Family meal, staff food or the staff tea is one of the most valued perks in hospitality, and its quality says a great deal about how a venue regards its people. A bowl of leftover rice eaten standing in a corridor sends one message; a planned, nutritious meal eaten sitting down together before service sends quite another. Meals provided free to all staff on the premises do not usually create a tax charge, which makes good staff food a cost-effective way to look after a team.
It also has practical benefits: people who have eaten properly make fewer mistakes, have more energy late in service and are less tempted to graze on the line. Staff meal is a classic training ground for junior chefs, who learn to cook for numbers, use up trim and surplus creatively and take feedback from a hungry, honest audience. Many teams say it is the moment that makes them feel like a family rather than a rota.
What we ask on the show
- What's the best staff meal you've ever been fed?
- Should staff meal be the junior chefs' job or everyone's?
- How do you keep family meal good when margins are tight?
- What does sitting down together before service do for a team?