How to make your kitchen staff more productive
Running a kitchen is often very rewarding, but it can also be incredibly stressful, especially at busy times. Of course you want the staff to work efficiently and effectively, delivering delicious food with top quality ingredients and the perfect service. But how do you ensure that your kitchen staff are as productive as they can possibly be? Here are just some of the way in which you can increase the productivity of your kitchen staff…
Have an efficient workspace
Some analysis of the kitchen and consultation with those who have actually used it, will help you to streamline the layout of your kitchen for maximum efficiency. This could mean moving equipment or changing where things are stored to reduce time spent moving around the space. If common ingredients are kept, for example, far away from the food preparation areas, time is wasted going to and from this area, and this can also cause staff members to get in the way of other members of the team. The basic premise is that everything should be in the right place, and those items needed most regularly should be the most accessible.
Training and encouragement go a long way
Your staff will be more productive when they are happy and when they know what they are doing. A competent, well trained team will work well together and when a head chef can rely on his team and delegate tasks easily, both the chef and the rest of the kitchen staff can simply get on with their jobs without conflict.
Encourage a ‘clean as you go’ policy
Continually cleaning during the working day will ensure that there isn’t a huge build up of cleaning to be done at the end of a shift when everyone is exhausted. By cleaning surfaces and utensils as you go, the kitchen remains relatively clean throughout service and minimises the work that needs to be done at the end of the day.
A good chef needs good tools
It’s important that your staff have everything they need to effectively do their job and everything should be in good condition. Blunt knives or a food processor that has a ‘knack’ to use it will demoralise staff and slow service, so make sure everything is right and ask your staff to inform you if any equipment becomes faulty.
Specify clear operating procedure standards
Find the most efficient method for every process involved in your kitchen and make sure that every staff member understands that each task must be completed in this pre-determined way that you have assessed for high levels of efficiency. Encourage staff to suggest further ways to streamline processes too.
Looking for kitchen staff? Get in touch
If you’re looking to hire staff for your kitchen, do check out our website for information on our services. Not all candidates are listed on our website so do get in touch so we can help you to find the perfect staff to suit your business.