Venue catering: meeting customer expectations in the post-Covid environment

The venue catering market was one of those sectors of hospitality which came to a standstill during Covid, then took some time to get back on its metaphorical feet in the pandemic’s aftermath. Now that lockdowns are thankfully just a bad memory, we caught up with three chefs working in the venue catering space to find out what changes Covid has wrought and how customer expectations are being met in the current operational environment of staff and skills shortages.

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Market full of confidence

Chef Peter Wright runs a venue catering business focusing on major sporting events, music festivals and the like, operating a continuous feeding model. “At the moment the market is full of confidence across the board,” he reports. “Venues are booked out, entertainment is going crazy and while there’s been talk about an economic recession, we’re not seeing it yet. I can only put it down to people must have been storing away for a special occasion, because they don’t seem to be shy of spending. And I think being closed down for so long, people are happy to take any excuse to get together. And while the pandemic had never happened before in living memory, perhaps they’re worried now it might happen again so are deciding not to put off any events but do them while they can.”

Peter acknowledges the market changed in the wake of Covid: “the service is completely different now, the sharing is limited. I’ve been to a few weddings in recent months and have seen small canapes which were very individualised on little serving spoons and smaller skewers, but the main courses were still shared. I think straight after the pandemic people were a little concerned but now we’ve gone through that bell curve where no one is as worried about contracting Covid through sharing food. I’ve just been to Thailand and Japan and the majority of people in both those countries are still wearing masks on public transport and in hotel lobbies and the like, out of politeness more than anything else as it’s not mandated. We’re the complete opposite here – I think you would have to force people before we put masks on again.”

The impact of current challenges is also being felt. “There is a skills shortage in kitchens and people are buying in components of their food preparation in because they take so long to make, and also looking at alternative supply chains. Before the pandemic I would buy a whole fillet, now you might have it already par cooked and just need to finish it. Things are getting easier because the government is addressing the whole supply chain, making it easier for overseas students to get temporary visas. So restaurants, function centres and catering venues are finding it easier to get unskilled staff, but chefs are still at a premium.

“Compounding this is that the industry is underpaid, so as prices are skyrocketing, staff are saying ‘we want a payrise and not just four per cent but ten or twenty, or I’ll go somewhere else to work’. So it’s a complicated situation. In good places where people are well managed there’s a high level of loyalty, but in poorly managed places which unfortunately still exist I think staff are fed up and will move on very quickly. That’s the state of play we’re in at the moment.”

People want an experience

As Culinary Director for Delaware North Australia and New Zealand, Markus Werner oversees the catering for venues including the MCG and Marvel Stadium, Middle Beach Casino in Darwin and Lizard Island resort in North Queensland, the Australian Open and numerous airport catering and mining sites. He says Covid has changed venue catering in Australia, inasmuch as “when people dine out now, they really want to have an experience. People want more than just a pie and a beer, corporate dining is booming and people really like to have great products, great offerings and really want to make something out of it and enjoy their time. Even in retail we’re seeing a much higher spend to more premium products, so people are really looking to have a great time.”

Buffets, off limits during the pandemic, have come back albeit with some changes: “We’re serving smaller portions and changing them much more regularly – and sharing is becoming more prominent, such as through share platters. It’s more about premium products than the massive big bulk – things are getting cut to order per person or being prepared on station, so more a ‘station buffet’ than the old style of 20 sharing dishes in a row with the food in there from the beginning of service to end. In a way I think the buffet has improved because you’re getting lots of small dishes prepared in front of you, so you couldn’t get any fresher, and also we’re seeing more local produce, because people are asking the chefs and front of house staff about provenance and quality of ingredients. So it’s smaller dishes and people are wanting to graze more regularly.

 “A year ago getting staff was a massive problem but now as the industry has recovered I think it has balanced itself out to what it was before Covid as more people have come back in. In fact I would say the quality of staff has improved and people have come back to the industry as it’s their life, their passion.

Markus adds there is a place for pre-prepared food on the venue catering menu, but emphasises “it needs to be good quality, and you still need to know where the product has come from. You don’t want to get tons of stuff from a country which no one can pronounce – you still want to know that the quality is there, that it has been produced sustainably and ethically with regard to the farmers or workers. So all these questions need to be asked.”

