With awards season in full swing Carrie and the Blackpool beauties made some ‘Friends’ at the seaside whilst Iguanaland swung into ‘Top Gear’ ramping up to our Awards ceremony.

Adeleboy and the Big Restaurant Survey popped by to say ‘Hello’ and I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who completed the survey. It was an important opportunity to learn how you’re feeling, collate the information and feedback to you all, so that together and in your teams we can improve work life in your specific restaurants. Apologies for anyone who felt bombarded with emails; a technical glitch with our provider meant that a lot of you initially didn’t receive the survey link. The most important thing was to ensure that everyone had a fair opportunity at having your say.

Everyone has a chance of attending the biggest event in the Las Iguanas’ calendar, but as they say… you have to be in it to win it.

To win an all expenses paid trip to our version of the Oscars which includes an overnight stay, food, drink entertainment, and banter

with 400 other stars from across the business.

Voting went LIVE last week on Iguananet so to cast your votes on your stars of last year from ‘Star Chef’ to ‘King or Queen of Motivation’ Log-in to your Iguananet and click the vote link!

Hi Team Iguanas

There is plenty to get excited about over the next couple of months including Easter and the official launch of piazza season, the Awards voting and the results from the Big Restaurant Engagement Survey, to name a few.

It’s been a difficult last four weeks on sales, something I hope is a minor blip in the grand scheme of things. It’s really important that every guest that comes through our doors is looked after to the best of our ability. Remem-ber, it’s all about selling the next visit. A great indicator of this is when guests book for another visit before they even leave the restaurant.

Talking about great service, again it’s good to recognise anyone in the group for outstanding hospitality. I would like to thank Helen who served me and the family in Bella Italia in my home town of Solihull. She has only been there a few months but if you could bottle that smile and the “I can attitude” she has, every guest would return daily. Well done Helen.

On a wider service note, it is wonderful to see our Trip Advisor scores going from strength to strength. We only

have two sites below the 4-star rating now. Each week

we monitor our results and we are getting

approximately 150, 5-star comments a week! Amazing

stuff.

Thanks to everyone who completed the survey this

month. Over 50% of you completed it which is great and

will give us some great data to work with and improve what we are doing for YOU!... also, thanks for being so patient as so many of you contacted us to say you hadn’t received the link. We sorted the technical issue out and hopefully you all had your say in the end.

And lastly, the awards are drawing in fast, so get your voting heads on as it’s your chance to tell everyone how much you appreciate their support and guidance, plus who inspires you to do better at work…. and yes, sadly the rumours are true. I will this year be in full Britney Spears outfit to lip sync a classic tune… if… everyone

raises the sum of £10,000 for charity. It will be filmed so

all can see at some stage! Lucky me!

See you all soon.

Adios,

Mos

As the day of love swept across the estate some of our Iguanas began spreading it like butter to get our LOVEly guests involved. We had everything from PASSIONATE cocktails, ROSEy Iguanas, to sharing intimate online social media messages to the masses. There’s nothing like getting the locals involved with things going on in your restaurant, so have a think how you can make the magic happen.

Antony Mills from Newport is becoming a familiar sight in the newsletter and after spending a day with Master Bartender Dan Jones, he was at the forefront of ‘National Margarita Day’ with this photo of a couple cheeky of expertly made Margaritas. Well done Antony keep it up

To learn a little bit more about the general running of a restaurant, Gwyn (HR Director) decided to pop down to Stratford Westfield and don the Chef Blacks to help in the kitchen. With a little shift on the host stand too he confessed he was probably more of a hindrance than a help, but thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the team.

Whilst Gwyn was out, Grant Baynes from Derby Spent A Day at the office to learn about various processes involved within our Marketing team. It was a pleasure to have you Grant and remember if anyone else would like to experience another restaurant or position then just email danny@iguanas.co.uk

Of course we did and whilst our tour guide Zeca Cordeiro sent me photos from across the pond of him celebrating in Brazil and rocking out at a Rolling Stones concert, (above). Iguanas our side were getting involved with some in-house carnival celebrations of their own, (below), and upselling our Carnival cocktail.

Abby Conkleton from Leamington Spa took it one step further by booking a holiday to

Rio and representing us on Copacabana Beach. Good work Teams!

Following on from Carnival, the chance for you guys to leave on jet plane to Rio has

started, and the first top 20 Mystery Diner scores for 2016 league are below.

