Patisserie Valerie

Taste sensation indulges in technology treat

Gaining an international reputation and a celebrity following is no mean feat, but for the havens of self indulgence known as Patisserie Valerie their reputation for creating mouth watering patisserie is second to none.

Catering to the affluent lifestyle of the residents of Belgravia and Kensington, Patisserie Valerie also operates alongside the famous Druckers chain and both operations have always prided themselves on their ability to create delectable patisserie, delicious food and great coffee.

Today the chain boasts over 50 stores with a geographic spread covering from Leeds in the North, to Poole in the South, and as far East as Norwich and West, moving into Wales.

Organising such a far reaching multi-site operation could have proved difficult, yet by using MCR Systems retail point of sale equipment now gives the chain a smooth running process. Having worked for a number of years installing the EPOS system for Druckers, MCR were then approached by Patisserie Valerie to roll out a new system.

MCR installed the EPOS management system that includes Uniwell’s DX 895 point of sale terminals, which are particularly popular in the hospitality/retail arena due to their advanced software. This is supported by a head office system providing central control over all prices and till functionality.

Each store receives updates from head office and provides the tools for the sites to manage stock. Sales and stock reports are then fed back to head office over a secure broadband connection. The system also provides program updates and data transfers between PC, kitchen printers and other EPOS terminals in a network. For sites that need a compact touch screen display till, the DX 895 also offers table plan facilities to allow for more efficient room management.

Matthew Gatter,director of MCR comments:
“As an expanding company, Druckers were looking for an EPOS provider who were able to provide a full head office solution, complete project management with nationwide support. Our expertise and infrastructure meant we could support their growth, and that led to our contract with Patisserie Valerie, as they knew we could deliver when it came to multiple sites. “

“With shops in the likes of Belgravia and Kensington you can imagine the clientele they draw in, from ladies who lunch to celebrities and we knew their EPOS system had to reflect the quality service they were offering. “

With literally hundreds of customers coming through the doors of each store, and the fast pace of the world we live in, the EPOS system had three major criteria, efficiency, flexibility and ease of use.

Patisserie Valerie’s EPOS manager, Rob Hunt explains:
“We needed our tills to represent our full range of products, cakes, sandwiches, drinks etc it had to be designed to our specification. Perhaps more importantly it has to be easy to use, there really isn’t any point having a system that causes more problems than it solves. By linking with back office we have complete control over stock, which tables have been served, and each member of staff has their own logon so it’s personalised.”

Points of Interest

• Head Office Management and Reporting system
• EPOS deployed to over 50 sites
• More efficient and increased speed of service using kitchen / dispense printers