National Trust Implements Saffron Spice to Enhance Catering Efficiency

October 2007

 

With its sights set on establishing a centralised management information system to enhance the quality of data within the catering operation, the National Trust decided to implement the online system, Saffron, at its public-facing restaurants.
 
The National Trust’s catering department, which is responsible for the running of around 150 restaurants at Trust-owned properties across the country, has a significant challenge in coordinating the supply and collation of information that can help improve margins. Not only are the restaurants widely spread geographically, but each site is encouraged to purchase locally-sourced produce and ingredients in keeping with the culture of the Trust. 
 
For the National Trust, significant improvements to its catering margins had already been made following the installation of Fretwell-Downing Hospitality’s (FDH) proVISION catering management software system at 50 outlets.
 
However the advent of Saffron Spice by FDH presented an opportunity for the National Trust to harness the internet as a means of further improving both the efficiency of reporting back from each restaurant site and the quality of data that could be analysed by head office; as well as enabling greater co-ordination of activities.
 
The National Trust has implemented Saffron Spice initially at the White Cliffs restaurant in Dover, with 20 other sites earmarked to have the system within the first year. Eventually the aim is for most of the major National Trust locations to have access to Saffron, particularly once broadband connections are available.
 
Hosted centrally by the National Trust, Saffron Spice is accessed through a password-controlled website by both head office and selected personnel at the restaurant sites.
 
In this way, catering managers can record information such as stock usage, purchase invoices and sales data simply by logging onto the internet and uploading the data, which is then routed directly back to head office.
 
Access to the system by area managers also means they have greater visibility to provide analyses and guidance on food stock issues without having to physically visit the site. The Trust can also more easily check that recipes are costed accurately to deliver the desired margins, and compliance with buying policies.
 
Trish Dennehey, head of catering for the National Trust explains: “We are implementing Saffron Spice to reduce the duplication of work, where information has been recorded locally and then re-input centrally, and increase the immediacy of reporting.
 
“By operating from a simplified, single database we will improve the detail and visibility on crucial information such as stock usage and sales data, from which we can generate more meaningful reports and analysis.
 
Crucially for the National Trust, the move to a centralised structure needed to avoid imposing a rigid process that would run counter to the local sourcing of food products and individual pricing structure. Saffron Spice is designed to enable this flexibility, while also arming area managers/central catering team with information that will aid negotiations with suppliers. 
 
Trish adds: “Our offer is complicated by the individual nature of each outlets, but we are hoping that Saffron Spice will introduce the degree of flexibility that we need, while at the same time improving the knowledge of the cost and pricing relationship at catering manager level, sharing best practice. For instance, if a certain dish is achieving a higher margin in one restaurant compared with others, we will be able to spot more easily any such opportunities.
 
“We will also be able to check more readily that our food-sourcing policy and buying guidelines are being followed.”
 
Lee Gibbs, operations manager for FHD commented: “With Saffron Spice in place, management information can be produced across the whole country from any PC on the National Trust’s network. This enables regional managers to see how their area is performing on a daily basis. Information regarding best selling items can then be analysed and used to improve the bottom line results. Everyone involved with the project is 100% behind it and is working hard to ensure that the maximum benefits of Saffron Spice are being obtained.”
 
From an IT perspective, the move also makes sense. As Rachel Everton-Grimes, Business Analyst for the National Trust explains: “Saffron Spice will move the Trust away from each restaurant site operating on a stand-alone system and towards a structure that will be easier to control and support. Utilising the web also means there are ongoing maintenance benefits – for instance, if there is a problem with a PC, catering managers can still access and record information from another computer.”
 
Charles Mobbs, managing director of FDH, commented “The Trust has been a long standing user of FDH systems and services, and we are delighted that our next generation system, Saffron, directly meets the operational needs of the caterers as well as reflecting the shift to centrally managed, web deployed systems. The latter is part of the National Trust’s strategy, as well as many other multi-site catering operators.”

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