That’s great, but what about the standard of wait staff already working in the industry? How fit are they to serve Kiwis and tourists now and leading up to the RWC? And how do they compare with their counterparts in other countries?
A doyen of the hospitality training industry, Johann Wohlmuther believes the performance, image and status of waiters in NZ need to improve.
As head of Manukau Institute of Technology’s Hospitality and Culinary School, he says that food standards have improved in recent years, but the standard of service hasn’t kept pace.
“We’ve seen chefs gain in status, but wait staff has been left behind. Good waiters do more than just serve food. They become part of the dining experience. They’re performers and storytellers as well as sales people. But the recent explosion of casual dining has allowed serving standards to slip.”
Wohlmuther says because New Zealand doesn’t have a strong culture of complaining, standards have stayed low and that’s enabled operators to charge top dollar for food without focusing on front-of-house expertise.
“Chefs need to get out of the kitchen and see what happens in the restaurant. Diners don’t just come for the food; it’s the whole package – atmosphere, service, décor, music, and sometimes simply being seen.”
Fashion often drives dining experiences. Wohlmuther cites large plates and food stacking as recent examples: “Place four large plates on a table and often there’s no room for glasses. And food can be stacked so high on the plate it may not make it to the table intact.
“Wait staff need to promote wine more effectively too but this will happen only if they know what they are selling and can confidently suggest food and wine matches.”
Consistency is another challenge. There are only a few Auckland restaurants Wohlmuther returns to regularly because he knows he’ll receive a sophisticated experience every time. “Consistency requires a commitment to quality control and when that’s in place, the benefits will follow.”
Similar to America’s Cup events in Auckland, hosting the Rugby World Cup gives the industry a great opportunity raise standards. Wohlmuther travels regularly overseas and knows where the NZ industry is placed to cope with the high visitor numbers predicted: “We have a lot of work to do. We need to exceed expectations, not simply meet them.”
Operators should now be formulating plans to make their businesses stand out from the crowd. Wohlmuther compares seizing opportunities to the ‘Row of Ducks’ side-show game seen at fair grounds. The ducks move quickly across the back of the tent and the punters have only a few seconds to shoot them.
Kiwi attitudes to coffee give the culinary expert hope that diners will become more comfortable with showing higher expectations. “We love good coffee. Baristas are respected; customers are informed and have high standards. We need to go further and have the same high expectations for food.”
