Jeremy Wilcox, Secretary Manager, The RUC at Turner Bowls

Describe your career in the club industry.

My entry into the industry was by pure chance. I was at Uni rugby training one night (off season touch or something) and the President of the RUC approached me during the warm up and asked “if I knew how to cook?”. I said yes, and he then asked me if I would take over the catering of the RUC for a week while the board found another contractor. Apparently the previous chef had spat the dummy, kicked a hole in the kitchen wall, and stormed out never to be seen again. I had never heard of the RUC but it sounded like an interesting challenge for not very interested economics student!

I called a couple of mates including my brother who had just sold his restaurant in Sydney. I had no idea what the week before Christmas meant in hospitality but I was about to find out. On Saturday we put together a menu, on Sunday we went to the Fyshwick Markets to buy all the food for the week, on Monday morning we worked out who would cook, who would do the till and who would run the meals, and at 12 midday –WE OPENED.

Jeremy Wilcox –Secretary Manager, The RUC @ Turner Bowls The word had got around Barton that the club had a new caterer –what? A new caterer? I was a mug punter who was studying at Uni, could cook a bit and owned a waste business! 70 people turned up for lunch between 12 and 1.15pm and we were out of control. We went through all our supplies for the week and after service we were off to the markets again!

To say it was chaotic was an understatement. One of my mates sliced off the top of his finger trying to cut tomatoes, my brother decided to take on the Gordon Ramsay approach to kitchen communication, I was trying to argue that a schnitty could have both chips and mash (why the bloody hell not!?), and all in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable week. And there was a bit of money in the bank at the end of the week too. The RUC then shut for a month over Christmas and I decided that a reasonable career might be forged in hospitality.

The President of the RUC approached me during the warm up and asked “if I knew how to cook?” I said yes.

Jeremy Wilcox –Secretary Manager, The RUC Repeat for Tuesday with 80 covers, Wednesday with 100, Thursday with something similar and then Friday (the Friday before Christmas) we did 150 lunches!!

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned in your career?

If something isn’t working, stop it and try something else. Proper research should eliminate most errors.

COVID-19 has been incredibly challenging. Describe the process the club has undergone and how are you keeping yourself and others positive?

The closing process took us the best part of two weeks, it wasn’t straightforward. Everyone is in the same boat with staff layoffs, interpreting stimulus packages and working out what the future might look like. We have found it important to keep up communication with our members during the forced shutdown so we have been doing a Remote RUC concept including virtual meat raffles, live music, DJ and Trivia. We have not gone down the path of takeaway food and beverages as our assessment of that market is that it is already very crowded. Sometimes its more expensive to be a little bit open than fully closed.

What has been the most common type of feedback received during this uncertain time?

Sympathy and support for the RUC and it’s team members has been overwhelming. We have also been getting a lot of positive social media commentary as we moved our regular events online.

What are you looking forward to most once this is over?

Better communication with government. We’ve actually had some incredible conversations with government departments and staffers over that last month. It’s amazing what can happen when you pick up the phone and have a rational, informed discussion. I hope it continues.