Blog 4 - least favourite thing
I couldn't share the best without sharing the worst, could I?
In my previous blog post I shared with you all my favourite things work related so figured I had to even the playing field by sharing my least favourite too...
I can say, hands down, despite the long hours, the stress, the financials, the admin, the constant need to do something, and the hard work of maintaining a life balance, my least favourite job to do is definitely the washing up! There is just so. much. stuff.
Not only that but to make sure we get that shine we so love to see on our products, we have to make sure each individual tray is washed and then buffed up just right. No washing to air dry here!
On another note ... have you ever worked for a family or friend and noted that awkwardness of being told what to do and when? Eek. Imagine every member of staff in your place of employment being someone you are either related to or someone you class as a friend, and having to do it on a daily basis. I've adopted the approach of "what happens at work stays at work" to make me feel a little less guilty about telling the girls what to do day in day out, or my dad. I'm not a stickler ... at least not anymore 👀 and like to think I'm quite a chilled-out boss these days, but I'm also well aware of the fact that the success of the business largely relies on us all doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done.
I trust my staff explicitly. I'm very lucky in that they give it 110% most of the time but deadlines have to be met, processes have to be followed, food and drinks have to be safely handled, admin has to be kept on top of, and the only way to make sure this is done right sometimes is to say "you need to do it this way please" ... and that's s all I will say on the matter because I don't like, just wanted to be transparent with you all, haha!
Allergy Management
This one scares me. It doesn't scare me in that I don't feel capable or knowledgeable, I absolutely do and we all absolutely are. We make sure we accurately label and make customers aware of any allergens present both in the shop for those who have airborne allergies and in each individual product. It doesn't ever take away that fear though.
According to AllergyUK, around 10 people die every year due to a food allergy, and though it is might seem a small number in proportion to the population, in most cases it's absolutely preventable and each one of those 10 people is a human who matters, with family and friends who love them, and we will do everything in our power to make sure we minimise the risk of harm in our business.
We make sure our eatery and the goods we sell are safe for consumption for the people buying them and this means a.) Being in the know about anything that could cause allergic reactions and b.) Making sure we share that information readily.
We are NOT an allergen free zone. We handle all different kinds of allergens in the eatery but are up front about this and the potential for airborne contamination. Whilst we endeavour to reduce the risk of cross contamination in actual products too, we do always make customers aware there is still a very, very minute chance of it happening.
What's your least favourite thing about your job?