The Case for In House

Much Ado About Muffins
(or the case for in-house)
Sara Aspley
Director of Commercial Services
Background
Built in 1875
Land gifted by Charles Edward Flower on the banks of the River Avon
The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre opened in 1932 designed by Elisabeth
Scott
Minimal catering on site
Building extended in 1938
Closed for redevelopment in 2007
Reopened in 2010
Our Spaces
Five Theatre Bars
Riverside Café
Rooftop Restaurant
Green Room
RSC Rocket
******COMING SOON *******
TOP Café Bar
The Riverside Cafe
The Retro Rocket
The Rooftop Restaurant
The Rooftop Terrace
The Round Room
The Scott Bar
The Circle Bar
The Upper Circle Bar
The Swan Bar
Victoria Fleming
Head of Catering
Christopher Short
Ricardo Buquet
Deputy Head of Catering
Exec Head Chef
Bogdan Alexe
Head Pastry Chef
Brett Armitage
Senior Sous-Chef
Aaron Foster
Green Room Chef
Silvio Del Torre
Rooftop Manager
Laura Newton
Reservations Manager
Shaun Bennett
Deputy Restaurant
Manager
Rosie Thomas
Bars & Café Manager
Ruth Treharne
Green room Manager
Silvia Hall
Green Room
Supervisor
Charles Mowlam
Green Room
Supervisor
Marta Llovet
Catering
Co-ordinator
Position Vacant
Assistant Bars & Café
Manager
Richie Burrows
Junior Sous Chef
Sharon Fernandes
Assistant Manager
Kamil Oparcik
Assistant manager
Romarna Dutton Senior
café Supervisor
Simon McKeown
Assistant manager
Lee Mirfin Café
Supervisor
Tracy Roling Café
Supervisor
Piotr Kuczalski
Senior
Bars Supervisor
Millie Jessup
Head Bartender
Henry Bird
Head Bartender
Core Business
1500 ticket buyers
8 shows a week in 2 houses
Pre-theatre
500,000 non- show visitors per annum
Free exhibitions, theatre tours, children’s activities
Additional business
Afternoon tea
Cocktail making classes
Destination lunch and dinner - Sundays!
Ice creams
Picnics and take away
Parties
Weddings
Meetings
Risk vs Reward
RISK ……
Organisational inexperience/enthusiasm
Over ambitious turnover targets
Head count and cost to business
Recruitment and retention
Strain on infrastructure – HR and Finance
Financial return lower than anticipated
RISK ……
Insufficient purchasing power
Narrow view of the wider industry
Slower to innovate
Failure to comply with legislative issues
Time taken by onsite team dealing with “head office” tasks
Board expectation – manage it!
Continual investment
Rewards …
Flexibility of offer and service - no need to
rely on the “development chef”
Recruitment and retention of the team
Audience and visitor awareness
Knowledge of local competition
Cross organisational working – actors,
development, commercial hires, core
staff.
More Rewards…
Improved audience and visitor experience
Engaged and excited staff
Organisational pride “for the RSC, by the RSC”
Brand clarity
Financial control and improved % return
Board approval
Financial return
Annual turnover £3,000,000 (circa)
Net profit £365,500
12%
Summary…..
Know your audience
Know your competitors
Know your USP (s)
Keep ambition realistic at opening and focus on your core audience
Recruit the right skills – don’t scrimp!
Communication – bring the organisation with you, invest in them as advocates
Summary…..
Place equal focus on non financial rewards
Have a financial goal BUT manage expectation and be prepared to adjust
Staff engagement and welfare
!
….
And Finally……
Thank you!