Where Zim on a Plate is today
Extracted from Rosie Mitchell’s speech at the Awards
This competition has survived the ravages of hyperinflation and economic meltdown, just as the hardy people gathered at Sunday’s Awards Ceremony, did. The trade showed well of what tough stuff they are made during that darkest of years, Annis Horriblis 2008, and though reviews were briefly suspended for obvious reasons, the trade, and so the contest, was soon soldiering on and into 2009, and the beginnings of some sanity that the US dollar brought us.
We can't pretend our country's out of the woods yet, but at least we can up to a point budget, and plan beyond 24 hours ahead these days, when running our various businesses. What we can also do, as consumers, is actually choose. We can take a look at a range of options, and decide which one offers us value for money. For the restaurant trade, as for any business, the settling down of sorts that the multi currency system has brought to how we transact day to day business, has radically increased competition.
For the consumer, this is altogether a good thing. For businesses, it can be terrifying. We've moved from survival mode and must now fight for our corner, for the precious dollars of often fickle, sometimes, difficult, customers. Restaurateurs are sometimes on the receiving end of the worst sort of behaviour from a newly empowered purchasing public! Empowered, because we have options. Because our dollar is worth roughly the same as it was yesterday, and so it will be tomorrow. Empowered, because the public at large don't believe in excuses from suppliers of goods or services, or accept them as valid, any more. Even when they are. The public is exceedingly unforgiving of those in the service industries, the restaurant trade included.
The trade often receives unfair criticisms about pricing from a public who should know that we do indeed pay more for our groceries and practically all else, than we should - but this is because we no longer make or grow what we need in this country, we have to import most of it, and so it costs more. Regardless, the unforgiving public will still point an accusing finger at the price of a good meal in a pleasant restaurant, forgetting that the days of wholesale prices for inputs are dead. Restaurateurs also pay through the nose for ingredients, power, generator fuel and servicing, taxes, water, and all else.
The same public has become a good deal more critical, demanding and intolerant over the two years since we moved to the US dollar. Not much allowance is made any more for the prevailing economic environment, even though that environment is far from normal still, and our economy still tiny compared with what it once was. This new attitude, stemming from increased competition in all markets, and increased choices and options, is certainly reflected in the reviews of the past several months. It can be seen that there's not much mincing of words - a spade is a spade. Reviewers have heightened expectations, and it shows.
Is this altogether a bad thing? Not really. It just means standards have never been more exacting. Moreover, as can clearly be seen since the 2011 season opened, there are plenty of restaurants who still reach the lofty heights of that coveted Five Plate Rating - the reviewers most certainly still recognise and applaud great quality where they find it.
At Sunday’s gathering were la crème de la crème of the restaurant trade, winners from 2009 and finalist for 2010, all of whom had won Five Plates - and in the case of service people, those who had made their mark as so noteworthy in how they did their jobs, they were nominated a Finalist for Service Personality of the Year. All deserved hearty congratulations for these fine achievements, in an environment that may be improving, but still poses plenty of challenges. If this is what they can do now, imagine what they and all of us could do, in a so-called normal, stable economic environment, with a normal level of predictability and certainty!
Entrants in the competition are often particularly devastated to drop from a five to a four plate rating - yet a four plate rating is still very good indeed - and the next review soon comes around. Meantime, issues raised by reviewers can be addressed. Without doubt, this country boasts many restaurants of world class standard. This is frequently confirmed by international visitors who rave about their dining experiences. With this stiffening of competition, the stakes have never been higher, so to all the winners and finalists, well done indeed!