Michel Roux Jr keeps all the tips !
Discussion
It seems the service charge added to the bill at La Gavroche is revenue and not to be shared between staff.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/dec/...
It's the customers fault for not knowing the difference between a service charge and a tip.
http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Business/Michel-Ro...
This may well have far reaching consequences for a chef and public figure I had a great respect for.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/dec/...
It's the customers fault for not knowing the difference between a service charge and a tip.
http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Business/Michel-Ro...
This may well have far reaching consequences for a chef and public figure I had a great respect for.
It's a technicality - the service charge is being used to pay for the labour completely hence they're not lying when they say all staff receive the tips. They then top up the wage bill if the service charge doesn't cover it.
The chef in the article was paid on a salary basis but as is typical in the restaurant trade the chefs in particular are over worked due to a shortage in the industry and therefore receive less than minimum wage when calculated on a per hour basis
The chef in the article was paid on a salary basis but as is typical in the restaurant trade the chefs in particular are over worked due to a shortage in the industry and therefore receive less than minimum wage when calculated on a per hour basis
service charge should just be rolled into the prices charged for dishes, if they view it as simply revenue. Its as much a nonsense as the fuel surcharge on an air ticket, or booking fee at the cinema.
And if its discretionary it should be made crystal clear how its treated. I think most restaurant-goers would assume service is divvied up and divided amongst the employees on top of their regular pay. When I see service charge added to the bill i don't top it up with cash on the table.
And if its discretionary it should be made crystal clear how its treated. I think most restaurant-goers would assume service is divvied up and divided amongst the employees on top of their regular pay. When I see service charge added to the bill i don't top it up with cash on the table.
Michel Roux is an honorary member of Harlequins.
Can someone explain why they give honorary membership to the person most able to afford it?
He is a regular attender at Harlequins. Probably the richest men in the ground.
http://tinyurl.com/h4geldz
Can someone explain why they give honorary membership to the person most able to afford it?
He is a regular attender at Harlequins. Probably the richest men in the ground.
http://tinyurl.com/h4geldz
majordad said:
Very disappointed to hear this, and he's gone down in my estimation as well. There is a need for an industry wide protocol on tips as distinct from service charges. Service charges should be included in the price displayed on the menu, like VAT is.
I agree, but actually I think Le Gavroche is one of the few places where service charge is included in the sticker price. Or at least I think it was Le Gavroche, either that or Waterside Inn.Shaoxter said:
majordad said:
Very disappointed to hear this, and he's gone down in my estimation as well. There is a need for an industry wide protocol on tips as distinct from service charges. Service charges should be included in the price displayed on the menu, like VAT is.
I agree, but actually I think Le Gavroche is one of the few places where service charge is included in the sticker price. Or at least I think it was Le Gavroche, either that or Waterside Inn.I'm really disappointed about what's come out recently about Michel Roux Jr. As others have said, I've had a perception of him as a decent, fair guy and this completely undermines that. I don't care about the technicalities of it. My assumption is that the price on the menu pays the staffs' wages and keeps the lights on. Anything I leave as service charge or tip, I expect to go to the staff above and beyond their contracted rate.
k off.18FAN said:
It's a technicality - the service charge is being used to pay for the labour completely hence they're not lying when they say all staff receive the tips. They then top up the wage bill if the service charge doesn't cover it.
The chef in the article was paid on a salary basis but as is typical in the restaurant trade the chefs in particular are over worked due to a shortage in the industry and therefore receive less than minimum wage when calculated on a per hour basis
You would expect it to be the other way around. If there's an industry shortage of chefs, pay should go up!The chef in the article was paid on a salary basis but as is typical in the restaurant trade the chefs in particular are over worked due to a shortage in the industry and therefore receive less than minimum wage when calculated on a per hour basis
I don't really understand any of this "service charge" thing.
How on earth else is the food supposed to arrive at my table if it isn't "served"?
As above, surely the price of the dish includes the cost of the ingredients and the overheads of the restaurant, including staff costs.
And then, if the service is good, I can tip accordingly and that is intended for the serving staff.
Or am I missing something? (Because Michel Roux Jr seems to think he's simplifying things for the customer by increasing all his prices to include service, if I read the article correctly. Or some such nonsense. I don't follow his "simplification / clarification" argument - he appears to be "simplifying" something that he himself has made terribly confusing / misleading, and taking credit for it!)
How on earth else is the food supposed to arrive at my table if it isn't "served"?
As above, surely the price of the dish includes the cost of the ingredients and the overheads of the restaurant, including staff costs.
And then, if the service is good, I can tip accordingly and that is intended for the serving staff.
Or am I missing something? (Because Michel Roux Jr seems to think he's simplifying things for the customer by increasing all his prices to include service, if I read the article correctly. Or some such nonsense. I don't follow his "simplification / clarification" argument - he appears to be "simplifying" something that he himself has made terribly confusing / misleading, and taking credit for it!)
guy sounds like a tight wad, I bet he would be one of the people who would dodge out on rounds at a pub. His meals cost £200 but I bet the ingredients aren't much more then maybe £20? It's not like his food is cooking for 2days on low like a BBQ place, or that throwing a slab of beef into a temp controlled water bath is exactly high skilled cooking.
ambuletz said:
guy sounds like a tight wad, I bet he would be one of the people who would dodge out on rounds at a pub. His meals cost £200 but I bet the ingredients aren't much more then maybe £20? It's not like his food is cooking for 2days on low like a BBQ place, or that throwing a slab of beef into a temp controlled water bath is exactly high skilled cooking.
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