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by Viki Kappel Spain
Nothing makes a camp operate more smoothly than having a well-trained
kitchen staff that understands the importance of high-quality food and
works together happily and confidently. Kitchen staff may come and go,
but one way to ensure a successful commercial kitchen operation each year
is to conduct in-house training for new, returning, summer-only, and year-round
cooks. Training provides an opportunity to cover new health department
laws and regulations, to introduce procedures and policies, and to show
off new equipment.
As a result of the training, the quality of your
food should improve, the methods of preparation and presentations should
be more consistent, and you may save money because less food will be burned
or wasted. Your staff will also manage their time better.
Training also makes your staff feel valued because you are investing
in them. It gives them an opportunity to learn new ideas, develop better
skills, increase their efficiency, develop a concept of budget and cost
awareness, and gives them confidence to do a better job and to care about
the job they are doing. They will feel enthusiastic, positive, and energetic
about cooking.
Develop a Training Manual
Kitchen staff training can encompass many general areas, and camps can
set up camp-specific training programs applicable to the needs of the
facility. Each camp director and/or food service director needs to establish
and maintain a camp-specific training manual. In addition to covering
policies and procedures about food handling and safety issues, the manual
should include general staff training work requirements, such as arrive
at work on time, follow staff and facility rules and policies, be serious
but enjoy the work, and have a team spirit.
Kitchen-specific training discussions can include:
- the importance of organization and efficiency in the kitchen, as well
as speed, timeliness, and deadline perceptions, and observation skills.
- the importance of teamwork, stressing that no one always gets the
"good" jobs and no one always gets the "bad" jobs.
- kitchen safety and cleanliness, including emphasizing no sitting.
Other Training Resources
Training videos
Training videos are available to assist new directors in establishing
quality, consistent training and to help train new staff hired after orientation.
Videos can be made on site or purchased. For example, dough-handling training
videos can be purchased from the Rich’s Company through their broker.
To find a broker in your area, call 800-45-RICHS.
Training guidebooks
To work hand-in-hand with a site training manual, camp directors and/or
food service directors need to find as many sourcebooks for the camp kitchen
as possible. The ACA Bookstore carries several kitchen guidebooks. In
addition, look for cookbooks with recipes for feeding large groups and
other related resources at your local bookstore or at the online bookstores.
Finding Instructors
For part of an on-site kitchen staff training program, a seasoned cook
can be asked to lecture, do hands-on demonstrations, and instruct staff
in the ways of food ordering, menu design, and figuring how much food
to prepare. An experienced cook or food service director from another
facility can sometimes offer helpful hints, new ideas, and good cooking
instruction that can bring new flavor to a tired menu. Another suggestion
is to get a local caterer to teach or demonstrate new ideas.
Many food service companies have professional staff (i.e., registered
dietitians, experienced meat cutters, produce specialists, etc.) available
for training at no cost to the camp or conference center. Most food service
company professionals can bring samples and materials to give to staff
during the training, as well as food for a meal during the training day.
Local colleges and universities also have nutrition and dietitian staff
who might be willing to lecture staff during a kitchen staff training
program. The dietitian may even agree to review and approve the camp’s
menu for ACA-accreditation purposes.
Discuss health department issues
An essential part of the kitchen staff training program is covering health
department and sanitation issues. To make sure staff are aware of the
latest information and laws, ask a health department representative to
be a guest speaker at your training session. Nothing is better than getting
health department issues straight from an inspector. This effort also
lets the health department and inspectors know that the camp is concerned
with health
and sanitation issues and helps all parties become familiar with one another.
Demonstrate Kitchen Equipment
Another area of interest in a kitchen staff in-service training program
is kitchen equipment. All staff members need to be guided and instructed
in equipment handling safety and emergency situations and procedures.
Staff need to know where the fire extinguisher is, where the main gas
or electrical shut-off valve is located, as well as the medical emergency
protocol. Just as food brokers represent many different food companies,
equipment brokers also represent new products and may be interested in
coming to your camp to demonstrate their new products and offer training.
Share Information
A great way to turn an on-site kitchen staff training into a fun event
is to invite staff members from other camps to your facility. You could
also arrange to have a group training at another location, with all the
above professionals scheduled for an all-day training program.
Another avenue of shared training is to contact your local ACA section
and coordinate a section training event for all camps in the area. Set
up a planning committee to establish a site, set a date, and schedule
as many professional trainers for the event as possible.
Camp cooking information is valuable and should be shared and taught
to as many new and returning cooks as possible so all camps can reap the
benefits of training. On-site training can instill enthusiasm, boost morale,
improve budgets, and generate good food in every camp kitchen.
Originally published in the 2000 January/February
issue of Camping Magazine. |
