Having a strong relationship with suppliers can help club chefs find creative solutions and products during uncertain times.
A majority of clubs revolve around providing members with excellent service and food in multiple areas of a club. However, aside from increased food prices and supply chain challenges, clubs are also faced with the problem of labor shortages. As the industry talent pool is smaller and more competitive than ever before, clubs need to come up with better labor-saving alternatives. While suppliers are dealing with their own supply and labor shortages, chefs should discuss with trusted suppliers about products that can help when short on labor.
To simplify kitchen operations and better manage member expectations, many dining establishments are streamlining their menus. The more menu items you offer, the more labor is required to receive, prep, and cook ingredients. Creating a leaner menu can help to eliminate slow-moving items as well as those that are difficult to prepare. Chefs should also find opportunities for cross-functional ingredients in order to help reduce inventory costs and minimize labor. Chefs can create more flexible menus that can easily be scaled up or down by maintaining communication with suppliers. Most suppliers offer services for menu design and layout that can help to minimize menus as well as figure out food costs for dishes.
Adding pre-portioned, pre-cooked, or prepared foods to the menu can help save on labor as well. There are many high-quality items such as soups, sauces, appetizers, and desserts that taste scratch-made and can reduce prep time for an understaffed kitchen. Turning to canned or frozen fruits and vegetables can also help skip any time-consuming prep. Chefs will most likely pay the price for it, but suppliers can make suggestions for the best products to reduce labor while still maintaining quality.
Labor and supply chains are far from stable at the moment. Chefs have to constantly reinvent how their kitchens operate. However, strengthening ties with suppliers and staying in constant communication is something club chefs can control.