With over 45 years of culinary industry experience in private, corporate, institutional, and educational food service, I have developed solutions to help businesses stay ahead of the common planning and communication problems that can easily cause substantial loss of profit.
Previous clients include the Great Lakes Maritime Academy at Northwestern Michigan College, Grand Traverse Pie Co., Schmuckal Oil Co., and the American Steamship Company. Projects included equipment recommendations and procurement, galley inspection/evaluation, mentoring and coaching of current galley personnel. Consulting for Grand Traverse Pie Co. headquartered in Traverse City, MI included site observations for food handling procedures and best practices. The Schmuckal project included developing a strategic plan for the creation of a working commissary to produce fresh, “market-sold” sandwiches. Worked with commissary manager on recipe creation, packaging, costing, testing, and implementation. (Schmuckal has since sold it’s stores to True North Energy, LLC)
In a maritime environment, fundamental food cost controls, comprehensive knowledge of available food and supply, accurate tracking of purchase dates, and the anticipated expiration dates of highly perishable foodstuffs are crucial components of a well-managed, safe, and efficient food service operation. Ensuring safe and appealing food service offerings for both guests and crew aligns with the company’s objectives of reducing employee turnover and enhancing employee satisfaction. Employee well-being can be improved through increased awareness of fresh food options. Industry reputation, fostered by a high-quality food service program, can lead to increased recruitment activity. Well-structured training manuals and clearly defined expectations can be tailored to enhance onboarding consistency and establish team-oriented procedures that facilitate cross-training and contribute to higher job satisfaction.
For more information, or to request a proposal for culinary consulting services please contact Joel with one of the methods listed below:
