Overview
REDEFINING GLOBAL CULINARY ACCREDITATION
Seven Spoons is a global quality certification program for a wide variety of culinary experiences. It's a new, more relevant and fairer way to certify experiences based on the Association's in-depth research over the years. Seven Spoons is the most comprehensive and accurate rating system available today. It is also global so it works equally well in all countries and cultures.
"Seven Spoons" refers to the seven pillars of measurement (criteria). The logo visually depicts the seven spoons as a brand with which consumers can identify around the world, regardless of language or culture. We are building a separate consumer-facing website that will explain the brand to consumers in a fun, easily comprehensible way.
CERTIFICATION FOR EVERY KIND OF CULINARY BUSINESS & DESTINATION
Certification is available for all kinds of eating and drinking establishments and manufacturers, culinary tours and packages, food and beverage events, culinary retail stores, farms and farmers’ markets, culinary lodging, cooking schools and classes, culinary attractions, culinary media and even destinations (towns, regions, states/provinces, countries). Groups (like foodservice and lodging associations) don’t receive accreditation, but their members are eligible to apply for it. We're sorry but most chains (except local chains) are ineligible for certification. Please see Terms & Conditions for some exceptions.
CRITERIA THRESHOLDS
1, 2 or 3 Spoons No Certification
4 Spoons Bronze Certification
5 Spoons Silver Certification
6 Spoons Gold Certification
7 Spoons Platinum Certification
benefits
- Electronic, web resolution Seven Spoons Certification Logo (pictured on product home page)
- High Resolution Seven Spoons Certification Logo (suitable for print use)
- Mention/show in all your online marketing (website, emails, etc.)
- Mention/show in your social communities (twitter, facebook, linkedin, foursquare, groupon, etc.)
- Mention/show in all your print marketing (brochures, postcards, signage, etc.)
- Affix easy-peel sticker in your business window
- Mention/show in press releases you send to journalists and in interviews you give
- Include it in your professional profile(s) on culinarytourism.org and foodtrekker.com
- Consumers world-wide recognize consistent international certification, which spans all cultures and languages (unlike national rating schemes)
criteria/ review
THE REVIEW PROCESS
There are 7 "spoons” or categories in which your business or destination can be certified. You do not have to qualify for each category, just those that are relevant to your business type. Please be advised that you should be prepared to apply for at least 4 out of the 7 available criteria or else your business may not score high enough to receive certification. Applications are assessed on both 1) the number of criteria (spoons) for which certification evidence is provided; and 2) how well the business demonstrates its suitability for each category. Ratings based on numeric scores are not used because they are challenging since not all criteria or ranking systems work for all businesses, or in all countries. Therefore, the onus is on the business to furnish its own evidence to substantiate its claim of suitability for each category. We help businesses determine examples of evidence that can be used to substantiate claims.
THE SPOONS (CATEGORIES)
Remember, not every business or destination fits each category below and that is OK. Choose the categories in which you think you have the strongest chance of success, or submit evidence for all categories as you may be eligible for partial scores within each category.
1 UNIQUE & MEMORABLE
Seek to stand out. The product or service you offer must adhere to the basic tenet of culinary tourism: that it is unique and memorable. Will your customer return home raving about the uniqueness of your inn, restaurant, tour, store or other offering? Or is what you offer indistinguishable from other businesses or areas? For example, if you represent a destination, do you promote "outdoor recreation" as do 500 other nearby communities? Or if you represent a business, is it itself a destination? How you prove that your business or destination is unique or memorable is up to you. Convince us.
2 SOCIAL PROOF
There is no better way to assess the quality of the experience than by leveraging the power of the people. Your business must maintain a minimum experience score on FoodTrekker.com of at least 70% positive reviews. Until FoodTrekker is well established, we will accept most other third-party rating systems so show us how well you score on your system of choice. In essence, how popular is your business or destination? This pillar is a social measurement that includes notions of service, quality and value. There is no arguing with customers who don't like your business or destination. Note: you do not need to have a paid listing on FoodTrekker in order to use FoodTrekker's rating system.
3 CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
How your customers experience your business can involve many different criteria, from the quality of the products you use, to the service orientation of the staff, knowledge of local area & ingredients, or even overall value provided. This is also where we take into consideration the healthfulness of food preparation (if you represent a foodservice establishment, what do you do to minimize the health risk to your customers?). How do you measure customer experience? Perhaps your business is not unique and memorable and that's OK. Some measurements of experience can be subjective. It is up to you to prove how your customer experience is superior.
4 TARGET SUITABILITY
Who are your customers, and how relevant is your business or destination to them? For example, do you serve mostly locals or tourists? If your customers are mostly tourists, what do you do to make tourists feel welcome and that their experience is NOT "touristy"? If your customers are mostly families, how do you cater to the special needs of children (this does NOT mean that you simply have suitable seating or menus for children). This also goes beyond Customer Experience because customers can be anyone. This is more like customizing the experience to suit the majority of your customers. If you do not know exactly who your customers are, or what your target market is, then this pillar may not be suitable for you. But if you do, show us how.
5 CORE CONSISTENCY
It is one thing to achieve high scores in customer experience at one point in time, but circumstances change all the time. Owners sell businesses, chefs move on, inns get sold, destinations fall out of favor. What steps do you practice to ensure that your customers' experience is consistent over time? Regular service training is just one way to do this. You may also require employees to pass a test on the history of your business or area. If you represent a destination, you may have a destination-wide training program that a majority of your area's front-line staff have completed. Even better is that such training is transferable to another business when the employee moves on. We can't tell you how you should measure your consistency, but if this pillar fits you, tell us how and provide evidence of it.
6 SUSTAINABILITY STEWARDSHIP
We recognize many ways to measure sustainability, such as economically, environmentally and socially - often called "the triple bottom line". Economic sustainability may include buying local ingredients or supplies and/or spending as much as possible of your income in your local area. Environmental sustainability means that you take quantifiable steps to reduce energy and water consumption, and to reduce solid waste. You can show exactly what your business does every year to reduce your environmental impact. Social sustainability relates to how you support your local community. For example, are you active in charity programs? One example is Jamie Oliver's program to train homeless people to work in the kitchen and even to become chefs. What do you do? We recognize that not all businesses are surrounded by great local agriculture that is in season 12 months out of the year and that is OK. Prove that you are a steward of sustainability in as many areas as possible.
7 SIGNIFICANTLY AUTHENTIC
If your business or destination is in an area of cultural or historical significance, how well does your business or destination uphold this authenticity? Do you use authentic ingredients, cooking techniques and instruments, etc. Is the architecture authentic? Do staff wear authentic outfits? Perhaps you make products that have an official designation from an agricultural or governmental body? Authenticity can be subjective so use your own evidence to convince us that your business or destination is significantly authentic.
pricing/sign up
Accreditation is priced at US$295 per year per business (including per outlet if there are multiple outlets - remember national/international chains are not allowed). The price is the same for all business categories.
Appeals (e.g. if you disagree with the review committee's determination) are US$49 extra.
Expedited application (decision in 2 business days) is US$99 extra.
Extra window sticker (if accreditation approved) is US$5 extra (limit 1 extra).
To purchase, click on the menu button on the right side.
FAQ
Q: Does the Seven Spoons business certification compete with other national certification or rating systems?
A: Not at all, in fact it enhances the work of national certification and rating systems. Seven Spoons is being designed as a global brand with which consumers can identify in any culture or language. Your rating system or certification may be great for your individual area, but will visitors know it and respect it once they arrive? How will they know to look for businesses that you have already certified? Seven Spoons gives visitors a chance to find exactly those kinds of businesses. We are interested in partnering with local certification and rating organizations to help expand the visibility of our mutual brands, both locally and internationally. Please email erik (at) culinarytourism (dot) org to discuss partnership possibilities.
Q: Can I use Seven Spoons as my own personal certification, i.e. is this program also for individuals?
A: Seven Spoons is for the certification of businesses and destinations. It is not intended for individuals. If you are an individual and seek some kind of industry certification, we recommend our Certified Culinary Travel Professional program (CCTP). This is our long-standing and highly successful program for individuals. You can read more about it from the "Learn" menu above.
Q: What is that strange splotchy looking mark on the lower right of the logo and why is it there?
A: That is a QR code. These codes are very easy ways for people to scan the logo (affixed to your store window) with their smart phone and they will be taken to the sevenspoons.org website (in development) to learn about the Seven Spoons program. This is a great way to explain why Seven Spoons certification is so important, without having to take the time to explain it to each person.