H&C News meets with suppliers regularly to keep up to date with the latest product and service innovations, aiming to get the inside track on what companies offer to the market and how it is delivered.
This week, we met with Nick Green, National Sales Manager at Villeroy & Boch Hotel & Restaurant to get an insight to what’s happening currently within this truly global brand. Villeroy & Boch has 260 years of success behind the brand employing circa 8,000 people in 125 countries world wide.
H&C News – The new Affinity range is a big new product launch for Villeroy & Boch, what is different about Affinity and what should hoteliers and restaurateurs sit up and take notice?
Nick Green – It’s the biggest series and launch in my 22 years with Villeroy & Boch! It’s a great product, designed in house using our knowledge and understanding of the needs of the Hospitality industry, it combines design with function and can be used for every type of cuisine, so it’s something for everyone.
At Villeroy & Boch we tend to be seen as high end fine dining, yes, our expertise is there but Affinity well and truly places us into all aspects of the industry: breakfast, business lunch, fast food, lounge, Cafe, banqueting and of course fine dining.
We are also perceived as expensive because of our reputation in fine dining but with Affinity people are going to be very surprised at the pricing, so we are asking hoteliers and restaurateurs not to overlook us before they talk to us and see the selection of pieces and the very competitive pricing.
Also as ever Affinity is the perfect “Partner in Presentation” and can help the hotelier and restaurateur “transform” their tabletop and enhance the dining experience for each and every customer which drives customer loyalty and return visits so improving turnover and profit.
H&C News – The new Villeroy & Boch Hotel and Restaurant website is quite different from most, what’s the thinking behind it?
Nick Green – We like to think of it as a “community” web site. It’s not all about Villeroy & Boch product, yes we want to tell everyone about Villeroy & Boch and our collections but we want to tell them our latest industry news, how to look after our products and we want to share recipes from chefs and help with tips on presentation.
The web site is easy to navigate and I am really please with the traffic its generating and the positive comments we have received.
H&C News – You are also re designing your email newsletter, is there a new approach to this also?
Nick Green – The email newsletter 1748 Club, Table Talk for Hospitality Professionals is such a simple idea, it keeps everyone up to date with what we are doing and of course shares a monthly recipe, we would love people to become proactive and start sending in their recipes to us to publish in the newsletter and add to the web site!
We also work with our industry partners to bring people news of what’s happening and of course we have our regular contribution from Jerome at Town & Country Fine Foods! We are also linking now with Hospitality & Catering News on Facebook to offer a couple of NewWave London Mugs for the best comments on the recipe section. It’s all about letting people know about us!
H&C News – The presentation of food is a vital component for all chefs and restaurateurs, are some ranges particularly suitable for certain styles of food?
Nick Green – All our ranges are fantastic for presentation! A lot is in personal opinion and personal style. But we always let customers “try before they buy” I firmly believe that you need to see the food on the plate before you buy.
My current favourites are Modern Grace and Sedona and of course Affinity!
More on Modern Grace here More on Sedona here
H&C News – Restaurants are under economic pressures at the moment and maybe can’t afford to change their tableware, how can you help?
Nick Green – In spite of the gradual economic recovery, margins are still at an all time low. Food costs are spiralling, and energy cost increases have not yet abated. With a few simple upgrades an executive chef or restaurateur can afford new tableware, it’s now: More affordable than ever to make an impact; and simple to wow your returning customers in the face of stiff competition.
All of this can be achieved by following through with ideas to “transform your tabletop” with a few, simple pieces you can enhance your signature dishes and create a new dining experience for each and every customer.
Let’s assume the restaurant has 40 seats and turns the tables one and a half times Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The goal is to give each customer sharing a table a different look for one course.
This fictitious restaurant will serve 60 meals nightly to 60 guests. A purchase of 20 plates of three different styles will give the operator the ability to mix the new with the old, so transforming the tabletop and guest experience. The current tableware is still used, and the operator simply adds to it with the new items. At an average cost of £10 per plate, this is a £600 purchase. With 60 meals a night, over the three nights, if the operator can increase the cost by 50 pence per menu item the new plates are paid for in just under 7 weeks. Most importantly, the operator has enhanced the guest experience driving customer loyalty and return visits.
H & C News comment
We would like to thank Nick for his time and insight of what is currently happening at Villeroy& Boch Hotel & Restaurant. We all face challenging times at the moment and the opportunity of ‘working with’ a team that understand how presentation helps Restaurateurs improve their business is a message we at H&C News are pleased to helpextend.
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