We’ve certainly had a tough journey in kitchens over the past five years. During lockdown, many of our chefs left the industry, with a significant number of them becoming delivery drivers. I even ended up in a taxi once, driven by an ex-head chef from a well-known local restaurant. It’s a sad reality, but that’s what happened. This, combined with the loss of a significant number of skilled European chefs following Brexit, created a real shortage of talent in the industry.
Addressing challenges in our kitchens
So, post-covid, we were just glad to fill the roles, and in truth, we probably trod a little softly with our chefs because we needed to keep them. As a result, we may not have enforced the habits we wanted, and costs started to drift.
The chef situation does seem to have eased somewhat, but our ability to recruit non-EU overseas chefs has been constrained due to the higher reward levels now required for recruitment. Overseas hiring now mainly works for the most senior chefs. Despite this, recruitment and retention appear to be getting easier, and, just as importantly, I believe this trend will continue over the next 12 months. More people are looking for jobs, fewer jobs are available, and I think (or at least hope) that we’ll find it easier to recruit over the coming year.
That said, we’ve probably allowed some kitchen habits to slip. Start and finish times might have become too lenient. I was in a restaurant last night that had just 12 covers for the evening but still had a pot wash and five chefs! Prep might not be as efficient as it could be, and straight shifts may have become the norm.
In short, there are a number of productivity opportunities we can take advantage of if we choose to address them. But, as we all know, changing kitchen habits is tough. Teams like to work the way they’ve always worked, and altering those habits requires time, effort, and most of all, patience. But this is probably the year to tackle it.
The benefits of improving kitchen efficiency
Our analysis shows that the opportunity in the kitchen amounts to at least 10% of hours worked. Slack hours are typically much higher in a kitchen, even though the timing of prep ought to mean they can be more efficient than front-of-house. Kitchen hours vary as a percentage but typically account for about 30% of total hours worked (and kitchen cost will be higher). So, if we save 10% of kitchen hours, that is a 3% saving in total hours, and potentially up to 4% of the cost base.
For our own businesses, this amounts to around £500 a week, or £25,000 a year. That’s a big enough number to warrant action, in my opinion. We’ve already started tackling many of these areas, and while changing habits is undoubtedly challenging, the process of change is happening – slowly, but surely.
How to create a better run, and happier kitchen
In my view, kitchen habits need to be changed one at a time. Start with one easy habit and work through the change process at a pace that suits the team. But it’s important to make people realise that this is a continuous process, with breaks only for busy periods or significant changes in the team. If we focus on changing one habit each month for nine out of the 12 months, that means we can change nine key habits in a year and reach our target. The result will be a better-run kitchen and, more importantly, a happier one.
Why do I say happier? For several reasons. Being busy but not stressed is an enjoyable state for everyone. Being quiet and unproductive, on the other hand, is unfulfilling. While it may seem easier, it’s not rewarding at all. A slick kitchen team is one that takes pride in its work, creates a positive energy and fosters pride throughout the team. This is the environment we want to cultivate.
Kitchen efficiency can lead to great things. It can lead to a lower cost team, a happier team and, of course, make a major dent in offsetting the headwinds facing us this year. With more people looking to work and a growing number of young people eager to put the effort in, now is a great time to give it a go.