Chapter 2 Staff Attributes, skills and knowledge

The Effects Of COVID-19 To the Industry
One of the major challenges almost all businesses are facing has been from the effects of COVID-19. We’ve seen how some businesses flourished overnight, while others struggled to adapt. Managing supply chain disruption is not new to manufacturers and industrial companies. Still, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic made it more paramount for processes and operations to change — and some matters that finally needed to be taken off the backburner.

In the past few months, countless pictures of empty grocery store shelves were shared verifying that grocery store supply chains were not prepared for the spike in demand. It’s important for manufacturers to understand the consumer’s mindset and apply innovations to minimize further disruption in the supply chain.

Today’s consumers are looking for more than just top quality products — they want quality consumer interactions, increased transparency, and reliable ecommerce platforms. Diving deeper, how accurate is your product availability online versus in your distribution centers? Have you communicated when there was a shift in your production focus that affected customers’ products? Are you only communicating with your customers through one channel or are you using a mix of platforms and content to reach them?

With ecommerce shoppers and buyers in mind, food and beverage manufacturers have an upward trajectory. People are looking to companies for signs of strength. Are you one of them? In May, Thomas added more than 800 new companies to our existing 500,000+ North American supplier listings — and they’re reaping the benefits with an increase in brand presence online that helps them to connect with more buyers. Complete your listing here.

Blog.thomasnet.com. 2020. Challenges And Opportunities In The Food & Beverage Industry. [online] Available at: [Accessed 20 August 2020].
2.1 Success in food and beverage service
Today more people than ever are eating outside the home and to meet this demand there is increasing diversity in the nature and type of food and beverages on offer. Because of the expansion of the industry and increasing requirements for improved professionalism in food and beverage service staff, there is even greater need for people to make their careers in this noble profession. In addition, there is a need for improved confidence and performance of staff, through higher standards of knowledge and skills.
Food and beverage service is the essential link between customers and the menu, beverages and other services on offer in an establishment. The server is the main point of contact between the customers and the establishment and plays an important role in a profession with increasing national and international status. The skills and knowledge of food and beverage service, and therefore careers, are transferable between establishments, sectors and throughout the world.
To be successful in food and beverage service requires members of staff to have:

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  sound product knowledge
  
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  well-developed interpersonal skills
  
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  a range of technical skills, and
  
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  the ability to work as part of a team.
  

Working in food and beverage service offers a wealth of opportunity for professional development and advancement – for those committed to the hospitality industry and to working in food and beverage service, a fulfilling, exciting and enjoyable career awaits.