Savoy

Savoy Lecture: Our country needs us to be strong

What a great evening at The Savoy Hotel last night. As expected the service was impeccable, the food delicious (Oreo Cheesecake, who knew?) and the conversation very stimulating. After checking in coats and checking out some familiar names, we were ushered into the imposing ballroom. Recently refurbished, it was set out theatre-style with regimented rows of chairs facing one solitary lectern that loomed over them from the stage above, rather like a general facing his troops.

Naturally the BaxterStorey clan congregated and welcomed one another in from the bitter cold. As we chatted we caught ourselves stealing a glance now and then across the room towards our Chairman who was sat quietly near the front collecting his thoughts. With the atmosphere building, there was definitely a swelling sense of pride in our group, but this was tempered with nervousness as we willed our man at the helm to go out there and show these people just why he commands such loyalty and respect from the 10,000 strong team in his organisation. 


As the people-watching continued, we took our seats…. “That’s Alastair’s Sales Director talking to him just now..” said one prominent CEO nearby in a whisper to his wide-eyed young companion. I won’t repeat what he said to her next, but let’s just call it professional envy. Let’s face it, if we’re not irritating our competitors in the sales arena, then we’re doing it wrong.
The Lectern looms large as Alastair takes a call before the Arena Savoy Lecture. 

Up first was Jan Matthews, Chairman of Arena, who called the distinguished gathering to order and made the brief introduction of our speaker for the evening. Etiquette over necessity I imagine, but it helps to set the tone. Finally, as his name was called out, Alastair rose to his feet to thunderous applause and gingerly climbed the few steps onto the stage. His big moment was upon him and in that rich Aberdonian accent which we have come to appreciate, he opened with his trademark quip “I love this business”. And boy does he mean it when he says that phrase.

Now you might recall in my previous piece that I was looking forward to seeing 'how' he delivered almost as much as 'what' he delivered and I found his presentation to be a masterclass in remaining calm and assured despite the overwhelming nature of the occasion. Yes he did appear slightly flushed which I put down to the humility in his character (personally, I’d be beetroot red by now), but his composure quickly took shape and within a couple of minutes we found ourselves being invited into and challenged by his vision for the future of our industry. 

It’s easy to dwell on the meteoric rise and astronomical success of WSH Ltd’s track record over the last ten years, but instead he focused on a couple of proposals, or challenges perhaps, that he put to his audience of “friends, colleagues and competitors”. Each was a rallying call, not only to this esteemed audience, but to the wider industry as a whole:

  • He urged us to support our farmers and artisans through ethical procurement and a sustainable supply chain, even if it means paying more. And yes, he referred to the culprits of the recent horsemeat scandal as ‘fraudsters’. 
  • Given the mammoth contribution, totalling 8.5% of annual GDP, of our industry as a whole (from airlines to public sector to contract catering) we should command much more bargaining power in the political arena. Supporting the BHA will help achieve this rather than reinventing the wheel. 
  • He laid bare his "burning desire" to make Front of House service a more attractive proposition to our young talent - in the same way Chefs have done with cooking.
Janie Stamford at the Caterer and Hotelkeeper has picked up these points in more detail here.


In conclusion to a very thought-provoking and inspirational message, he left us with these impassioned words:
“Our country NEEDS us to be strong. 
NEEDS us to be ambitious. 
NEEDS us to be good employers. 
To be great trainers. 
To search for excellence. 
To care about our farmers and our producers. 
If we can rally around this concept, we can work together to articulate the many concepts that will make it a reality. 
As business leaders, you know that the initiative can only come from us.”
Long after the applause had died down, the discussion continued in the bar and over a sumptuous dinner afterwards. At one point I found myself reflecting on those words and I couldn’t help but notice the flawless service of our meal in that great room at The Savoy. The professionalism of the young staff serving at our table simply exemplified the very thing that Alastair was trying to articulate in his lecture. I believe his vision for the future of service was present in that room last night. And it will be tonight. And tomorrow night, whomever the guests might be. Getting school children, young people and Ministers to understand that is where the real work lays ahead. And that’s a journey full of opportunity. 

Congratulations Alastair on a truly inspiring lecture, thank you Arena for a memorable event, and thank you to The Savoy Hotel for reminding us of why we got into Hospitality in the first place. I’m sure my colleagues who attended last night will agree..we really do love this business.


For a fantastic Twitter timeline of events as they unfolded, you can read this Storify article put together by @DigitalBlonde:

Dinner and a Storey at The Savoy...


A quick post on my way into London for this year’s Savoy Lecture and dinner hosted by Arena, the professional network as I am gently getting more excited about what’s to come. Not so much for the food (which will be epic, as ever), or the stellar company (again, a veritable Who’s Who of the catering industry judging by the guest list here in my hand), but for the main event. I’m really excited by the prospect of listening to the keynote speech being delivered by Alastair Storey who happens to be Chairman of the company I work for.

No doubt, he will have some forthright views and interesting perspectives, but I will also be watching intently to see how he delivers that speech. Will it be a relaxed performance? Has he rehearsed and will it show? Will it be tailored to this audience? How will people react to his message? Will he have a call for action from such a platform? I guess what I am hoping to see is Alastair Storey demonstrating in stark fashion what it is that has made him one of our industry’s biggest stalwarts. To have reached the very pinnacle of the sector as he has, takes a unique star quality and that is something what is worth being present for.

Check in later to find out how the evening went, what the most powerful man in Hospitality had to say and what this might mean for the future of our industry. 

 Meanwhile, dinner at The Savoy awaits….

Long Time No See

During a very difficult service on a cold January evening years ago, we found ourselves very short of dining tables in the warmth and cosiness of our Dining Room. The next morning I set about rearranging the tables to create more space. Through trial and error, we managed to accommodate 72 covers where only 56 could sit previously. As I stood back to admire the row of romantic looking tables-for-two along the window (overlooking the waterfall), I recounted to the waiters a situation I was reminded of during a Lunch at The Savoy Hotel’s iconic River Room...

.... On arrival, my host shook hands with the Manager on reception and passed him a rather substantial tip while politely requesting a table by one of the main windows. Gracefully accepting the generous incentive, the Manager glanced at his diary and loudly announced as if to an old friend “Aahh Mr. Cooper; long time no see.” This was quite amusing as he had never been before.  Swiftly we were lead into the famous dining room where the ritual was repeated with our Head Waiter. Graciously he promptly offered a chair at one of the highly-coveted window tables and proclaimed; “Mr. Cooper... your usual table!”
Later that evening as I stood surveying our readiness for service, I watched two very tall Australian tourists who had obviously wandered in for the first time out of curiosity and couldn’t decide whether to stay or move on. Immediately they were greeted enthusiastically by one of my smallest waiters; “Namaste Gentlemen... Long time no see!”
Humoured by his remark they browsed the menu and ventured in further to have a look around. With seating for 300 covers available, the wily waiter urged them to just enjoy a beer at any table of their choosing... in the garden... in the bar... in the dining room.... or perhaps on the terrace. Eventually they relented and chose - quite randomly - a table outside on the terrace.
“Aahh,” he said pulling out a chair for them, “your usual table.”
(And over the next three nights of their vacation, it was.)