Care UK has today announced it has become the first care sector organisation in the world to join the global movement #FairKitchens, which is aiming to make the happiness of catering teams as important as diner satisfaction.
Co-founded by Unilever Food Solutions in 2018 to inspire a healthier and more inclusive culture in hospitality, #FairKitchens now has more than 20,000 community members learning from each other’s approaches and creating a more resilient and sustainable businesses in the process.
The long-term ambition is to make 'Fair Kitchens' a point of preference, recognised by potential team members as good places to work and potential diners as an assurance mark of a high quality dining experience.
Care UK's Hotel Services Manager Chef, James Clear (pictured) will lead the group's contribution to #FairKitchens by sharing lessons and success stories from his colleagues in the care sector as to how to build a respectful culture in which people are valued and treated fairly. Care UK will also join discussions on wider issues affecting the industry’s future; such as attracting talent.
Clear said, “I am very much looking forward to working with a movement which focuses on ‘people first’, which is something Care UK truly believes. When I joined Care UK I was inspired by Food & Services Director, Jon Bicknell’s vision of ‘Dining with Dignity’ which ensures the dining experience for our residents is the best it can be.
'I have learnt that to deliver this you need an engaged, motived team. I am looking forward to sharing how we do this with others across the globe so it can benefit their businesses too.”
#FairKitchens said it was looking to work with the care sector because of its unique working environment and the lessons it can offer operators in other areas of hospitality.
It highlighted the freedom that chefs in care often have over menus and the satisfaction that comes from creating person-centred service for individual residents as plus points. The sector was also praised for offering more sociable working hours and appealing to a diverse community of employees.
Alex Hall, Executive Chef at Unilever Food Solutions and #FairKitchens ambassador, added “I am very excited to have Care UK as a partner of the movement. There is a lot the catering industry can learn from the people centric way it runs its operation.
'I also think it is a brilliant opportunity to showcase the care sector as a place to work, especially in light of the pandemic. Sharing the stories and examples from Care UK could inspire others to consider it as an alternate career path.”
Those already involved in #FairKitchens in the UK include Hospitality Action, Hawksmoor, The Pilot Light Campaign, The Burnt Chef Project, Hospro, Craft Guild of Chefs, Healthy Hospo and So Let’s Talk. Started in the US, #FairKitchens has now launched in Europe, Africa, Australasia and the Middle East.