Hospo Professionals Recognise Training Expertise

The quality and value of the workplace training that ServiceIQ delivers to the hospitality industry has been confirmed at this year’s Restaurant Association Canterbury Hospitality Awards.

Voted clear leader in the Lumina Lamb Outstanding Supplier category, ServiceIQ | Te Pūkenga beat out strong competition, proving that skilled and talented staff are as much a hospo success ingredient as the best seasonal produce or top-notch protein.

Restaurant Association Chief Executive Marisa Bidois says 20 awards were presented and congratulates all finalists and winners. “Consistency and quality are what puts great establishments on the map, and quality is what the Canterbury Hospitality Awards recognise. Christchurch and surrounds are richer for our hospitality leaders and our winners are at the top of their game, delivering great experiences and flavours that keep patrons coming back for more.”

ServiceIQ Director, Andrew McSweeney, notes that the best service sector enterprises have always embraced ServiceIQ workplace training programmes and apprenticeships.

“Across all the sectors we serve, training on-job is stated by managers and CEOs as one of the keys to business success. As renowned Queenstown chef Corey Hume, of The Rees, told us recently: ‘We greatly value the ServiceIQ service. It allows us to engage those willing to put time and effort into an apprenticeship within a well-organised structure that would not be practical for a small/medium-sized business itself to build’.

Andrew McSweeney says, “Our many and varied restaurant, hotel, and resort customers nationwide, whether Queenstown or Greytown, Canterbury or Auckland and everywhere else, return to us again and again to help them train and upskill staff across the business. From front-of-house to kitchen, and for new employee straight from school to supervisors and managers, our deep understanding of business needs and the intricacies of the different service sectors means we are a valued business partner that our customers trust.”

Other winners connected with ServiceIQ include Freddy Nordt of Black Estate, a qualified chef through his ServiceIQ Cookery Apprenticeship, who won the Mt Cook Alpine Salmon Emerging Chef.

Black Estate also took out the Southern Hospitality Outstanding Regional Establishment category.

In addition to the Outstanding Supplier accolade, ServiceIQ was also featured in another category. Joseph Clarke, ServiceIQ Hospitality Sector Advisor, was one of just four peer-nominated finalists in the Restaurant Association of NZ Outstanding Sales Rep category.

“As with the customers we serve, we know that it is people that make the difference”, says Andrew McSweeney. “I’m delighted that industry professionals have recognised the calibre of Joseph, his Sector Manager Reon Hobson, and the team at ServiceIQ that supports trainees and apprentices and their employers. This includes all those working behind the scenes at ServiceIQ, for example, developing industry and workplace relevant world-class training resources and assessments.

“Thank you to the Canterbury hospitality professionals who voted for us. You have our gratitude and promise of continued top-level service and training – as do those in all regions of Aotearoa New Zealand.”

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