Whilst myself and Zeca plan the itinerary for the Rio trip leaving this April; Trafford and Wembley have flown out the traps like pumped-up greyhounds on heat, sniffing the air for

next years trip!

We all know just like with the premier league, anything can happen and with a knat’s nether regions between Blackpool, Cambridge, Cribbs Causeway and Deansgate, a bad run and you can end up like Chelsea - from the very top, to the bottom.

There were only 2 servers who qualified for the Mystery Diner Bonus of 50 pence per hour

added on t all shifts worked throughout the entire period that the amigo visited. But a big

well done to Steve and Barbara for achieving that and getting over the 97.5% target to put

your restaurants on top spot.

P11

Trafford 98.40%

Wembley 98.00%

Blackpool 95.80%

Cambridge 95.70%

Cribbs Causeway 95.30%

Deansgate 95.30%

Cardiff ML 94.90%

Leeds 94.60%

MK 93.60%

Reading 93.00%

Edinburgh 92.80%

BHS 92.40%

Swansea 92.30%

Exeter 92.10%

Aberdeen 92.00%

Coventry 91.10%

Nottingham 90.90%

Torquay 90.80%

Leicester 90.40%

Derby 89.80%

This month I give you waitress Olivia Waddington and Victor Marra.

Firstly Olivia from Nottingham received an in-house winning prize for getting her first perfect bill.

Not only that but on the same day a guest from one of her tables ordered all 7 desserts from the menu and ate them all! Curious guests questioned whether he was a journalist or some kind of food critic, but it turns out he just really loves our desserts… can you blame him?

Now it’s not everyday you save a life, but that is exactly what Victor from Brighton did when a guest was choking on some seafood and turning blue. Well done Vic, we hope that you enjoy the gin and wine selection that we sent you.

Co-ordinated by Gem Holmes, all of the London restaurants collaborate with local schools, getting involved in anything from helping children learn how to grow their own veg, charity projects and most recently inviting kids to try their hand at creating their own cocktails.

Obviously no alcohol was present, but some of the bartenders at Stratford Westfield put children through their paces with a hands on bar demonstration into mixology using various juices and mixers.

Kingston arranged a meal for the ‘Young Carer’s Project’, a group set-up for children who are carers for siblings and parents who have medical conditions. After a successful meal they wanted to share this lovely experience that they had and Kingston got sent this lovely thank you card.

Rahulkumar Shah SSC - Brunswick Chris Blair HC - Glasgow David Hill SSC - Glasgow Fredi Merino HC - York Christian Irimia CDP - Swansea Ivanciu Bogdan JSC - Lakeside Bradley Yallop SC - Norwich Ewa Zazulka JSC - Wembley Jeewantha Wellabalage JSC - Meadowhall Sandor Szilagyi SSC - Bristol HS Nicola Schmolke DM - Cribbs Egle Kvederaviciute MIT - York Alex Hounslow AM - Cribbs Ella Mason MIT - Harrogate Sam Isaacs AM - Cambridge Aaron Palk AM - Brighton M James Lawrence AM - Chelmsford Nickolaos Vovos CDP -Cambridge

Assistant Manager Aberdeen General Manager Chester MIT/Assistant Manager Clifton General Manager Exeter Assistant Manager Birmingham Assistant Manager Birmingham RW Assistant Manager Norwich Assistant Manager Woking Deputy Manager Woking Assistant/Deputy Manager London Bar Manager Stratford General Manager Chelmsford Assistant Manager Chelmsford General Manager Bromley Assistant Manager Bromley Deputy Manager Bromley Deputy Manager Basingstoke Assistant Manager Brighton Marina Head Chef Oxford Head Chef Edinburgh Head Chef Blackpool Junior Sous Chef Newport Senior Sous Chef/SC/JSC Edinburgh Junior Sous Chef Leamington Spa Sous Chef Newport Sous Chef Reading Junior Sous Chef Reading Senior Sous Chef/SC/JSC Birmingham RW Senior Sous Chef/SC/JSC Blackpool Junior Sous Chef Cribbs Causeway Junior Sous Chef Mermaid Quay Senior Sous Chef/SC/JSC Newcastle Junior Sous Chef/Sous Chef London Sous Chef Woking Sous Chef Milton Keynes Head Chef Basingstoke Head Chef Brighton Marina Head Chef Bromley

Junior Sous Chef Bromley Sous Chef Chelmsford Sous Chef Bromley Sous Chef Brighton Marina Sous Chef Braintree Junior Sous Chef Brighton Marina Junior Sous Chef Braintree Sous Chef York Junior Sous Chef York Sous Chef Harrogate Junior Sous Chef Harrogate Sous Chef Newcastle Quays Sous Chef Basingstoke Junior Sous Chef Basingstoke

You may have seen an email making the rounds earlier this week ’Hit us baby one more time’, which featured a photo-shopped image of Mos as Britney Spears, following the Adeleboy survey campaign?

