NEWS RELEASE
23 November 2009
Burger Wisconsin is set to ring in the changes as it moves to become the first fast food chain in the country to adopt the Chip Group’s industry standards, as a way of providing healthier chips to customers.
Chip Group chairperson, Glenda Gourley, said all 24 Burger Wisconsin outlets now have at least three employees who are fully trained according to ‘The New Zealand Industry Standards for Deep Fried Chips for Foodservice and Hospitality Sectors’.
“This means that staff know how to cook and serve chips in such a way as to reduce their fat and sodium content.”
Burger Wisconsin Franchise Support Manager, Steve Hanna, said discussions to include the industry standards as part of the chain’s operational activities got underway with the Chip Group in July of this year.
“We wanted to ensure that staff across all outlets were properly trained according to the industry standards so that consumers could expect the same level of consistency regardless of which outlet they visited.
Steve said while the chain is typically known for its burgers, increasing numbers of customers were now commenting on the great taste of their chips. Research has shown that consumers prefer the taste of chips cooked according to the industry standards.
“Aside from the obvious health benefits to our customers, the Chip Group’s online training also provides valuable training to those people working within the fast food sector.”
The industry standards being followed by Burger Wisconsin are those developed for the food service sector by the Chip Group earlier this year. The online training that supports the industry standards comprises of a series of modules which cover chip size, cooking technique, salt and the use and maintenance of oil.
Each module comprises an introduction, a training video, recap of what’s been covered and a multi-choice quiz based on the training video.
Heart Foundation nutritionist, Judith Morley-John, said over seven million scoops of chips are eaten by New Zealanders every year.
“It’s, therefore, great news to see a fast food chain like Burger Wisconsin taking the initiative and acting to provide better quality chips to consumers.
“Adopting the industry standards as part of business practices is the direction we want the whole industry to move towards.
Consumers should be on the look out for official Chip Group online training badges worn by Burger Wisconsin staff, as proof that the outlet has completed the online training modules.
To view the industry standards and complete the modules, quick service staff can register at www.thechipgroup.co.nz.
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About the Chip Group
Members of the Group comprise: Potatoes New Zealand, Bakels, Burns and Ferrall, Food2Go, Goodman Fielder, Moffat, Huhtamaki, McCain Foods, Mr Chips, Southern Hospitality, Premo Filtration, Kauri, Eurotec, Alfa One, Groenz, and the Heart Foundation. The Group is committed to helping shops to serve up tastier and healthier chips to their customers and, at the same time, improve the cost efficiency of their business. Initiatives of the Chip Group include the Chip Shop Competition and ‘The New Zealand Standards for Deep Fried Chips in Independent Fast Food Outlets’.
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