Our team work with hundreds of local and national suppliers across the UK in order to find the best pricing and terms for our clients. We are encouraged by the support and guidance many of these suppliers provide to our customers from making tough decisions on menus to offering alternatives that make commercial sense.
One such supplier is Bidfood. Naz Haq is head of corporate procurement and she helps many of their customers enhance the margins that their menus deliver and mitigate the impact of inflation. Here are her top tips.
- Look at larger pack sizes which can offer better value if you have the storage space.
- Larger sachet sizes can reduce the number of sachets you need to buy.
- When making pastries, a butter and margarine mix can be more cost effective without compromising on taste.
- If you’re switching to a cheaper gravy, add browning to give depth of color and flavour.
- Review the versatility of the products you use, and go for options that you can use in different dishes to reduce inventory and cost.
- Consider whether you are using ingredients or product that are higher quality spec than you need in a dish.
- Don’t always assume brands perform better – sometimes own brands are on par or outperform their branded equivalents, and are usually significantly cheaper.
- Equally, some cheaper products might not suit your needs – benchmarking can help to reassure you that you’re not compromising on quality.
- Consider how elevating the presentation of a dish can increase what you can charge and boost your margin. For example, square plates, chip cups, etc.
- Take advantage of supplier’s online hub to find ways on minimising costs and maximising resources in your kitchen. For example, discover simple ingredient swaps and waste reduction ideas that will save you money.
In conjunction with supplier expertise, your Enhance team also provides valuable support and guidance to help our clients meet their needs. In addition to Bidfood’s tips, our purchasing experts have a few more for you to consider:
- Monitor production levels. Overproduction is a common source of food waste and one of the biggest reasons why businesses fail to achieve the desired food margins.
- Look out for special offers. Offering daily boards, promotions and special pricing on select dishes can help improve your margins across the business.
- Reduce waste. There are many ways to cut down on waste – from keeping a stock inventory to keeping an eye on portion control and monitoring production levels.
And of course, we strongly recommend your business partner with Enhance. Our procurement expertise will be a valuable resource that will save you time, improve your purchasing operations and reduce spend. Why not contact us today to learn more ways we can enhance your margins.