Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 at
7:38 pm
This Thursday evening, UK Channel 4 viewers will see the world’s most famous fish and chip shop chain, Harry Ramsden’s, get the “Undercover Boss” treatment as new CEO, Marija Simovic changes her name and dons an elaborate disguise to discover what really happens at the sharp end.
As fish and chips reached an iconic 150th anniversary, the business was recently brought back into British hands with ambitious expansion plans for the UK and overseas. But first, there’s much to be done in this country to turn around Britain’s oldest restaurant chain, as Marija discovers when she takes on various trainee roles in the company’s outlets as new recruit “Millie Percy”.
39 year-old Marija is the only female CEO featured in the hit series and the business’ new owner has tasked her with restoring the much loved chain to its former glory.
“Harry’s is a British institution and I’m determined to put it back on the map”, said Marija. “It was nerve-wracking going undercover but the whole experience has really opened my eyes to exactly what needs to be done. As a result, we’re hard at work refreshing the menu and the stores, all centred around what our customers tell us keeps them coming back – the taste and quality of our fish and chips”.
“It’s not going to be easy. But what impressed me the most was our wonderful workforce, many of whom have been with Harry’s for decades”.
Viewers will see an emotional conclusion to the programme as Marija reveals her true identity to shocked staff and rewards the unsung heroes encountered on her journey.
Founded in 1928, there are currently 34 restaurants and takeaways within the Harry Ramsden business including the largest fish and chip shop in the world in Guiseley, Leeds. The new owner, a West Midlands-based food entrepreneur, has plans for 100 more stores in the UK as well as taking British fish and chips to India and China.
Saturday, May 15th, 2010 at
7:48 pm
The time is 7.30pm on a Wednesday, and the place is Shepherd’s Bush, west London. All along the Uxbridge Road, small, overlit counters-in-a-cupboard offer you takeaway evening meals. If you’re on the lookout for gristle on a stick, or deep-fried nearly-meat and soggy chips, it’s your lucky night. If not, keep walking west until you see the friendly red logo, the neon Portuguese rooster of Nando’s.
Inside, you’ll see that the restaurant is busy, but the waitress finds you a spot. Who else is eating? On a large table at the back is a sprawling collection of friends: some baseball-hatted teenagers, some mums and dads. Thirtysomethings Duran and Yvonne are among them. Duran likes Nando’s hot chicken because “it reminds me of Caribbean food”. Yvonne approves of the low prices, loves the corn on the cob and likes her chicken medium, not too spicy. “And you get your food quick!”
Nearby sits Sandro, 22, the cashier, who has just clocked off. He’s from Portugal, is studying in England and has been working here for a year and a half. Now he trains new staff. “The standards are very important – customer service, the cooking and serving. I like working with the customers, even when it’s very busy, like when there is football.”
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Monday, February 8th, 2010 at
11:23 pm
Have you tried a Ranch Snack Wrap or a Little Italian yet? Or a Little Chorizo Melt? Or an Oriental Snack Wrap? If you have, you are not alone. These exotic-sounding delights are all part of the “Little Tasters” menu, introduced by McDonald’s in Britain at the beginning of last year, in a carefully planned move.
The strategy addressed two key objectives — first, to tackle the impact of the recession on consumers by offering them a good-value item, between £1.49 and £1.59, which sat between the cheapest dishes on the McDonald’s menu and more expensive lines such as the Big Mac. The second part of the exercise was all about continuing to attract new and different customers to McDonald’s, particularly young mothers taking their kids to the restaurant, who might traditionally only have bought a tea or coffee because they were deterred by the idea of a larger portion.
In doing so McDonald’s was continuing a process, on which it embarked five years ago, to listen more to local consumers in Britain and act on what it heard. It is something McDonald’s has sought increasingly to do around the world. This month, the fast-food giant launched a “McItaly” burger, enthusiastically supported by Silvio Berlusconi’s government. Luca Zaia, the country’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, wrote to The Times last week after reports that the product had received a mixed reception there. Zaia pointed out that, on Wednesday alone, 100,000 of the burgers were sold. He added: “In Italy, we consider this a great success.”
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