USABLE PORTIONS BY VEGETABLE: Celery 100%
Cucumbers 100%
Food waste
Don’t throw it out! Stop Food Waste Day was celebrated on April 28. But as summer approaches and we start buying up all those bountiful fresh vegetable in bulk, now is a good time to take a hard look at how we can fully utilize every bit of our purchases. In the kitchen, stopping food waste means many different things. Rotating product, proper storage, production forecasting, and also utilization of products can help in the fight to stop food waste. By using as much (if not all) of an ingredient as possible, you can reduce food waste, decrease your food costs, and add to your gross profit margin. Reducing food waste is a great way to increase Like for Like revenue! Best of all, it can also foster creativity and innovation in the kitchen. Challenge your culinary team to reduce their food waste and don’t forget to share best practices.
ONLY BUY WHAT YOU NEED
USE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
INCORPORATE LEFTOVERS AND USE FOOD EFFICIENTLY.
Product trim can be a significant source of waste. Train kitchen staff to be deliberate with their cuts so they don’t throw away usable product. Poor food prep can contribute as much as 45% to food waste. It’s crucial for staff to learn how to store food correctly, cook food correctly and avoid cross contamination.
It can be tempting to ‘stock up’ or buy in bulk if your supplier has a good deal on, but doing so can leave you with more food than you need. And this food will only go to waste if it’s left to spoil in storage.
KEEP A STOCK INVENTORY You should always know exactly which foods you have in stock at all times. Keep a detailed list of the foods in all of your storage areas, including their use-by/best-before dates that you can easily refer to.
Try not to be so quick to throw away leftover food, as you might be able to make use of it somewhere else. For example, vegetable peelings and animal bones can be used to make stocks and soups, while day-old bread can be made into croutons or breadcrumbs.
STANDARDIZE
ADD A DAILY SPECIAL
It’s important to standardize your recipes and quantify them to the right yields. Purchasing the right product for the right use not only reduces waste, but helps keep you on budget.
Don’t be afraid to add a one-off daily special that makes use of some extra food scraps that you have.
Beets 100%
Collard Greens 100%
Mustard Greens 100%
Tomatoes 99%
Add celery leaves to your salad
Use the skin in smoothies or salads Sauté beet greens
Add collard or mustard greens to soups, stir frys and casseroles
Fry tomato skins for a crunchy salad or topper
Mushrooms 98%
Use mushroom stems in your omelettes
Broccoli / Cauliflower 98%
Leaves and stems can be roasted
Peeled Onions 95%
Use onion skins to enhance broth flavours (remove before eating)
~R.I.B.A./Foodbuy
THE BOTTOM LINE June 2021 | 17
