One of the best, yet often overlooked, ways to keep operating costs low is by reducing food wastage.
This can be achieved by conducting a Food Audit! A food waste audit’s primary function is to identify where the operation’s waste comes from as finding the source is the first step to reducing waste. There are two primary sources, pre-consumer waste, and post-consumer waste.
Pre-consumer waste is food that never leaves the kitchen due to either improper handling or storage. This is the largest contributor to overall food waste and the easiest to manage. Ways to reduce pre-consumer waste includes:
- Storing perishables in ways that maximise shelf life.
- Evaluating the inventory by ordering fewer food items that are often thrown out or left unused.
- Repurposing ingredients, like using old bread for croutons.
- Training kitchen staff to ensure all food items are properly prepared and no usable bits are thrown out.
- Keeping the inventory organised so food is used by its due date and no food is mistakenly reordered.
- Offering daily special menus based on food items that need to be used.
Post-consumer waste is food that is leftover by patrons. There are a few steps restaurant owners can take to reduce the amount of leftover food, including:
- Ensuring that guests are properly informed of portion sizes, so your customers know what to expect and can eat until they are comfortably full.
- Encouraging customers to take home leftovers and providing proper takeaway boxes.
- Managing customer expectations with accurate descriptions of dishes so that food isn’t sent back to the kitchen.
- Adjusting the menu and dishes based on what is most often left on the plate or least ordered.
By decreasing food waste, not only are operating costs reduced but can help build a loyal base of customers who are becoming more aware of conscious practices by restaurants.