Читать книгу 101 Restaurant Secrets - Ross Inc. Boardman - Страница 9

We have already talked about weight v dry weight and making sure you know what you are not getting on the table. This takes it a further step and may start to give you some ideas about economies. If you send out a fatty piece of lamb does it matter? You sell this to a customer and some comes back. This is now food waste but is also reputation waste. What you are trying to put on a plate is accurately costed, so this is one angle of waste. However, measuring your levels of waste tell you more than what comes back on a plate.

1 How careful is the prep?

If you have one chef prepping side veg and he generates more waste than another, then you need to ask why. Does the person have lower knife skills, are they lazy or cannot gauge the quantity they need. You can replace a lazy chef with a machine that can do a consistent job if the level of waste justifies it.

2 Have you defined waste?

Well have you? The answer is all about looking at the chain between storage and the bin. Nothing should go in the bin unless it cannot be reused or is unfit. In traditional kitchen they would employ a garde manger who’s sole purpose was to save as much waste leaving the kitchen. Meat and fat offcuts can be made into sausages, rillettes or pates. Veg scraps and herb stalks can be used in stocks, cheese in sauces etc.

3 Bin costs

When food hits the bins there are several numbers to work in. How much did the food cost, especially if this is produce which has gone out of date? How much does the bin cost to get lifted and replaced? How much time can you keep a bin on site before it becomes a nuisance? Can you recycle or compost your waste onsite?

As a rule, most of this cost cannot be traced to a menu item, but will affect the overall gross margin of the kitchen. General food waste is more insipid and can be big numbers if left uncontrolled.