Meet the Team: Gary Bruce

Here at NCASS, there’s a passionate team working behind the scenes every day to make sure members get the most out of their membership – and we thought it was about time you got to know them!

Next in the series we speak to Gary Bruce who works on the New Member Team and has been at NCASS for 3 years. He’s also spent over 20 years running restaurants and pubs, giving him an understanding and appreciation of what members have to deal with on a daily basis.

What do you enjoy most about working with NCASS members? 

I know first hand how useful and valuable we can be to our members. I love seeing new ideas and trends coming through – it is a wonderfully creative and innovative industry and it never fails to amaze me how resilient and adaptable our members are.  

You speak to a huge range of food and hospitality businesses every week. What are some of the most common challenges members are facing right now? 

It is unfortunately everything that you read about in the press – we are in a cost of operating crisis. VAT is certainly up there alongside the cost of produce and increased labour costs. 

What’s one piece of advice you find yourself giving members time and time again? 

Make sure you utilise as many of the partnerships as possible – they will almost certainly make the membership cost negative and most likely save you time and effort. 

You’ve helped many businesses get started and grow. What are some of the biggest mistakes new operators can avoid? 

They get too absorbed in the day to day running of the business – it is really important and valuable to take a step away and spend some time “on” the business thinking of ways to improve, streamline or diversify their business. 
I also think with any new venture the best idea is to keep things simple – focus on one or two things, but do them really well and become famous for those ‘hero dishes’. 

There is also no embarrassment asking for advice and guidance – seeking out a mentor or a coach to help you maybe see things differently from another perspective is a real strength. 

Always take time to remember the customer journey and to see things through the eyes of the customer and focus on continuous improvement by seeing where the 1% improvements can be made… these things will set you apart from the competition! 

What do you think makes the independent hospitality sector so special? 

It is a community of like-minded, passionate people doing something they love and I think that is reflected in both the quality of the food and the service they give.  

You run our Digital Food Safety System webinars. What can members expect when they attend one? 

They will get an insight into how easy the system is to use alongside how customisable it is to their business. I tend to walk through a real business setup and show how our digital system works and as such shows you how the digital approach helps simplify compliance, improve your record keeping and helps you operate with more efficiency. 

How is the NCASS Digital Safety Management System different to other providers or paper systems 

The Allergen matrix tool and the customisable checks are real standout features for me. Being able to do all of your compliance and due diligence checks in the palm of your hand via a phone or tablet are such useful attributes. I believe we have developed a system that is both intuitive and easy to use. 

What’s your go-to comfort food? 

I love a lamb shank with a minted jus, but for a quick and easy fix you can’t beat a ham & cheese toasted sandwich (the trick is to butter the outside of both sides of the bread though!!) 

What would you name your food truck? 

I guess I need to stick with the name of my truck on my demo site which is Brucie’s Banging Burgers (I’m a sucker for an alliteration!) 

Can you tell us some fun facts about you? 

I’m constantly trying to knock Mark (NCASS Financial Accountant) off his perch at the top of the NCASS Pool League. But, away from work, I love music and going to gigs and festivals is a great way to switch off and forget about the worries of the world for a couple of hours… I’ve been to over 1000 gigs so I should technically not have a care in the world!! 

I’m also thoroughly enjoying the World Cup, and as my wife is Brazilian we get to cheer on 2 teams (and our boys get to have 2 lots of kit, which they love!!)