Gents
A while ago (Mar/Apr 04? IIRC) there was a long topic on PAYD, which discussed at length the pros and cons. At the time many of the contractors bidding for PAYD were beginning to realise that there was not enough profit to be had from the catering only side (our infrastructure in many cases is too old and the companies have to spend loads to get the kitchens etc up to scratch before they can even start selling food). Henlow and Leuchars were up and running and living-in members were voting with their feet. I believe it took Henlow over 18 months before it returned a profit – not exactly likely to keep the shareholders happy!?! Ask anyone who lives in or who has visited what he or she thinks of the standards of food!! Is this because they have had to cut quality and quantity to make a profit? The contractors started to realise that one of the ways of making a profit was by taking over all bars on station and any rival catering outlets.
With the bars (and remember this may include Sqn bars and possibly even flt / sqn / regt tea bars, anywhere that there is “competition”) the contractor sees the opportunity of boosting the meagre, and reducing? profits from the catering. The plan would be for the contractor to set prices and then split the profits 4 ways (depending upon the number of messes on base) - one unit for the contractor, one unit for the O's Mess, one unit for the SNCO's Mess, one unit for the Junior Rank's Mess, and one unit for the contractor. Therefore if you live on a base with a disproportionate number of members in one particular mess the most profitable will be subsiding the least profitable and all will be subsidising the contractor and his shareholders!!
Bar profits will need to go up (for the contractor to make his share of the profit, and it may not be a small increase!). Bar usage will probably decline because one of the benefits of “our Mess” is we set the profits, so we can keep the profits as low, or as high, as we want. Want an example? Cost price of a barrel of beer is about £55 – 60 + VAT depending upon supplier, 88 pints to a barrel, selling price in the Mess bar £1 to £1.50 depending upon GPP, selling price on the high street £2 – 3 per pint depending upon location. Reduced bar profits due to reduced usage equals less subsidy to other functions (remember we actually get some of our profit back). Profits will also be split amongst the other messes so the chances of your particular mess subsiding functions, such as a Summer Ball, will also be reduced. Therefore Mess functions become more expensive and yet another nail goes into the coffin! Now we have lost our dining rooms, our bars become less attractive and our functions get more expensive – great, a step forward! Remember as well if you put on a ‘leaving barrel’ or a promotion barrel your Sqn will probably charge you cost price, but if you HAVE to buy that through the PAYD Contractor you will be paying commercial rates! Another nail in the coffin of service life?
Sadly for all those young livers-in who always complain about paying for meals they do not take (I am guilty I was one of those young livers-in once) the way forward has been for PAYD (or Save As You Starve). Unfortunately the ultimate consequences HAVE NOT BEEN THOUGHT THROUGH!
This will be the death of Messes yet another bit of Service Ethos (which our Airships, Generalships and Admiralships bang on about but never actually protect) will be destroyed probably never to return. I understand that the PAYD roll-out has been stopped in HMFC, so it is not too late, but don’t hold your breath. And to those who say they would rather go out and eat a curry, or a kebab, that is of course great if you happen to be stationed in an area close to a large town or civilisation. The cost of doing that every night will soon add up to a lot more than the 7-days a week food charge! If you want to eat in fast-food restaurant every night of the week, then I suggest you watch the TV programme “Super-size me”. I for one do not!