Sustainability and recycling playing a role

Markus says there has been a big rise in non-alcoholic beverages. “These days non-alcohol beer is a must in your venue, and there are almost as many non-alcohol cocktails as there are traditional, even ones with complex recipes where you’re putting a lot of work in and using different aromas, smoking or essences. Now there is a real art to do the best non-alcoholic cocktail. I think people are more and more wanting to have a good night out and a great experience but alcohol isn’t always necessarily part of it.” 

Sustainability and recycling are also playing a bigger role. “I think sustainability starts before the food even hits the venue. I always want to know that all our producers and farmers are doing the right thing with the produce they provide – I don’t want anything delivered in Styrofoam boxes, I want sustainability and recyclability in the packaging as it comes to our venues. We have massive recycling systems in place at Delaware North, and it will only become stronger and stronger. Since Covid things are moving really fast in that space and you need to make sure you’re with it, or you’re out.”

While acknowledging the venue catering market remains a profitable one, Markus says you need to stay on top of things, know how much you’re spending and make sure you’re keeping your customers happy. “When the customers are happy, they’re happy to pay,” he points out. “We all know everybody has to make a living, and if the customer knows they’re getting a beautiful piece of barramundi or a Gippsland dry aged steak, they’re willing to pay a fair price. We never have reactions of people saying ‘oh my God, this is far too expensive’. The days of 20 per cent profit are long gone and will never come back, but I think hospitality is still a place where you can make a buck.”

Staffing levels are improving

As Group Executive Chef for Trippas White Group, George Diamond oversees culinary operations at 120 venues across Australia. He says “A lot of staff decided during Covid to leave the industry or do something different, and as a result it’s been difficult to find good and skilled staff. During Covid we redesigned our menus to be a lot smaller to maintain quality while working with reduced staff. Staffing is now improving every month, with international workers now back in so we’re able to sponsor and recruit talent. Our retention within the group has been exceptional and our staffing is now quite strong and consistent. We do maintain a very strong training program within the group so we’re able to train staff to be where they need to be to ensure our standards are met.

“We are having to pay more money to get more staff and on 1st July the award rates will be increasing again. The minimum requirement for a staff member from overseas to be sponsored has increased from $53,000 to $70,000, so businesses now have to pay more for skilled workers. What we’re paying a head chef or sous chef or executive chef now is far more than it was 12 or 18 months ago, and this is putting a lot more pressure on the industry.

Covid has forced some adaptation

Produce costs have also increased significantly – “by around 30 per cent or so,” George says, “and we’re struggling with supply in certain areas among our distributors. We’re having to be a lot cleverer and more strategic with our buying power. We’re a group which has the ability to be able to negotiate with local producers and farmers, we work very closely with sustainable and artisan suppliers to ensure we can obtain the correct levels we need for the menu. But it’s quite challenging at the moment and that’s being felt across the industry.”

George echoes Markus’ comments regarding the rise in popularity of non-alcoholic beverages. “We’ve got a dedicated team of professionals that look after the beverage side of the business with whom I work very closely, and the consensus has been that much of our clientele, especially on the event side of the business, are looking for a lot more non-alcoholic options as well. We’ve been working tirelessly to ensure we have enough varieties and flavour profiles in that area.”

In the SkyFeast all you can eat restaurant at Sydney Tower, for which Trippas White is responsible for the catering, Covid forced some adaptations: “In February 2020 just before  Covid hit, we had decided to close the venue for eight months and refurbish. When we then re-opened, bringing people in limited amounts, we decided we would create a three tiered format which would be on display as a full buffet but would be plated by the chef in the kitchen and served by our front of house staff as in a normal a la carte restaurant. People could still have all they could eat while we were able to meet the Covid guidelines at the same time. Now those regulations have been relaxed, buffets are still very popular.”

Looking to the future of the industry, George says he’s incredibly optimistic – “it’s getting busier all the time, our customers want to go out. What we noticed also during the Covid period because of the limited numbers allowed per square metre, there were lots of cancellations on weddings, corporate dinners and events. We made sure that everyone who postponed their event with us, we made sure we did those events when we were able to do so. Customers love going out especially after having been confined in their homes during lockdown, and there’s a lot more people in the city again. I think it's fantastic – there are lines of people queueing again, and I think in the next 12 months it’s going to get even better.”