t s e b o C A TE R I N G
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fellas Continuing the focus on Tsebo Outsourcing, we talk to Dr Chris Jardine, the man who heads up its catering division. By Ian Armitage 2
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Tsebo Catering Solutions FOCUS tsebo
T
sebo Catering Solutions is a South African market leader. It is part of Tsebo Group, one of the country’s largest hospitality services and facilities management companies, and comprises of three entities: Fedics, TsAfrika, and Equality Reef Services. Fedics turned 40 last year and provides outsourced catering to a wide range of corporate clients, manufacturing businesses, hospitals and universities. TsAfrika is a high quality catering company for corporate clients and was acquired by Tsebo two years ago. Equality Reef specialises in bulk catering and hospitality for mines. The man tasked with heading up the operation is Dr Chris Jardine. Dr Jardine is the former group CEO of the J and J Group, a diversified investment and management company and has worked in the logistics, IT and telecommunications, and industrial and financial services sectors. Besides his www.southafricamag.com
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Tsebo Catering Solutions FOCUS TSEBO
Microfuture Microfuture is a packaging distribution company, (Level 2 BBBEE contributor) in Northern Johannesburg. We deliver across Gauteng and the surrounding areas, supplying a vast range of recyclable and eye-catching products. Our food grade products are ideal for restaurants, coffee shops, take-away outlets, hotels, canteens, caterers, conference centres, hospitals, schools, guesthouses and bed and breakfast venues. We supply contract and corporate caterers, who service mines, offices and large industrial sites. Microfuture has long supplied the Tsebo Group, building strong relationships with unit managers and sourcing specialized packaging solutions where needed. Microfuture was launched by Norma Walshe-Gore in 2007, who has over 25 years of experience in packaging and distribution and who has a broad network of service orientated back-up people supporting her, who all have a solid understanding of packaging trends and can assist customers with tailored options.
strong operational track record, he has also served on the boards of companies as diverse as MTN, Transnet, Macquarie First South and Union Carriage and Wagons. He holds BS and MS degrees in Computer Science and a PhD in Information Technology, all from George Mason University in Virginia. It is an impressive CV. And he is aiming to spice up a mature sector, bringing “sexy back,” he says. “One of the biggest challenges that executives in our industry face is to keep pace with a changing world and the competition for talent and so in different ways all of us are trying to bring sexy back to catering,” Dr Jardine, who took the helm of the industry leader in February last year, explains. Great, I thought, but what does it mean? 4
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Microfuture procures products from local and international manufacturers, also exporting these products into different market sectors, and into Africa. We put a basket of products together to suit each customer’s requirements, bearing in mind the customer’s environmental policy, assisting with packaging solutions and we are able to provide company branding on all packaging. Another sector of our business is to offer cleaning products. In the future Microfuture is looking to expand nationally and into other market segments. We have also investigated opportunities to import specialty packaging lines. For more information please contact info@microfuture.co.za or visit us at www.microfuture.co.za.
Food Packaging We are proud to offer you our quality range of food and beverage packing products.
Catering Products Our catering products are suitable for any corporate or private event.
Cleaning Products Have a look at our range of different cleaning utensils and cleaning products.
Tel: 011 462-3418 / 011 462-3418 Email: info@microfuture.co.za Web: www.microfuture.co.za.
Unit 3, Riverside Industrial Park Koevoet Street Kya Sand
Tsebo Catering Solutions FOCUS TSEBO
We’ve looked at our service culture, from basics such as the way we greet our customers on a dayto-day basis and even in the way we present our food. Another goal we resolved to pursue with purpose was to sell profitably
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“This business is over 40 years old now and the barriers to entry are low and the management disciplines are known so we need ways to differentiate ourselves by doing something that hasn’t already been done or tried,” he elaborates. “What became evident was that to move forward, we needed to focus on the basics first. We started with a refreshed operational excellence programme. I then felt that, based on my own considerations when deciding to join the company, there was a need also to make the sector as a whole ‘sexier’. There’s been a big push in that respect. We’ve looked at our service culture, from basics such as the way we greet our customers on a dayto-day basis and even in the way we present our food. Another goal we resolved to pursue with purpose was to sell profitably. Not just in terms of our new contracts but also in our daily sales and recognising opportunities to up-sell. Everything we do fits in logically under those tiers, so whether we talk about standardising some of our menus and streamlining our suppliers, making our menus more profitable, or making our menus more appealing; it all fits under the banner one of the basics.
ELEGANT EQUIPMENT · FRAME MARQUEES · NOMADIC TENTS · FLOORING · DRAPING · CATERING · TIFFANY CHAIRS · TABLES · TABLE LINEN · CUTLERY/CROCKERY · GLASSWARE
We design and manufacture marquees to give you the best quality, service and price.
