Easily the most recognisable maître d’ in the country, Fred Sirieix will talk openly and honestly with NRB CEO Thom Hetherington about the importance of front of house at the Bruntwood NRB Debate at Northern Restaurant & Bar on Tuesday 20 March 2018
Northern Restaurant & Bar’s annual debate, taking place on Tuesday 21 March, will be headlined by Fred Sirieix, general manager at Michelin-starred Galvin at Windows and maître d’ on Channel 4’s First Dates. Fred is no stranger to the North of England restaurant scene, having recently finished filming ‘The Million Pound Menu’ in Manchester.
Fred will talk openly with NRB CEO Thom Hetherington about his vision for front of house and how human interaction can make or break a restaurant experience for diners.
“The restaurant industry is in a time of huge change, not least from technological disruption”, says Thom, “but I think that makes it all the more important to remember that the fundamentals of hospitality are timeless. This is a very human business, and the basics of the way you deal with customers will ultimately shape your business. There is no one better to address this hot topic than Fred Sirieix, he is the standard-bearer for service.”
Fred will also be signing copies of his book Secret Service in which he shares his hilarious and hair-raising tales of life front-of-house, divulging his philosophy about how to ensure a first-class restaurant experience, and showing who’s ultimately in control in the dining room.
This year’s debate will be sponsored by Bruntwood Group, whose properties across Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham, house an array of leading operators including Living Ventures, San Carlo and The Alchemist. One of their latest developments is ‘Hatch’ an exciting new retail and leisure pop up space under the Mancunian Way on Oxford Road. ‘Hatch’ occupies the space under the city’s iconic flyover, offering a range of pop-up and semi-permanent retail fixtures designed to attract aspiring entrepreneurs and established traders looking to try something new.
Andrea George, head of retail and leisure leasing at Bruntwood, said: “The NRB Debate has rapidly become one of the annual highlights of the UK hospitality industry and we are excited to become its headline supporter for the very first time. We’re keen to collaborate and build partnerships with organisations like Northern Restaurant & Bar to encourage creativity, insight and innovation to help drive economic development in our city regions.”
“We have a lot of experience in working with hospitality, retail and leisure businesses from independents through to national brands and this partnership with NRB18, the largest event of its kind in the North, will not only help us to make more connections, but also to hear about best practice and new trends, all of which will help to improve the experience of customers within our buildings and the communities in which they sit.”
The Bruntwood NRB Debate also features an expert panel discussing how new technology is creating significant change and challenges in hospitality, but also presenting enormous opportunities for the most agile operators. Covering customer acquisition and retention, visitor experience, and operational systems, this session will present the latest innovation and insight, chaired by Jamie Campbell, Retail Business Unit Director at CGA.
The Bruntwood NRB Debate starts at 12:00 and includes a buffet lunch. Tickets are priced £55+VAT. Book before Tuesday 20 February with the promotional code ‘fred’ for 10% discount. Book online at nrbdebate.co.uk
Northern Restaurant & Bar is the North’s hospitality exhibition. Returning to Manchester Central on 20 & 21 March, NRB18 hosts 275 exhibitors providing every product and service a hospitality business needs, delivers 65 exciting live food & drink demos, and brings the entire Northern hospitality industry together for two days of networking, discovery and inspiration.
Free trade only tickets are available now at northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk
For further information about the exhibition visit northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram and watch last year’s videos.