Sir Garry Hawkes CBE is one of the food service industry’s pioneers. His impressive career saw him rise from being a trainee to Managing Director of Gardner Merchant, one of the largest food service companies in Europe at the time.
In this blog post, Sir Garry talks with host Patrick McDermott about his journey in the industry and shares his insights into the food service sector today.
Communication is key
Sir Garry’s career proves that effective communication was essential to the success of Gardner Merchant’s operations, especially in the 1950s and 60s before modern technology took off.
“We took stock every week and worked out how much stock we’d got and how many goods we’d used,” he explains. “We also paid wages manually, and the team would send the information off to a regional district office where a district secretary calculated the gross profit for every unit. By Tuesday morning, every unit manager knew exactly what their unit’s performance was.”
Despite the challenge of coordinating over 1,000 sites across the UK with no computers or advanced technology, constant communication ensured everyone was on the same page regarding budgets, performance and future plans.
“The people and the system they operated were common across the whole organisation. So, all these people were singing from the same hymn sheet, literally.”
This consistency was implemented by having regular team meetings, a company newsletter and a constant flow of performance data, which enabled the company to align everyone to the organisation’s goals. Having this level of communication motivated staff and created a shared purpose.
“We invested a lot of money in communications,” emphasises Sir Garry. “Everybody had a company car, and so we published a tape which explained what was happening in the organisation [for everyone to listen to]. It was amusing but also informational.”
Developing a business ethos
When Sir Garry took over as Managing Director of Gardner Merchant, he knew a strong ethos was needed to guide the business – one which put people first. He was advised by Gardner Merchant Chairman, Sir Rocco Forte, to go away, reflect, and write down his values for the business.
“I did it one afternoon, actually. I wrote what I believed in about managing people. It dealt with every element of our business, from dealing with people and clients to suppliers and the world at large.”
Having this business ethos signed off by the Chairman gave Sir Garry a mandate for changes to modernise Gardner Merchant, while still retaining its culture and values. This philosophy then guided all decisions in the business, focusing on no discrimination, promoting from within and training people to their full potential.
When reflecting on this time in the sector, an important lesson Sir Garry shares is that having a clear set of values provides businesses with direction and ensures they always stay true to their purpose.
Investing in training and development
Another standout part of Sir Garry’s journey was establishing an in-house training facility at Kenley House. This investment in staff training allowed Gardner Merchant to professionalise its image and demonstrate to clients the expertise it offered.
“The thing I’m most proud of doing in my time was the establishment of the training centre. We brought all our clients there. It was a real manifestation of the company’s ability,” he recalls, acknowledging that this investment in training and development was key to providing quality service and retaining client contracts.
Continued learning also enabled career progression and instilled loyalty in the workforce. Developing Gardner Merchant’s employees through training in this way was one of Sir Garry’s top priorities.
“I think what I learned is you’ve got to look after your staff. All we had were people. If you don’t get the right people with the right level of motivation, you have nothing. That’s why I always put them at the centre of everything we did. With the right people in the right place, the situation would work well,” he asserts.
Sir Garry’s decades of experience in the food service industry underscore the timeless importance of effective communication, establishing a clear business ethos and investing in staff. Although, with the help of modern technology, we now have more time-efficient ways of managing bookkeeping, stocktaking and conducting meetings, Sir Garry’s insights still provide valuable takeaways for leaders in the food service industry today.
Patrick is CEO of stocktaking app DigiTally, which is playing an increasingly important role as an intuitive and interconnected stock management system that keeps your food service business up to date and helps combat food waste. Keen to learn more? Let’s talk! Book a 30-minute call with Patrick and get your demo set up today.
