Speech by Minister Iswaran at the Restaurant Association of Singapore Epicurean Star Award Gala Dinner

SPEECH BY MR S ISWARAN, MINISTER FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY (INDUSTRY) AT THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE (RAS) EPICUREAN STAR AWARD GALA DINNER ORGANISED BY RAS, 14 NOVEMBER 2017, 7PM AT SUNTEC CITY CONVENTION CENTRE

Mr Vincent Tan, President of the Restaurant Association of Singapore,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

1.                        Good evening.  It is my pleasure to join you for the Restaurant Association of Singapore’s (RAS) Epicurean Star Award gala dinner – a major annual highlight for the Food Services industry.   

2.                        Tonight, we celebrate the restaurants which have delivered exceptional cuisine and dining experiences, as well as individuals who have emerged top in their respective classes for culinary skills and service excellence.

F&B enterprises are adapting and transforming to address operational realities, but more can be done

3.                        The Food Services industry is important to Singapore.  Our diversity of cuisines and dining experiences has come to embody an important part of Singaporeans’ shared heritage and sense of identity.  This has also significantly contributed to our country’s appeal as a tourist destination.

4.                        However, with consumers becoming more well-informed and demanding, the Food Services industry has to find a new footing.   F&B operators have to constantly innovate to appeal to consumers and retain a share of the customer wallet.  At the same time, the tight labour market has not changed, with many F&B operators continuing to face manpower shortages. 

5.                        To help companies on this journey, the Government launched the Food Services Industry Transformation Map (ITM) in September 2016. The ITM’s four key pillars – Innovation, Productivity, Internationalisation, and Jobs & Skills – aim to catalyse growth and competitiveness of our Food Services companies over the next five years.  The goal is to transform our Food Services industry into one that is technology-enabled, with good jobs, while continuing to offer a range of diverse dining options.

6.                        I am encouraged by the progress that we have made since the launch of the ITM.  A recent Nielsen study commissioned by SPRING Singapore found that 38% of the enterprises in the Food Services industry have adopted productivity measures such as digital solutions, kitchen automation, or automated dishwashing.  Some of the companies have also gone further to launch manpower-lean business formats like ready meals, vending machine cafes, and productive coffee shops.

7.                        In August this year, we launched the Skills Framework for the Food Services sector. It is important to attract good people to make a career in this sector. The framework outlines critical skills for 52 sector-specific jobs, and includes emerging skills in the area of information technology.  The Government has engaged training providers under this framework, to better support our service professionals to grow and enjoy meaningful careers.  For example, a service staff equipped with digital literacy and basic service skills can progress to take on crew leader responsibilities, with the addition of some basic management skills.

8.                        There is more that we can do to build on this good start, and ensure that our companies and workers in the Food Services industry are resilient and competitive in the long run.

RAS plays an important role in driving industry transformation

9.                        Since its inception in 1980, RAS has played an important role in driving the growth of Singapore’s Food Services industry.

10.                     To date, RAS has undertaken four Local Enterprise and Association Development (LEAD) projects with SPRING and IE Singapore to support the Food Services industry development.  Its most recent project, which concludes in December 2017, has seen the implementation of several ITM-aligned initiatives that drive productivity improvement, human capital development, and internationalisation efforts.  For example, RAS organised two business matching trips to Myanmar and Vietnam for companies to explore growth opportunities abroad in emerging markets.

11.                     RAS also demonstrated creativity in tailoring its initiatives to the industry’s unique needs and demands, as exemplified by its mentorship platform which matches established F&B veterans with aspiring entrepreneurs for cross-learning opportunities, as Vincent mentioned earlier.  I would like to commend the mentors who have generously shared their time and insights.  One mentee, Ms Diana Teo of “Waa Cow!” attended a session on how to build a happier workplace by Mr Andrew Ing from The Lo and Behold Group, who is here with us today as well.  Drawing inspirations from the session, Ms Teo made the decision to outsource the company’s administrative HR functions to dedicate more resources for better staff engagement.  She also started organising weekly one-to-one conversations with employees to serve as a regular feedback channel, and implemented a monthly bonus scheme to reward hard work. The key is not in specific projects, but to encourage sharing and learning in the industry.

12.                     Another key initiative by RAS, which also forms part of tonight’s award celebration, is the 5S Programme.  The programme aims to raise productivity through enhancing operational efficiency, organisational cleanliness, and space utilisation.  Through the efforts of RAS, more than 100 F&B outlets have become 5S-certified.

13.                     The productivity gains from this programme are clearly seen by companies like Slappy Cakes at Resorts World, which has been a winner of the 5S Excellence Award for two consecutive years. Slappy Cakes has implemented a labour control system to dynamically manage and allocate manpower resources based on sales volume to avoid under- and over-staffing scenarios.  The outlet also implemented specialised tools for food preparation, which reaped time and cost savings by expediting kitchen processes, reducing food wastage, and controlling accidents.

14.                     Looking ahead, I am pleased to share that SPRING and IE Singapore will be supporting RAS’ fifth LEAD project spanning the next two years.  The agencies have been in close discussions with the RAS leadership team to identify exciting new initiatives such as cross-learning between companies, workshops by leading F&B practitioners, an expanded mentorship platform, and business matching to help companies grow beyond Singapore’s shores.

Enterprise Singapore will partner with RAS to help companies scale up and internationalise

15.                     The Government remains firmly committed to deepening its partnership with Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) such as RAS to drive enterprise growth.  Indeed, RAS’ industry leadership is an excellent example of how TACs are valuable multipliers in supporting enterprises to scale up and internationalise.  The report of the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE), which was released earlier this year, highlighted the importance of forging solid partnerships to enable innovation and growth, on top of deepening capabilities at the organisational and individual levels.

16.                     Creative Eateries, for instance, has been supported by SPRING, IE Singapore, and RAS in complementary aspects.  SPRING supported Creative Eateries to reduce its manpower reliance through implementing HR systems, central kitchen inventory management, and front-end digital services.  With IE Singapore’s assistance, the company formulated a framework to build and safeguard its brand equity in overseas markets.  Complementing these areas of support, RAS had been instrumental in opening doors for Creative Eateries to seek potential overseas partners through its business-matching trip to Myanmar in March 2017.  I am heartened to hear that three of Creative Eateries’ restaurants – Vineyard, Bangkok Jam, and Creative Catering – have been shortlisted for the Epicurean Star Awards this year.

17.                     As companies seek to internationalise, building domestic capability is important. When the new agency Enterprise Singapore is formed next year through the merger of SPRING and IE Singapore, we can expect more companies to benefit from an integrated approach to capability development and internationalisation.  During this period, we will ensure that there will be no disruptions in the services provided.

Conclusion and congratulatory message

18.                     Once again, my congratulations to all award winners.  Thank you and keep up the good work.

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