Well, it gave us an idea which Mos has fully backed, that if we collectively raise £10,000 in charity

donations for the LATA Foundation, (our main charity partner), he will don the tightest hot pants and blondest pigtails to perform a LIVE lip-sync at the Awards which will be filmed for all to see.

Full information will be released over the coming days, regard-ing the actual brief, but if you can all start to think of ways your restaurant can raise some money over the Easter Holidays that would be excellent.

For more information on the awesome work LATA do, simply pop to our website www.iguanas.co.uk/community or check out www.latafoundation.org

FROM BOOKING DOUBLE BIRTHDAY PARTY, PAYING DE-POSIT, DROPPING CAKE OFF TO DINING ON THE NIGHT IT WAS ALL HANDLED WITH PROFFESSIALISM.EXCEPTIONAL SPEEDY SERVICE FOR FOOD, WELL IMPRESSED, ATTENDED TO BY SAME WAITER, NO COMPLAINTS WHATSOEVER & WILL DEFINATELY RETURN!! THANKYOU FOR MAKING IT A SUCCESSFUL NIGHT.

I celebrated my 51st Birthday at las Iguanas last night. On my god what a truly wonderful night. Right from the start. All the staff were amazing Especially Ben and Robert. I received a personal birthday card from Ben. That made my day. Which was from all the staff. The food was as ever always amazing. I had taken my 68 year old mother in-law as well as my sister in-law. And my two best friends. Nothing was too much trouble. Our food was hot and delivered in good time. My best friend, had brought a chocolate cake in that Rob. Was only to kind to bring over. Singing Happy Birthday.

Came here for lunch with my two small children. We were seated straight away by a very friendly waitress. She was very friendly and spoke to my children and played with them. One of my children is a 4-year-old boy and my daughter is only just 2, so they don't eat much so they shared a Mac and cheese, very

good portion size for a child's meal. Myself I had a chicken burrito and some curly fries. All very tasty and fresh. I must say how child friendly your restaurant is, not many restaurants are so child aware. But the waitress (tall with short dark hair) made me and my 2 children feel at ease. Thank you for a great lunch.

Table for 3 booked on line for Mrs Lawrie who is a staff member of the CDG, we were dining early at 18:30 . 3 x starters and 3 mains all excellent. You could tell the ingredients of the dishes were good quality. Pleasantly surprised at the standard. Both the waitress (Mandy) and the manager were really friendly. Will go back again.

Me and my family went last Saturday and we really had a fantastic evening meal, arrive on the door on busy Saturday without reservation and was very welcome with a smile buy Greg who ask us if we had reservation, we said unfortunately not and is answer was, not a problem let me check if I got something available, straight away guide us to a nice table for the 4 of us, our night just started well but got even much better when the waiter called Lino came to the table and introduce himself with a great genuine smile and made feel like I was at home, he guide us true the menu explaining us what the specials was and the happy hour, he recommend us to have a nice caipirinha to start because it’s the most traditional drink from Brazil and we said OK, we will try it, great advice the drinks was really good, order some nice tapas and mains and the night just got better and better because the attention to detail he give us, hard to say but he made us and the table around us feel like if he here the most important persons in the world amassing service, very very impressed....finish the meals got churros and got recommend to have carabien cortada ,great choice again...I would recommend las iguanas to my friends and family and if possible to get Lino as waiter for they have the same experience we had.....once again Thank You very much Lino

With less than 2 weeks left,

Swansea and the rest of our teams have been holding internal competitions to decide their representative/Gladiator to battle against each other to take home this years crown as Best Bartender. It’s restaurant Vs restaurant in this all day

explosive event at our Spitalfields restaurant as one bartenders from

each site endure 4 knockout rounds

including speed pouring and an Ingenuity round. While the DJ plays

tunes from 3pm and a trip to Cuba for

1st place, it looks set to be a great

event.