Every year, more than 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted. This is one third of all food production. This can and should be improved. As a culinary entrepreneur or food service expert, you produce, prepare and sell your food every day. This makes you a crucial link in the food waste reduction chain. Want to reduce food waste at your business? The chefs at La Lorraine Bakery Group help you get started with some effective tips.
Reducing food waste at your business
Why reduce food waste at your business?
Reducing food waste is extremely important for your hospitality or food business for several reasons. First and foremost, food waste has a strong negative impact on the environment. The production of food requires the consumption of natural resources like water and energy. If this food is later thrown away, all those resources were wasted.
In addition, throwing food away is like throwing money away. Food waste is an important factor in the calculation of your food cost percentage — and for good reason. By reducing food waste, you increase the profitability of your business. You'll throw away less food and therefore buy less as well, saving you money. In addition, you can even increase profits by getting creative with leftovers. We'll explain more later.
Last but not least: sustainable entrepreneurship is becoming more important, especially for hospitality businesses. Consumers are increasingly concerned about sustainability and their own impact on the environment. By actively reducing food waste, you can show your customers that you share their values. This increases customer loyalty and satisfaction levels among this target group.
Save on costs and increase the margin of your menu
To solve a problem, you first need to figure out where it originates. So analyse how much waste there is, which type of food is most often wasted and when the most food is disposed of.
There are two categories to take into account:
1. The waste you produce when preparing your dishes or products. (e.g. leftovers from vegetables, meat, fish and bread)
2. The waste that is left over after your customers leave. (e.g. food leftovers on plates, half consumed beverages)
The waste produced during your cooking process can often be solved by optimising your stock. Store your products correctly, use the FiFo method (First in, First out) to process the older products first or extend the lifespan of fresh products by vacuum-packing them. Another option is to use quality frozen products, especially breads, viennoiserie, patisserie, savoury snacks and sweet snacks. These have a long shelf life but the same quality and flavour. There are also creative ways to reduce food waste during the cooking process. We’ll explain more later.
The second type of waste (from customers) can be solved by optimising your portions. Are customers not finishing their meals? Make your portions smaller. Because quality should always trump quantity. Another option is to offer different portion sizes. For example, small, medium or large portions. Then you can adapt to the needs of people with small, average and large appetites. In addition, you can charge more for large portions, which will benefit your turnover. Is it your sides that usually go to waste? First offer a small portion and explain to customers that they can order more at any time. Mmm, fries and croquettes on demand!
Do you offer an all-you-can-eat concept? Don't be afraid to charge a small fee for leftovers. For example £1 per cold dish and £2 per hot dish. Customers will be more mindful about what they pick. Make it clear that this policy is intended to reduce food waste.
Tip: is most food wasted during unexpected quiet times? Consider the Too Good To Go concept. This was developed to reduce food waste in the hospitality and food sector. We're big fans!
Smart use of food to reduce food waste
Using food creatively is another smart strategy to reduce food waste. Here are some examples of how to do this.
Incorporate leftovers into other dishes
Do you have leftover fresh vegetables, meat or fish? Use them in other dishes like vegetable soup, chicken soup, fish velouté or even a delicious chef's pasta sauce. These all lend themselves to being frozen, which means you can keep them for longer. Leftover bread, Danish pastries, bread slices or other baked goods can be incorporated into bread pudding.
Did you know that carcasses are the ideal base for making bouillon? You can freeze it and use it in your soups, sauces and stews later on. The same goes for the heads and bones of fish, shellfish and shells etc.
Promotions
Do you usually prepare dishes that you can only sell fresh that day, like viennoiserie? Then it might be a good idea to offer a discount after a certain time. For example, a 50% discount on Danish pastries after 5pm. This strategy is also great for encouraging impulse buys. Post about your promotions on social media as part of your social media marketing to keep your customers informed.
Use an ordering system
Creating a unique assortment for special days like Easter or Mother's Day? Offering luxury products like wagyu beef or bluefin tuna? Take orders, so you can always serve these products fresh and avoid waste.
Less food waste with LLBG as your reliable partner
Want to reduce food waste at your hospitality business? La Lorraine Bakery Group is the specialist in high-quality frozen products. From bread and viennoiserie to patisserie, with our products, you can create an entire assortment. Discover our range online or get a product catalogue. Any questions? Talk to one of our representatives. We're happy to help. Also take a look at our sustainability report.
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