Preventing Unnecessary Food Waste In Your Eatery

There are a lot of things that can make your restaurant a hit or a miss. Food quality, ambience, hygiene, customer service, all of these things are vital. Food waste might not sound like quite as big a deal as all of that but, left unchecked, it can really start to eat into your profits. Here, we’re going to look at the steps you can take to minimize food waste and make sure that you’re getting the most out of the ingredients you invest in.

‍Track it

The best way to know where and how you are wasting food is to start tracking how much you have to throw out and when. A simple way to do this is to have a pen and pad stationed by the food bins and have everyone quickly jot down what they’re throwing out and why they’re throwing it out. From this, you’ll have a waste journal that will point out the common causes of food waste, and what to do about them.

Prevent food from spoiling

The number one cause of food waste in restaurants is spoilage. Some ingredients are going to go missing and only pop once they’re well and truly past their use-by date. However, aside from sourcing the freshest ingredients possible, the best way to prevent unnecessary spoilage is to invest in commercial refrigerators. Not only do you want the highest quality refrigeration, but you want the organisation and visibility that a good fridge provides, as well. That way, you can see at a glance what ingredients you have and their conditions.

Manage your food inventory better

Food is often wasted when too much is ordered and has to be thrown out because not enough people have ordered it, or if your chefs prepare portions that are too large, which causes your customers to leave more of their food on the plate. Ordering food to par can occasionally result in you running out of that food, but that’s better than having to throw it away on the regular.

Do what you can to prevent spillage

Spillage is a fact of life in any eatery. A server will drop a tray of food. A chef will knock over a pan. These things happen. The best way to prevent spillage is to make sure that your team has enough space to work. A good kitchen floor plan should have separate zones for every worker, and a consistent throughline so that people can keep work flowing in one direction rather than having to pass by and interrupt one another.

Water waste matters, too

Aside from the waste of the food itself, the waste of the water that you use in your restaurant during the food prep should be considered, as well. You don’t want to skimp where hygiene is required, of course, but you can, for instance, wash your fruits and vegetables at the same time. Just make sure that you’re aware of cross-contamination risks and don’t wash meats together.

Food waste is a reality of life for all restaurants, but it can be managed. For what remains, ensure you dispose of it in a safe and responsible way to avoid clogging up your sinks or attracting pests to your exterior.

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