BII Annual Lunch Promotes Community, Sustainability & Social Responsibility
13-May-2008
Community, sustainability and social responsibility were top of the agenda at the BII Annual Lunch, which took place today at Grosvenor House on
He did acknowledge that these are challenging times for individual operators and members, and that BII itself has felt the pain. The charity has sufficient reserves to weather the storm but has had to restructure and focus expenditure on the key objectives of supporting members and developing and delivering qualifications.
John drew parallels with similar tough times in 1908 when the Liberal Government under Asquith was on a mission to destroy the pub trade. The effects of an unpopular Prime Minister and a driven Chancellor (Lloyd George), galvanised a mass of people into action to protest against undue interference in their social lives – and it worked!
He called on all members to continue their efforts in contacting their local MPs and Local Authority councillors to reinforce the message that the pub is the safest and most socially responsible place to enjoy alcohol. He went on to reaffirm the work that BII is doing to support its members and the industry as a whole, commenting: “All our members play a key role in their local communities. As a body of people, we represent the highest standards of social responsibility and each and every one of us directly contributes to the social fabric of our nation.
“Through its support for initiatives such as Best Bar None, the PASS proof of age standards scheme, Pub is the Hub and National Pubwatch, together with BII’s groundbreaking Schools Project, the extensive portfolio of BIIAB qualifications and the range of BII Support Services, we are building relationships and encouraging partnership working to the betterment of all. The one thing that unites us all is the great British pub!”
Keynote Speaker
The keynote speaker for the day was Kevin Woodford MBII, of GMTV and Ready Steady Cook fame, and his presentation was both humorous and thought-provoking. He began by sharing his view that the keys to longevity lie in adaptability and authenticity, stating that they are the foundations for success in most businesses.
Kevin warned the audience to make no mistake that we are in the throes of a culinary revolution; we have British cooks with International reputations, fantastic ingredients and well informed, discerning consumers who expect high standards of food preparation and service. He commented that the hospitality industry has as its purpose and goal; “To offer professional hospitality and service commensurate with customer needs and cost.”
In keeping with the themes of the day, Kevin went on to say: “My overall belief is that we should strive to ensure a number of interlocking elements – that are, in my opinion, central to ensuring a successful business – are developed and, more importantly, sustained.” These are the organic movement; local sourcing; authenticity; versatility, creativity and adaptability; and training and qualifications (such as the BIIAB Level 1 Essentials of Catering Award and Level 2 Award in Cooking Skills).
He concluded by saying that our industry is more ‘high touch’ than ‘high tech’; and encouraged: “We need to cook from the heart and use imagination based on knowledge and acquired skills.”
The BII Annual Lunch took place on 13th May 2008 and is the “must-attend” event in the diary of everyone in the licensed industry. Main sponsor of the Annual Lunch was Sky and a spokesperson from Sky said: “At Sky, we are proud to work with BII and share what we’ve learnt as the world's first CarbonNeutral® media company to inspire new possibilities to make a better future for everyone.” Additional sponsorship was provided by Fuller Smith & Turner plc, Heineken, Hildon Natural Mineral Water and Biddenden Vineyards.
Community, Sustainability and Social Responsibility
This year’s event provided BII and Sky with the opportunity to promote the work of other organisations, including Pub is the Hub, Best Bar None and The Carbon Trust, which are keen to highlight the issues of community, sustainability and social responsibility in the licensed industry. Guests not only enjoyed seasonal British produce but also British beer and a selection of British wines.
Recycling was also on the menu and BII made every effort to reduce the amount of paper used at the event with a number of initiatives including the use of an e-ticketing system for the first time and merging placecards with menus to create personalised programmes. The paper used for printed materials came from sustainable resources and all paper waste was recycled immediately after the event. Consideration was also even given to the table centre pieces which used potted rather than cut flowers for decoration.
A raffle raised money for The Licensed Trade Charity.
| michellel@bii.org | |
| Contact | Michelle Luscombe Corporate Communications Manager 01276 417863 |
