Catering Tips for Controlling Food Cost

The economy has been all over the place for years, and when we think it's improving we end up with another upset that's hitting everyone hard - even catering companies.  One of the areas that is hard to control is food cost.   When transport and ingredient prices increase, other things go up as well including catering supplies.  Starting a Catering Business- That means your overall cost of business is going to creep up.  While some business will inflate their prices, that can potentially scare away clients.  Instead of boosting prices that could slim your business, try finding ways to reduce your costs.  One way to do that is to tighten up your food cost control.


Cross-Integration of Ingredients - If you have menu items in your business that use specialty ingredients that aren't used in other menu items then you should consider changing up your menu. Catering Equipment-  With special ingredients, purchase cost is typically higher and the risk of food waste is much higher.  Work with menu items that have common ingredients with one another to improve use and reduce waste.


Look At Your Production Methods - There are a lot of ways to spice up a dish and some caterers and chefs prefer to use fresh herbs not only for the flavor but for the appearance they bring to a dish.  Catering Supplies Wholesale- The problem with fresh herbs is the cost and the fact they don't stay fresh for long. f you buy fresh, then make purees you can use later.   Dried herbs are just as good though,  and few people will judge you for traditional herb use.

Size Matters - Reduce your cooking of food batches so that you're cooking in much smaller batches.  The benefit to small batches is it lets you get tighter control over the amount being cooked for an event and you can avoid reducing waste.Starting a Catering Business -  Likewise, if there is an error in the cooking and prep process, you'll be able to make quick corrections without wasting a large amount of food.  Lastly, this offers greater food safety and HAACP management.

Exit Strategies - If you've got product on hand that you know has a limited life, then offer special promotions for clients to work it into a menu and remove it from your stock.  This will allow you to use it, at least break even on your investment in the product, and avoid another round of wasted food product.

Know Your Shelf Life - Most catering businesses have a standard menu they stick to with some allowance for customization.  If you regularly stock ingredients for your menu items then you need to be acutely aware of their shelf lives.  Catering Equipment- With accurate shelf life and rotation you can virtually eliminate waste with proper ordering and use procedures.  Note always that smaller items are more susceptible to shifts in the environmental temperature and usually degrade faster.

Plan Production Quantities - Regular revisit your food calculations, as vendors and food supplied sometimes change packaging weights and styles that could alter the amount  you get in a box, bag, carton, etc.  By properly planning your production you can avoid errors that generate food waste and unusable food.  If you can trim even 2% of the waste by altering your production then you're saving money.

CateringEquipment.com offers then highest quality supplies wholesale, so that when you're starting a catering business, you have everything you need to succeed.  Click to contact us today and learn more about how professional quality can change the way your business succeeds.