Even in a challenging market, there are always opportunities. However much hospitality operators like to share their concerns with each other when it comes to issues such as higher running costs and lower consumer confidence, it’s important that, when customers come through the door, the focus is on the positives.

There are still people who want to go out to eat and drink, and equally there are plenty of well-run businesses, offering menus that meet expectations terms of value and quality, that are competing successfully,

There are also key areas in every hospitality business where it’s possible to make a real difference to the bottom line, starting with a disciplined approach to food and drink purchasing.

Sourcing as close to home as possible, as well as focusing on seasonality to make the most of produce in terms of availability, quality and value, is better advice than ever. As we move into summer, working with suppliers to spotlight British farmers and producers on menus and specials boards also adds a point of interest for customers.

Tips for using seasonal and British produce:

• Offer a broader range of fish and seafood by spotlighting “catch of the day” dishes on specials boards
• Tap into deals and offers from your butcher to use the best value cuts for barbecue-style menus
• Use “served with fresh, seasonal veg” as a descriptor to vary accompaniments as availability changes
• Use stocks and sauces to vary core recipes and increase customer choice

It’s also important to remember that purchasing discipline doesn’t stop at the point of delivery. Managing food waste in the kitchen and throughout the business can have a dramatic impact on costs. All too often, plates that are piled high with food when they’re sent out to the customer, come back with food left on them, which has to be thrown away.

This waste is not just costly in terms of the money that was spent to buy the food, it increasingly carries a cost in terms of disposal. Most businesses are now required to separate food waste for collection. This has already been an eye-opener for many businesses, prompting them to look again at the amount of food that is simply thrown away.

The requirement to include calorie counts on menus is also a factor. Many consumers now stop and think more carefully about the amount they eat, and are looking for healthier choices. Food simply piled high on the plate isn’t always as appealing as some chefs seem to think.

There are some straightforward ways that businesses can reduce the amount of food waste the generate:

• Consider all portion sizes when planning new dishes
• Give customers more opportunity to decide which accompaniments they want with a main course
• Serve side dishes in a range of container sizes to manage portion size
• Monitor and measure plate waste coming back into the kitchen, to understand what customers don’t like
• Are garnishes eaten or thrown away? If you serve salad garnishes keep checking the cost. For example, watercress is more expensive in winter
• If you offer takeaways and delivery, check portion sizes and containers carefully. If customers know the fries or rice will serve two people, they’ll only order one portion
• Consider the size and shape of your plates in order to manage portion size visually
• Be more disciplined with ordering, and plan based on forward bookings and forecasts

As ever, it’s good advice is to keep talking to suppliers, who can often advise on recommended portion sizes, and to keep menus and dishes flexible where possible, to make the best of changing availability and seasonal produce.

To benchmark your purchasing  against best practice, our Seven Habits of Highly Effective Purchasing Teams is FREE to download.

To keep track of GP and margins, the fully updated Lynx Purchasing GP Calculator-App/ has been downloaded more that 12,000 time since its relaunch in 2024, and is available FREE to download from the Apple and Google Play stores.