Frequently Asked Questions

If your question is not here, email me at info@onthepassconsultancy.com or send a WhatsApp to +44 (0)7967 736372 and I will come straight back to you.

What is On The Pass Consultancy?

A catering and hospitality consultancy based in Newport, South Wales. It is me, René Chapman, and 35+ years in the hospitality sector across kitchens, front of house and wholesale food buying and selling. I work on equipment, kitchen design, menu development and gross profit, staff training, kitchen process audits, and the technology side.

Where are you based, and what areas do you cover?

Newport, South Wales. That puts Cardiff, Bristol, Gloucester and most of South Wales within an easy drive, and I work across that patch regularly. I take jobs further afield in the UK where it makes sense for both of us, so ask.

How much experience do you have?

35+ years in the hospitality sector. I have cooked in these kitchens, run front of house, and bought and sold food wholesale. I also spent ten years with Rational as a regional sales manager and development chef, so I know the equipment side from the manufacturer's end as well as the operator's.

Do you work with small businesses as well as large ones?

Yes. A single-site café and a central production kitchen have different problems but the same arithmetic underneath. The advice is scaled to what you actually run.

What services do you offer?

Catering equipment specification, supply and installation, commercial kitchen design, menu development and gross profit work, staff training, kitchen process audits, and practical advice on stock, ordering and scheduling technology. These are connected more often than not. The equipment decides what the menu can do, and the menu decides what equipment you actually need.

What does menu development involve?

I cost every dish properly, then show you where the margin is leaking and rebuild the menu so it earns without becoming dull. That includes checking your team can actually deliver it on a full Saturday, because a menu that only works when the head chef is in is not a menu, it is a liability.

What does commercial kitchen design include?

From first layout through to specification, drawings, and seeing the fit-out through installation. I plan the room around how service actually runs rather than around a symmetrical drawing, which means fewer steps, calmer sections and a lower energy bill every month for the life of the kitchen.

What is a kitchen process audit?

I consult with your head chef or kitchen manager during your busier periods, so I see where the stress actually is at peak hours rather than on a quiet Tuesday. Workflow, equipment use, energy, staffing, waste, ordering. Then you get a short written list of what to change, in the order worth doing it. I will tell you how long it will take before I start.

Do you supply catering equipment?

I specify the equipment and manage the supply and installation through to commissioning. I bring in the dealer best suited to the job for quoting and fitting, and stay on it so that what turns up on site is what was specified. I specify across the market at every budget, from a Rational iCombi Pro down to a straightforward convection oven where that is genuinely the right answer.

What does your staff training cover?

Front of house, back of house, and the handover between them, which is where service problems often start. I watch a service during a busy period first, and talk to your head chef or kitchen manager, so the training addresses your gaps rather than a generic syllabus. Delivered on site, in short sessions around your rota rather than one long day off the floor.

How do I get started?

A free initial conversation, by phone, WhatsApp, email or the contact form. I want to understand the business and what is actually going wrong before I recommend anything. There is no commitment at that stage, and if I cannot see a clear way to make you money I will say so.

What does it cost?

It depends entirely on the job. A single audit and a full kitchen design and fit-out are not remotely the same piece of work. You get a written quote before anything starts, so there are no surprises on the invoice. Ask me for an honest indication and you will get one.

How long does a project take?

Menu development runs four to eight weeks from the initial consultation and audit, depending on the size of the project, because the costing and the trialling both take time. Installation is open-ended. It can be a week, it can be months, and that is driven by what you need and the timeline you are working to. I work around your service throughout.

Who do you work with?

Independent restaurants, bistros and cafés, gastropubs and food-led bars, hotels and hotel food and beverage teams, contract caterers, care home and healthcare kitchens, education catering, and people opening for the first time. If there is a commercial kitchen involved, it is probably worth a conversation.

Do you work internationally?

I am UK based and that is where nearly all my work is. I am open to discussing overseas projects, but be realistic with me about timescales and travel and I will be realistic back.

Where does AI actually help a kitchen?

Three places, in my experience. Stock, so you know what you are holding and what it is costing you. Ordering, so you order against a forecast built from your own sales history rather than a hunch. And scheduling, so the rota matches the covers instead of matching habit. Everything else is mostly a dashboard with a new name on it.

Will AI replace jobs in a kitchen?

It will not cook, and anything sold to you on that basis is being sold by somebody who has never run a section. What it does is take administration off people who should be on the floor or on the pass. That is worth having, and it is the whole of it.

Is it worth it for a small operator?

Sometimes. Start with one thing, usually stock or ordering, and see whether it pays for itself before adding anything else. I will show you the arithmetic on cost against saving at your size. If it does not stack up I will tell you, and you can put the money where it works harder.

What are the risks with adopting it?

Cost, the time it takes to set up properly, and staff who do not trust it. That last one is the one that kills most systems. A team that does not believe in a system will find ways around it, and then you are paying a subscription for something nobody uses. Which is why I train the team on it rather than just installing it.

How do I contact you?

Email info@onthepassconsultancy.com, or phone and WhatsApp on +44 (0)7967 736372, or use the contact form. I aim to reply within one working day. I am often on site all day with no signal, so WhatsApp is usually the quickest way to reach me.

What are your opening hours?

Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm. Friday, 9am to 4pm. Closed weekends and UK bank holidays. If something is urgent outside those hours, WhatsApp is the best way to reach me.

Still not answered?

Ask me directly. A short conversation usually settles it faster than a page like this can.