"I am a Detective, a Mr Fixit and a Mr Sort it, it's all about food ..."

The word forensics may sound odd when it is referred to with regards to Catering and Food.

In simple terms, 20 #percent of my working week can be about delving into the depths of detailed detective work within a food or catering business. You could say I am maybe an Analyst or Doctor but it is my mission to discover, unearth, understand and read the many telltale symptoms (together with the issues and problems) to form and build the relevant evidence and get to a conclusive opinion.

In layman's terms this is where I am called in to review a complete catering establishment from top to bottom, then form a 360 degree understanding and report back, normally to CEO, MD, Chief Exec, Shareholders or Owners etc. It's like the John Harvey-Jones TV series if you recall or my old Boss Gerry Robinson's television show "I'll Show Them Who's Boss" on failing businesses.

These businesses can involve anything from catering in a Theatre, Museum, Stately Home, Hotel, Restaurant, Food Manufacturer, Foodservice, Fast food, Health Club or Leisure attractions etc.

This can be tough, pressurised work to collate and understand what is wrong and how to fix it (no pressure JBS). You can on occasion be unpopular, but it normally starts from the perception piece of the business prior to arrival and your initial request for umpteen pieces of required information. This can extend through to the P+L, Forecasting, Security, Profit, People, Product, Marketing, Sales, Profile, Competitor Analysis, Ethos, Health Safety Hygiene, Building, Fabrics, I could go on ... it's about hundreds of details.

There have been a few testing ones, many memorable ones, and overseas can be a challenge due to the language issues (a handful over the last fifteen years) and also cultural differences. These I love, and I am very lucky to meet some great people.

My industry reputation of dealing with the nuts and bolts of issues and dilemmas can be very hard-hitting without a lot of the razzamatazz and pretty pictures, which consultants unfortunately can be well known for. I am probably one of the few consultancies that was drawn into this field of work from sheer demand from clients because of my own achievements within the industry, so it was very much an organic transition rather than a planned one.

I suppose forty+ years of varied and vast experience in the 'knowledge bank' of the food industry in a huge variety of businesses from Hospitals to Trains, Stadia, Schools, Food Manufacturers, New Product Development and working in Three, Two and One star Michelin or no stars, Cafés, Hotels etc., all assists in hopefully bringing clarity, focus and opportunity to clients, and then hopefully seeing them listen, drive forward and prosper.

Enough for now

John Benson-Smith www.thefoodconsultancy.com