Restaurant kitchens produce a lot of waste and use a lot of energy due to the very nature of their business. It is not always clear how much a customer wants to eat so there will always be food waste, which can amount to tonnes of waste produced every year and items need to be hygienically cleaned. Read on to discover ways to reduce your kitchen waste and energy.

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Purchase wisely

If some products don’t get used before their expiry date, make a note of this and try to purchase in smaller packets.

Educate the staff

Staff who have a method of movement within the kitchen are less likely to bump into each other. This means a faster service and less food and drink wasted through dropping. You should also educate your staff on each of the equipment pieces that you own and how to use them correctly.

Invest in equipment

Using the best quality knives to prepare food and the right machines to process it means less waste. There are many kitchen gadgets recommended by top chefs, so consider having an overhaul of your kitchen equipment to increase your productivity and reduce waste. When it comes to cleaning your kitchen items you may want to consider a steam cleaner as well as perhaps a Large Ultrasonic Cleaner for hygienically cleaning intricate items of equipment. These cleaners can be used across many different business sectors for items that need to be cleaned carefully and that have multiple places were items can become embedded and lodged. These cleaners would be unlikely to be used for cleaning plates but instead used for those items that need to be cleaned occasionally or are difficult to clean thoroughly such as cake and jelly moulds.

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Change plates

If you buy slightly smaller plates, you can reduce the portion sizes marginally, which will mean less food waste. Diners who are not eating all the food from your regular large plates will be more likely to finish their meal on a smaller plate.

Store food properly

One easy way to reduce waste is to make sure you store fruit and veg properly. The oldest food should be at the front so it can be used up first, so always stock to the back. If you take from left to right, store the newest food on the right.

Take an inventory

Regular inventories using up to date software enable you to keep track of what items you need and what items you already have enough of. Too much of one food item results in spoilage and wastage. You should also keep an inventory of your pieces of equipment to prevent more than one item being purchased that completes the same job.
Change the menu

Look at the menu to see which dishes have most leftovers and reduce these portion sizes. This will reduce food waste and also lower your food bill, resulting in an increase in overall profit.