for any processes that can’t be adapted.
Explain the what and why of all new processes to everyone on the team. Understanding and buy-in is crucial.
Document each change and outcome: This is a record of what you done and how you have done it, so best practices and learnings are shared.
Remember to update your HACCP plan with any relevant changes.
Review the impact of every change: If you can now only have three chefs instead of five in the kitchen, can you change the shift pattern? Could you change the shift pattern so more of the prep and none service activity happens at times when the kitchen would traditionally have been closed?
Review all the plans with everybody on the team: Involve them in the risk assessment and problem solving, and evolve plans as needed. The teams who do the jobs will have ideas on how to solve problems, but they will need structure and channels to provide feedback.
This is where a phased return to operation helps, so systems can be checked and adapted, before a full roll out, and new habits can form as the team returns.
Additional PPE: Assess if you need additional PPE, and make sure you have the correct level of supply for ongoing operations. Communicate in advance your policy and your expectations around additional PPE.
I was not expecting any additional PPE when I got back to work, and so I decided to take my own mask. In the end, I didn’t feel I needed any PPE on my first day back, and none of us used any, but it was good to have the option. Had there been more than three people in a large kitchen, or had there been more need to work in areas where social distancing was not easy, my choice might have been different.
Cleaning and sanitising: Check and amend procedures in-line with government guidelines. Check all touch points and try to remove as many as you can. Examples: Menus – could you display these on a board, or could they be published on line so people can read them on their phones, etc?
Extra hand hygiene, hand washing, and sanitisers are almost standard by now. Encourage the use of single use gloves.
Remember to update your COSHH assessment if relevant.
Key areas of the building: Think about pinch points like toilets, lifts, corridors, store cupboards, and fridge door handles. How are you going to manage them safely?
Think about reception or front of house. What kind of first impression do you want to make about your Covid 19 response? Hand hygiene, and clear signage as a bare minimum here.
Suppliers: Check in with your suppliers and give them as much notice as you can of your intentions, to ensure they know when you’re opening and what help you might need from them. Some might still have staff on furlough so you might not have your regular support team.
Customers: Communicate operational changes with plenty of signage, and have staff guide, support, and police how it works. We’ve seen supermarkets do this well with floor marking and flow arrows around the store, so steal with pride! We don’t need to reinvent something that works.
Website: Establish a page on your website explaining the changes you’ve made to operations as a part of your Covid response, and what visitors or customers should expect. Consider also issuing guidleines to customers via email when you acknowledge bookings.
Promotional and marketing material: Make sure this is all updated to reflect Covid-19; messages, images, etc. This all helps to support the feeling that you are on top of the challenge.
Different business options: What opportunities does this crisis present? What changes might help to make the business sustainable now? With less covers inside, what can you do to keep the kitchen busy? Outdoor dining areas, take away services, hamper services, meal kits, or even drive-in dining?
Remember to inform the EHO of any plans to change your operations, such as now doing take-away food, etc.
If your business was able to keep trading by offering new services such as take away, why not continue to offer those services when the establishment is back up and running?
People
Keep it personal: Everyone has had a different experience of this pandemic. Some are keen to return to work. Others might have families to shield, children to teach, or other personal challenges. Review return-to-work plans with each member of the team, and discuss with each person how it is for them before making decisions about start dates.
Communication is everything: Get everyone involved in problem solving, and make sure everyone buys in to what “good” looks like; what, why, and how. The what and why needs to be across the whole business. The how can then be left to individual departments, who are based placed to know how to amend their operations to meet the goals.
The number one objective is to keep everyone safe; staff, customers, and anybody else dealing with the business.
Remote training: Use Zoom or other video tools to get everyone up to speed with all aspects of the new operation before they arrive, so they know what to expect.
Return to work procedures: Top and tail the employee’s first day with a member of the management team. How are they feeling as they arrive? Are they anxious? At the end of the day, what was their experience? Was it better or worse than expected, or was it the same? What can we all learn from their first day?
Loop back with each individual as we settle back in to operations. In the early phase, it’s likely there will be little changes each day. Keep the conversations flowing.
Remember to update your return to work process with any additional checks as a result of Covid-19.
Travel: How do people get to work? If they have to use public transport, how do they feel about it, and how do you feel about it? Do you have guidelines to help them travel safely? Could you provide PPE for travel? Have you looked at promoting the government bike scheme?
Stagger shift patterns and start times: This will enable safe arrival and control the number of people in changing rooms according to space available.
Think about setup: This is when you might move around most, collecting items for your morning’s work, so time to be super organised about your mise en place. Try to complete most of your movement during setup so you have less impact on others. Staggering start times might help with this.
Think about tasks: Be aware that restrictions on movement and space in the kitchen mean that some tasks will take longer than usual. Allow more time or rethink your task. In addition, there will need to be a degree of choreography between team members as they move around some of the shared resources in the kitchen.
Staff breaks: These will be more important than before, as working in a more choreographed way is more tiring, especially returning from lockdown. Schedule break times to accommodate this, and to prevent pressure on break areas.
Health checks: Many businesses have started checking temperatures at the start of shift as people enter the building.
In addition to your current illness reporting policy, think about the extra protocols which might be needed for Covid-19
Conclusion
There is no doubt that re-opening a commercial kitchen comes with its own challenges. However, I believe businesses that do this well and survive the commercial pressures of the coming months will be stronger. I also believe that how organisations treat their staff will be a key part of how they are seen in the months and years to come.
This will be a time for organisations to shine.
~ Louise
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