If you ’ re responsible for the financial performance of food at your club , you need to know how the kitchen works . Here ’ s how a non-chef can manage ‘ secret kitchen business ’:
1 . Improve the ordering systems . Make sure ordering is done from standard printed lists or electronic systems , not a paper diary . Set re-order levels to ensure enough is on hand for 3-4 day ’ s supply , no more – that ’ s plenty unless deliveries come from a distance .
2 . Upgrade food delivery and storage systems . Treat it with the same care given to alcohol . Have heavy-duty scales available for checking the weight of delivered items . Install locks on store rooms and label shelves . Delivery people are always in a hurry so have your rules about signatures and delivery times up on the wall and printed on the invoice .
3 . Supply updated commodity and ingredient prices every week . Where possible , have the chef enter price changes into the recipe costing system . But if your chef is busy , it ’ s unrealistic to add more admin to her load – it ’ s a job for the office staff .
4 . Invest in a recipe costing system . Software like Cooking the Books and Resort Kitchen have a learning curve , but they ’ re well worth taking on . Bring office staff in to help with data updates and have the results shared with management – these systems given an honest daily snapshot of costs and stock levels . Spreadsheets and paper systems are out of date for this important task .
5 . Provide good equipment and keep it repaired . Commercial stoves , fryers and microwaves are needed to get food out fast : nothing frustrates staff more than poorly maintained equipment . Don ’ t offer easy excuses for why it ‘ can ’ t be done ’.
6 . Install Electronic Costing Scales : one of your best investments . Buy a set similar to those used in a deli that weigh the goods AND work out the cost . The price is much less than you think . Toss out the old round-dial ones . When you want to check the actual cost of 5 scallops or a juicy steak , the result is instant - and may be a shock !
7 . Insist the Point-of-Sale is used properly : this shows exactly what ’ s selling ( and what ’ s not ). Check the most and least popular items , and how well side-orders are moving . Disable the ‘ Open Key ’ which is often used by staff in a hurry to ring up unknown items , and corrupts the sales data . Make the correct use of the POS a ‘ holy obligation ’ in your business .
8 . Check and discuss the figures every week . The quickest way to find out food costs is to compare purchases ( from delivery invoices ) against sales . This gives you a ‘ close enough ’ figure and identifies problems quickly . It is also valuable to know per-head sales for food , side-orders , desserts and beverages . Many chefs rightly complain they are kept in the dark and only told about problems when it ’ s too late - share as much as you can . A short weekly meeting is the chance to assess performance and plan improvements .
9 . Employ truly competent kitchen leaders . Staff who are good at getting the best from a team , knowledgeable about food issues , strong , fast , able to train staff quickly , reliable with numbers and happy to report to you regularly . The Head Chef ’ s Job Description should be a key document , but used as a guide , not a weapon .
10 . Finally , play dumb ( to be smart ). Cooking is manufacturing , so ask lots of questions and watch closely how the process works . Compare it with the operation of a well-organised bar or even a trade that ’ s not in hospitality . Successful manufacturing needs good modern equipment , affordable quality supplies , precise systems and a willingness to repeat processes the same way every time .
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