IHG launches training programme for its F&B teams

Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) has launched a training programme for the food and beverage teams in its hotels across the Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) and Greater China regions.

The programme, initially rolled out with more than 10 courses incorporating over 500 video lessons, was developed in collaboration with global hospitality education provider Lobster Ink. The company has plans to develop more courses over time.

More than 7000 employees across 325 hotels are currently undergoing training in various courses, with close to 2000 already completing them.

Certain courses are tailored to the company's brands including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Hotel Indigo.

For every course they complete, participants also receive accreditation by both the Institute of Hospitality and IHG.

IHG vice president F&B AMEA Phil Broad said: "Food and beverage is a key part of our business and over 80% of our guests eat breakfast with us. We know that if a customer has a good experience at breakfast, they are more likely to come back for lunch and dinner.

"It is vital our hotels understand and are delivering the right breakfast standards according to what our guests want and need, and that sparked the development of the IHG F&B Training System."

He continued: "Since the development of our bespoke breakfast standards course, our training has gone on to include topics such as lunch and dinner standards and problem resolution. Since its launch, the programme has been very well-received amongst our colleagues and we are confident it will provide the F&B teams in our hotels with the tools they need to deliver high quality, consistent experiences for our guests and customers dining with us."

The Institute of Hospitality is a professional organisation aiming to promote globally recognised quality standards for the hospitality industry. Founded in the UK more than 70 years ago, its presence now spans more than 100 countries around the world where it supports the professional development of its members through accredited hospitality education programmes.

The online platform provides F&B employees across IHG's hotels with access to training videos, standards manuals, assessment modules and management reporting tools. The training equips them with the knowledge and practical know-how to deliver on the company's ongoing F&B developments.

Other programmes IHG has launched include the InterContinental Planet Trekkers Children's Menu, jointly developed by Theo Randall and Annabel Karmel, and the IHG Dining Rewards programme, designed to reward members every time they dine in a restaurant at the company's hotels.

More than 200 restaurants and bars will be unveiled in AMEA as IHG opens the 137 hotels in its pipeline over the next three to five years.