Yanks don't do that under field conditions though Vim, which is what most of our OOAs are operating under...
Welcome to E-Goat :: The Totally Unofficial Royal Air Force Rumour Network
Join our free community to unlock a range of benefits like:
- Post and participate in discussions.
- Send and receive private messages with other members.
- Respond to polls and surveys.
- Upload and share content.
- Gain access to exclusive features and tools.
Trending
This Week
View More Trending
- 12,286
- 83
- 482
It always looked as though they were in Seeb as they rarely ate in the chow hall but were more often as not seen in pizza hut!
You get my drift though...do away with a set food hall on camp and invite various vendors be it Tesco's, Costa, Maccy D's et al to get competitive over it...
- 4,757
- 113
- 749
And IMHO, this would lead to a better standard of food. ISS would be able to cut down on the number of staff (1 Mess Manager instead of 3) and equipment maintenance (1 plate-washing machine instead of 3), and their desperate attempts to break even by offering scabby chicken 5 times a week would cease.
Could see it in the UK, can't see the MoD charging people for scoff at BSN/KAF...(they are in Afganistan for your ref)
iirc some army camps have this at the moment,one kitchen and then 3 seperate dinning halls.
- 12,286
- 83
- 482
Not even if you were paid instead a 'per diem' that financially gave you freedom to choose where to eat wherever you are in the world?
MoD Cosrham is exactly like this. One SLAM with three seperate wings, with one kitchen and 3 seperate dining halls.
techie_tubby
Warrant Officer
- 2,050
- 0
- 1
This is probably me being in credibly thick so please feel free to ridicule after, but seeing as we don't pay food costs in Afghan, and our OP Bonus covers most of the tax you would pay, how would per day change things? I know it's a dumb post but just finished string of nights, brain not in gear.
- 12,286
- 83
- 482
Just spit-balling down the route of what would happen if 'free' food would be withdrawn OOA...Not such a dumb question at all.
PraiseBacon
Sergeant
- 740
- 18
- 2
Just throwing a few things into the pot for the sake of debate. I should add I have no professional connection with ISS
ISS also do the catering and cleaning for the company I now work for – although to be honest, we get really good food served 4 times a day at a site that operates 24 hours / 365 days a year. Although most of the cooks seem to be called ‘Pavel’ and are exceptionally good at cooking the Polish dishes at the international option counter)
ISS seem to be coming in for a lot of flak here based on the food they provide – but, I do wonder how much of the situation has been caused by ISS, and how much the RAF / Forces created for themselves?
These sort catering contracts typically run at a 5-10% profit margin, and for one the size of the Forces, probably more at the 5% end (Bigger the contract, lower the margin etc). Therefore, next one to ponder – even if all the 5% margin went on more food – would there really be a significant upgrade in quality? (or did the RAF squeeze the contract so tight, the food on offer is all that can be provided with in budget agreed?)
Who decided on PAYD? The RAF or ISS? – Can’t help feeling ISS would not have necessarily wanted it, and would have preferred a set amount coming to them each month from which budgets etc can be planned and bigger numbers through the door so bigger range of meals to cook (I struggle to believe a professionally trained cook would want to serve poor food either – so what is the staff turnover like?).
Out of interest, what is the food like on deployment ? This is a follow in from the above – with a set budget and set number of people to serve, is the food OK? (Albeit free at point of eating so worth every penny paid, and ISS are probably being squeezed as well).
Final personal opinion – getting rid of the cooks was a mistake on many levels. As was civilianising so many drivers etc etc etc.. Back to cooks, I remember being ion guard being able to nip into the mess and get a coffee / sarnie etc when a cook I knew was on duty - or being able to make a couple of extra sandwiches’ to take back when on guard overnight. Once put to contract, all that stopped as it ate into profit margins – I feel it also are into moral and the feeling of being of an overall team on the station.
And being selfish for a sec, with less cooks, telephonists, drivers etc around – the communal crap duties came round far more often..
ISS also do the catering and cleaning for the company I now work for – although to be honest, we get really good food served 4 times a day at a site that operates 24 hours / 365 days a year. Although most of the cooks seem to be called ‘Pavel’ and are exceptionally good at cooking the Polish dishes at the international option counter)
ISS seem to be coming in for a lot of flak here based on the food they provide – but, I do wonder how much of the situation has been caused by ISS, and how much the RAF / Forces created for themselves?
