discerning clients, says the UK’s leading ship supplier Hutton’s.
Hutton’s has noticed a recent step up in the expectations of clients who are
increasingly requesting top notch supplies to meet higher onboard standards,
notes Alex Taylor, Hutton’s Managing Director.
He says this call for quality is particularly loud in the burgeoning
offshore industry – a sector which he believes has made a conscious decision
to improve quality and safety standards over the years. “Many of the
standards in the global offshore industry are driven by the high standards
in the North Sea,” observes Alex.
Vessels often have to entertain clients onboard and want to ensure standards
are maintained appropriately. “Good food on board can make all the
difference,” says Alex. “You need to look after your guests. Engineers and
Scientists might be on a ship which operationally does everything perfectly
but if the chef served up the same dish every night then they are going to
complain. “
“It’s not uncommon for some oil rig operators to order lobsters and fillet
steaks as standard eating products,” says Alex although he acknowledges that
budgets are becoming tighter in the current climate.
However the ship supply sector is coming under increased pressure to meet
these needs while keeping costs down too. Alex notes that this increase in
expectations of high quality produce is also being coupled with a squeeze on
margins as operators look to save costs in today’s economic climate without
cutting standards on board. “Whatever we supply we still have to keep costs
competitive,” he says.