TELEPHONE: (031) 705 4135
FAX: (031) 705 4143
weddingsandfunctions@3i.co.za www.weddingsandfunctions.co.za 138 Shepstone Road, New Germany
Tsebo Catering Solutions FOCUS TSEBO
La Concorde Bakery The history of this operation goes back three generations, starting off as a quaint corner shop bakery in the early 1960’s; La Concorde Bakery came to be. Now situated in Linbro Business Park, Sandton, the years have seen many changes and developments all designed to keep pace with modern day demands. The bakery over the past few years has undergone radical expansion and growth, in terms of floor space, staff and production growth. We specialise in the wholesale supply of a wide range of bakery and confectionary goods to restaurants, coffee shops, canteens, caterers, schools and universities. We pride ourselves in our ability to work with our customers to create and customize new products that will suit their individual needs.
“We’ve had a huge drive to invigorate and transform the way we deliver dining experiences to customers,” he adds. At the heart of this initiative is the experience and passion of dedicated trainers who impart not only the necessary skills to trainee chefs but also the passion and drive to reach their full potential. “We have a National Craft Trainer who, together with our Regional Chefs, is making a real difference in the up-skilling of chefs – that has been a big part of what we’re trying to do in terms of changing the way food is seen and presented. We want that ‘wow’ factor. A chef that knows how to cook and knows what he is doing will obviously cook the right quantities, cook it the right way, and present it the right way. These little things are all important in ensuring that the platform is stable.” 8
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To ensure timely deliveries, seven days a week, La Concorde owns a fleet of vehicles covering the entire Gauteng Province. The bakery is certified Halaal, and has a Level 2 BEE rating. La Concorde Bakery has been lucky enough to successfully partner the Tsebo Group for nearly two decades, and we wish them luck and success for decades more to come. Contact Details Sales: Cheron Sithebe 0834906696 cheron@laconcorde.co.za Office 011 6080888 Fax 011 608 0303
La Concorde are proud to be associated with the Tsebo Group and wish them success in the future
La Concorde Bakery PO Box 97 Morningside 2057 Email: cheron@laconcorde.co.za Tel: 0834906696 / 011 6080888 Fax: 011 608 0303
Tsebo Catering Solutions FOCUS TSEBO
Despite the challenge of a diverse customer base and having to cater for both lowerend and high-end customers, Tsebo is winning the battle. And while the catering industry may not be heavily dependent on technology, Tsebo Catering is taking an innovative approach towards “pushing the boundaries”. “I’ve been championing the use of business intelligence,” Dr Jardine says. “We have been looking at the whole sphere of analytics to improve the quality of the decisions we make by employing and sharing best practices . We have taken the current systems and we’ve glued them together with a reporting system, which makes it possible for us to look at profitability trends and solve problems at a contract level. At any given point we can see for instance how many people are on the contract, what our margins are with our food and retail products, and generally view performance against a range of metrics and ratios. And we can aggregate that and look at the performance of segments, managers or some other dimensions. We are now in the next phase of our plan, which is to look at how we can forecast better when we’re entering a new environment, what products will sell, how our customers will consume and what are the price point sensitivities. So the whole injection of business intelligence into running a 10
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Cannon Hygiene Cannon Hygiene leads in the provision of hygienic washroom services to Tsebo Cleaning Services in the Cape Town and Port Elizabeth regions, preventing the spread of germs and cross-contamination. We offer a full washroom service, including feminine hygiene Concept Units, soaps, sanitizers, fragrance units & hand drying systems. We also offer Pest Control and our Extreme Deep Cleaning Service. We would like to congratulate Tsebo Group with 40 years of service excellence. We assure you of our commitment to keep your clients satisfied. You can be sure that your clients like our service! In a recent worldwide survey, 92% of our clients agreed that Cannon Hygiene understands their needs and 93% said it provided them with value for money. Further details are available at 0860 22 6000 or www.cannonhygiene.co.za.
We take clean to a whole new level. When it comes to feminine hygiene, a sanitary and seamless solution is vital. Improper disposal can heighten the risk of infection from harmful viruses and bacteria and lead to blocked toilets. Cannon Hygiene’s replace and removal washroom service eradicates 99.999% of all germs and prevents the hazard of crosscontamination.
For more information contact us on 0860 22 6000 or visit at www.cannonhygiene.co.za
Our relationship with Fedics, part of the Tsebo Group, sees us supplying them with prepared vegetables and fresh fruit and the relationship has offered our company, a 100% black-owned South African outfit, “the opportunity of a lifetime" and we look forward to the relationship growing from strength to strength. We supply our products to mass catering companies for projects such as power stations, military bases, hospitals and established institutions where there is catering. We also have an import and export licence and are looking for international fresh produce market agents.