These sort catering contracts typically run at a 5-10% profit margin, and for one the size of the Forces, probably more at the 5% end (Bigger the contract, lower the margin etc). Therefore, next one to ponder – even if all the 5% margin went on more food – would there really be a significant upgrade in quality? (or did the RAF squeeze the contract so tight, the food on offer is all that can be provided with in budget agreed?)
Who decided on PAYD? The RAF or ISS? – Can’t help feeling ISS would not have necessarily wanted it, and would have preferred a set amount coming to them each month from which budgets etc can be planned and bigger numbers through the door so bigger range of meals to cook (I struggle to believe a professionally trained cook would want to serve poor food either – so what is the staff turnover like?).
Out of interest, what is the food like on deployment ? This is a follow in from the above – with a set budget and set number of people to serve, is the food OK? (Albeit free at point of eating so worth every penny paid, and ISS are probably being squeezed as well).
Final personal opinion – getting rid of the cooks was a mistake on many levels. As was civilianising so many drivers etc etc etc.. Back to cooks, I remember being ion guard being able to nip into the mess and get a coffee / sarnie etc when a cook I knew was on duty - or being able to make a couple of extra sandwiches’ to take back when on guard overnight. Once put to contract, all that stopped as it ate into profit margins – I feel it also are into moral and the feeling of being of an overall team on the station.
And being selfish for a sec, with less cooks, telephonists, drivers etc around – the communal crap duties came round far more often..
On most dets abroad or in the UK certainly....In the likes of BSN/KAF/KBL, no can't see it working...
Very good, but ISS aren't doing the food. At least not at the recent locations I've been too....
- 1,378
- 38
- 15
Not in KAF it isn't, but thats another thread
HotspurIDO
I'm not fecking BRANCH!
- 311
- 0
- 0
It's mostly KBR on OOA for the Brits.
What has always gripped my sh!t with this is the contracts. Why did 'we' ever sign contracts giving exclusivity? Thus killing tea-swindles, sandwich wagons, independent coffee shops and the like. I know why the contractor wanted it - because they knew they were bidding too low and wouldn't be able to provide decent enough service to compete, but who the fcuk signed off on it on our side?
Scrap the lot and start again. I always thought the Yank BX food-court system worked well, four or five franchises under one roof.
What has always gripped my sh!t with this is the contracts. Why did 'we' ever sign contracts giving exclusivity? Thus killing tea-swindles, sandwich wagons, independent coffee shops and the like. I know why the contractor wanted it - because they knew they were bidding too low and wouldn't be able to provide decent enough service to compete, but who the fcuk signed off on it on our side?
Scrap the lot and start again. I always thought the Yank BX food-court system worked well, four or five franchises under one roof.
How has it? At my camp all section t-bars run exactely as before.....
HotspurIDO
I'm not fecking BRANCH!
- 311
- 0
- 0
Maybe that's not across the board then. At a top secret radar base in the north east the tea-bar had to be stocked by the contractor, resulting in a significant price hike.
- 36
- 0
- 0
The same with certain sections at a top secret Oxon AT base.
True Blue Jack
Warrant Officer
- 4,438
- 0
- 0
Assuming the PAYD contractor at those two Stns is ISS then tea bars are able to get their stock from wherever they like (I don't know about units where the contract is run by another company). We went through this with ISS at the ISTAR Hub and it was quite clear that tea bars could do whatever they wanted but ISS were keen to talk to the Sqns because they were certain they could undercut the usual suppliers. I've since left there so I don't know whether any of the tea bars have made the switch or not but it was absolutely their choice. If your OC Chips is telling you otherwise then he is talking out of his hoop.
Sixty Percent Overlap
Sergeant
- 458
- 0
- 0
True in a way. However, what now with JPA and prior to PAYD, I encouraged my lads to put leave in over the weekend (which of course doesn't come off any days from their yearly entitlement) if not required to be on duty in order for food to not be charged to them when physically away visiting friends/family.
Clearly they have to be gone so not to use the mess but if they get caught well, this will lead them down a difficult road ahead to travel (fraud etc.).
Last edited: