I remember a PAYD trial at St Mawgan in 1973 (I think it was about then anyway). It made sense and was handled by the Service caterers and standards didn't slip at all. The potential problem with the current PAYD (which isn't really a trial more of a phased introduction) is that it will become contractor dominated rather than customer led (which was the idea).
For example the original plan at Leuchars was rejected by the contractors as being uneconomic for them. Inclusion of the Bowl was I suspect a sweetener to give then an extra profit stream. The prefered solution for the Strike trial was to use Servicemen and MOD civilians with contractor support only for the accounting part of the business but in the end the investment required resulted in a contractor led solution. The contractors hope to recoup their investment through their profits - in effect the Serviceman will be paying for improvements to his clubs and messes through his food bills!
PAYD is a fairer system than the food charge but will ultimately be more expensive for the individual. It will also lead to more contractorisation of the catering trade (already one of the hardest pressed in OOA turn-round times) and in time to the errosion of standards in oficers and sergeants messes (although hopefully improvements for the junior ranks). With care we should be able (have been able) to improve the latter without harming the former - the jury is still out but lessons from the Leuchars trial need to be learned carefully before it is applied as the standard across the rest of Strike. I would still like to see a Service run/led trial at the next MOB to go down this route.
In the meantime investing in a Kebab wagon or mobile Fish & Chips bar to park outside STC MOBs looks like a good investment!