Tsebo Catering Solutions FOCUS TSEBO
B2B Catering Suppliers B2B Catering Suppliers was established to provide all food service equipment to the catering industry including, but not limited to: · Glassware & Barware · Crockery & Cutlery · Industrial Stoves & Heating Equipment · Industrial Refrigeration · Catering Uniforms & Linen · Design & Layout Solutions · Consulting We have a wealth of industryrelated experience and are able to offer this to all our clients. We not only provide food service equipment but also understand how it applies to your business. We believe that because we are a smaller company, we are able to service all our clients promptly and more efficiently. We pride ourselves on this fact and count honesty, commitment and enthusiasm as some of our core values.
Our unique selling point is that we’re able to sell peaceof-mind contract catering services across the spectrum
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business as big as ours is something that we’re trying to push.” The ability to provide a wide range of quality catering services to several different industries on a segmented basis is what separates Tsebo from its competitors. “Our unique selling point is that we’re able to sell peace-of-mind contract catering services across the spectrum,” he says. “We are able to segment and customise our offerings across a range of clients, from corporate clients, hospitals, universities and mines. We have a strong experience base across the full spectrum of contracts, but more importantly, a full spectrum of insight and management expertise in these sectors.” Looking forward, Dr Jardine believes that Tsebo Catering’s footprint will extend even further into Africa. “The next leg of progress is to extend our African footprint. That is something that’s very close to my heart. We have built a fairly sizeable business development team for whose job it
equipment to the
We would like to thank Tsebo Group for all their support & congratulate them on their 40th anniversary as well as wish them continued success for the future.
www.b2bcateringsuppliers.co.za Postal Address: Postnet Suite 266 Private Bag X8 Northriding 2162 Email Addresses: warren@b2bcateringsuppliers.co.za – 082 042 0183 trish@b2bcateringsuppliers.co.za – 084 523 3565 sales@b2bcateringsuppliers.co.za – 011 791 4817
Po Box 12508 Hatfield, 0028 129 Foundry St Silvertondale
Bondi Distributors is a distributor of a full range of food products to the catering and hospitality industries. Our wide range of products includes: · Chilled, frozen and ambient food products · Full range of Packaging and food wrapping products
Tel:
012 804 9204 012 804 9222 Fax: 012 804 9212 Email: bondicc@mweb.co.za Web: www.bondi.co.za
We have partnered the Tsebo Group in servicing the industry for the past 7 years, and we are proud to be associated with the Group because of its leadership in the market. Due to this partnership, this also enables our company to service the wider market sectors throughout South Africa.
Tsebo Catering Solutions FOCUS TSEBO
is to plant the seed for our African growth. Their job is to prospect, especially in the neighbouring countries. They’re going as far as Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria to insure that we are able to go and chase down big projects but also to look at more country based strategies rather than project based strategies. We have a dream ato be a truly pan-African company so we want to have roots in Mozambique, roots in Botswana, roots in Kenya and Ghana – we want to have roots where opportunities manifest themselves. We want to be able to look back at our history as an African company, not just a South African company. 14
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The next leg of progress is to extend our African footprint
“I’m a very strong believer in execution being a strategic differentiator in business. Ultimately once you chart a course, the ability to make it happen and get the job done has to be has to be what distinguishes you. You don’t get marks for the plan; you get marks for the outcome. “We’re confident but we’re also mindful that there isn’t a textbook you can use to deliver on our aspirations. We have to be respectful of the countries and cultures that we’re operating in and move in a constructive way.” END Visit www.tsebo.com.
Mitchell’ s Mosle m Butchery Proud to be associated with Tsebo Group Mitchells Ave Woodlands Mitchell Plain 7785 Cape Town sabmeats@telkomsa.net 0027 21 374 7377
www.n1.co.za info@n1.co.za Tel: +27 21 557 1510 Fax: +27 21 557 2410
Suppliers of a wide range of fresh and frozen products to the local hospitality industry, and an export approved facility We service a wide range of clientele including Government institutions, Ship Chandelers, Industrial Caterers, Hotels and export to many African countries. Personal service from our sales team will help clients with menu planning and costings. We will also help with product development should our clients require a specialised product.
Certified Halaal facility Certified ISO 9000 and HACCP approved
South Africa Magazine, Suite 9 and 10, The Royal, Bank Plain, Norwich, Norfolk, UK. NR2 4SF TNT Multimedia Limited, Unit 209, 16 Brune Place, London E1 7NJ Enquiries Telephone: +44 (0) 1603 343367 Fax: +44 (0)1603 343502 andy.williams@tntmultimedia.com Subscriptions Call: +44 (0)1603 343502 andy.williams@tntmultimedia.com
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Tsebo House 7 Arnold Road Rosebank Johannesburg Tel: (011) 441-5300 Fax: (011) 441-5655
www.tsebo.com