Chips down as chef raises the steaks in PAYD debate
AFTER considering Pay As You Dine (PAYD) in detail I find it difficult to see how the changes it brings benefit our Armed Forces in any way.
As a military chef with more than 16 years of service I have seen many changes within my trade. This evolutionary journey has taken me from working with the old fashioned “slop jockey” through redundancy in the early 1990s, to cooking fine dining food for dignitaries. Now I find myself having come full circle.
I have worked in two PAYD sites and the only constant has been the objective of making money. The thinking behind the business seems to be to serve basic nutritional food using the cheapest ingredients so that the customer plumps for something “tastier” from the retail offers, which is where the contractor profits.
The retail options are inevitably fast food-style fried dishes which, although sometimes served with a type of salad, are largely unhealthy.
This trend is reason for concern, not only in respect of customers’ long term health, but also with regard to a skills fade in military chefs.
Privates and lance corporals are beginning to miss out on a lot of training opportunities to enhance their culinary skills because of the budgetary restrictions placed upon them.
It is becoming more and more apparent that the junior chefs are showing a lack of artistic flair within operational kitchens because they constantly have to follow PAYD recipe cards within their units.
The effect of this is combated by the continued presence of “the old school”, who prop up the team. Eventually these experienced chefs will progress through the ranks, moving away from the stoves. What will we do then? Just contract out all our catering and use the already overstretched Central Volunteer Headquarters’ chefs to fill in operational gaps? – Name and address supplied.
Maj Gerry Young, Food Services, HQ Land Forces, responds: The role of the RLC chef has clearly changed over the past few years with the onset of Catering Retail and Leisure, of which PAYD is a key component. The key role in barracks remains the same; to ensure consumers are given appetising meals which are good value for money.
The concerns noted are addressed by current policy and it is the responsibility of the more senior caterers and the commercial partners to ensure these requirements are adhered to:
l Unhealthy food – the core meal should be available throughout core hours and is to offer a nutritionally-balanced, healthy selection.
l Skills fade – the core meal is to contain dishes which will ensure catering skills of RLC chefs are maintained.
l Cheap ingredients – core meals are prepared within a limited budget; it is up to the chefs to use their skills to ensure they are presented in an appetising manner. Ingredients supplied by the contractor should adhere to MoD Food Standard Inputs.
l Artistic flair – all chefs should be given the opportunity during exercises, training and functions to enhance their skills and show panache. For day-to-day requirements, whether at a PAYD site or on ops/exercise, it is essential that recipes are followed in order that a nutritionally-balanced meal is delivered within budget.
l Stepping away from the stoves – the key role of chef supervisors (Cpls/Sgts) is to ensure they and their team deliver quality meals. It is not until they attain management status (SSgt/WO) that they should move away from the stoves to manage the catering output.
PAYD is here to stay but the provision of proper meals utilising proper cooking techniques is still a key requirement. It is up to the catering managers and the more senior catering staff to ensure that this is being delivered along with the maintenance of core skills.
Recognise skills, not seniority
Infantry advantage: A private soldier from RGBW (now Rifles) prepares to brief his section ahead of a patrol on Exercise Red Stripe in Jamaica. Such early exposure to leadership is commonplace for those in the Teeth Arms
Picture: Steve Dock
IAM writing to voice a gripe on the subject of the qualifying criteria for the City & Guilds senior awards in leadership and management.
These vocational qualifications are widely recognised and are a very useful addition to an individual’s CV.
However, I’d like to know who decided on their qualifying criteria, which are based purely on rank and don’t seem to take into account experience or skills.
To qualify for the “licentiateship” the eligibility for Other Ranks is substantive sergeant; for “graduateship” it is staff sergeant with two years in substantive rank; and for “membership” it is warrant officer class one with two years in substantive rank.
I don’t believe that this is a fair system as little weight is placed on actual experience. For example, an Infantry corporal is likely to be comfortable managing a platoon-sized group, whereas a staff sergeant in the AGC may never have managed a group more than four or five in number.
Wouldn’t it be fairer to have a qualifying criteria based on actual management experience? An additional written examination could be used to determine the requisite level of academic proficiency. – Name and address supplied.
Maj Paul Hair, SO2 Accreditation DETS(A), responds: Thank you for highlighting the value of these awards. Last year more than 1,000 Army personnel benefited from the very preferable arrangements which help recognise the abilities of our people.
City & Guilds is the awarding body and defined the qualifying criteria following consultation on the typical education, training and experience of Forces personnel across the three Services.
Your assertion that the awards are based upon rank, not skills or experience, is not entirely correct. The awards are based upon management and leadership experience, level of responsibility, years of seniority and not on numbers of people under command.
In the British Army, experience, skills, responsibility and quality are recognised by progression through the rank structure. Conducting an individual assessment and examination of each applicant’s management experiences may be fairer but it is not practical.
However, all applicants do have to provide a two-page CV to support their application. Management accreditation is also available on completion of the Army’s Command Leadership and Management course and bespoke awards are available from a number of other providers.
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