As more and more Members again feel able to enjoy the use of the Clubhouse, I thought that now was a good time to let Members know of the thinking behind the changes that have been made to the provision of our catering services.

As is the case in most golf clubs, the bar and catering services are perceived as a Member benefit and are delivered at a cost to the clubs. This is particularly true of clubs like Pollok with a relatively low level of visitors.

There has also been a significant shift in the use of the bar and catering services at golf clubs due to welcome restrictions on drink-driving, changing eating habits and the increased competition from the myriad restaurants that have appeared in recent years.

For many years Pollok has seen an increasing financial deficit in delivering this key service and, more recently, a decline in the quality of the catering service. When Neil, our chef, decided to leave for pastures new it was decided that this was an ideal time to review the delivery of the service to Members. The objectives were to improve the quality of the product, increase the footfall and hence turnover in the Clubhouse, improve the management of the catering service and to eliminate any loss as identified in the accounts.

We sought the advice of Alex Knight, a well-known restauranteur and Pollok Member, to identify how we could achieve these interlinked objectives. The solution was to subcontract the catering service to an external firm with the right credentials. The deal would be that Pollok would retain a commission on all catering sales and the subcontract caterer would be responsible for employing, training and managing all related staff. The incentive for the caterers would be that they could use our kitchen facilities for their other business streams.

I believe that the recruitment of Hector and Harriet has been a major success with regard to all of the planned objectives. In addition, they have managed to offer a catering service throughout the pandemic including  take-away meals of a very high quality for the likes of Burns Night and Valentine’s Day and they have plans for evening meals at the Club. The outdoor sitting area at the Club which has significantly increased the capacity was financed by them.

There have been a few complaints about the pricing being a little on the high side but the lower prices in the past were subsidised to a large extent by the annual subscriptions which is now not the case.

Hector & Harriet’s staff wear Pollok-badged attire and, although not paid directly by the Club, should be treated in the same way as Catriona, Lesley and Betty. They all have the same primary objective of delivering a very high order experience for Members.

The caterers are currently on trial and we will be seeking Members views through the Annual Survey which will be launched in the near future. However, in the meantime if any Member has an issue that they would wish to raise, please contact me at the Club or on captain@pollokgolf.com.

Allan Blackley,
Captain