Cross-utilization is key in inventory and cost control. It also helps reduce waste and many square feet of storage space. So why is it so difficult to implement? The truth is, it\u2019s easy to let excessive inventory get out of control. With foodservice\u2019s endless demands and deadlines, it can be monumentally difficult to slow down and think through a new way of recipe planning and preparation.<\/p>\n
Indeed, in an industry that strives for creativity and boundary pushing, limiting the range of ingredients seems counterintuitive. In fact, the opposite is true. Laying out a framework for menu development based on inventory staples forces creativity to rise to the surface. It takes serious skill to stretch a menu across multiple meal periods with a variety of dietary needs, but a few powerhouse ingredients can make this monumental task a bit easier. <\/p>\n
We asked three foodservice experts\u2014Chef Bill Bird, owner of Columbus, Ohio-based ChefCare Consulting, Gordon Food Service Corporate Consulting Chef Chef Gerry Ludwig, CEC, and Gordon Food Service Corporate Dietitian Allison Stock, RD\u2014to weigh in with their favourite approaches to cross-utilization.<\/p>\n
After 33 years of noncommercial foodservice experience in hospitals and assisted-living care, one particular challenge stands out for Bird: create restaurant-quality meals, with fresh choices, for a 1,000-bed centre. The hitch? Keep costs in line, inventory levels the same, and oh\u2014prepare everything with a minimum amount of labour. <\/p>\n
Chef Bird dove in, seeking ways to use a minimum number of items creatively. His favourite find: A pre-cooked, low-sodium beef pot roast. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of consistency, it simply can\u2019t be beat,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s ready to use, fits into almost every diet, and can be used through multiple meal periods: breakfast hash, chipped with gravy over toast for an open-faced sandwich, diced into soups, mixed with scalloped potatoes in a casserole, or sliced with sauce for a traditional dinner.\u201d <\/p>\n
Using fewer products to create multiple dishes within a single six-week meal cycle dramatically reduced inventory and nearly eliminated waste. Bird\u2019s rule of thumb? Each inventory item must be used at least twice to even be considered. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to be creative,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople notice when they\u2019re getting the same meal over and over again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Making extra effort to find products suitable for cross-utilization pays off, Bird maintains. To stay on top of cross-utilization opportunities, he regularly attends food shows and conferences, reads up on new products, and works with distributors. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen doing external culinary research, we often order 12 to 15 items and that\u2019s when we really see cross-utilization in practice,\u201d Ludwig says. \u201cI\u2019ll notice a single ingredient popping up all over the place\u2014as a garnish, roasted as a side, as the centre of the plate\u2014but this isn\u2019t immediately evident from reading the menu.\u201d <\/p>\n
Ludwig had a tough time choosing a favourite cross-utilization ingredient. But called out three\u2014bone-in chicken thighs, mild-flavoured tilapia fillets, and fresh produce. <\/p>\n
\u201cBone-in chicken thighs are incredibly versatile,\u201d he says. \u201cYou could make cassoulet, de-bone them for grilled sandwiches, or roast them and pull the meat for salads and flatbread applications. Use tilapia for entr\u00e9es, sandwiches, fish and chips, tacos, wraps, or serve them simply steamed with herbs and spices.\u201d<\/p>\n
Produce, Ludwig maintains, offers maximum opportunity. \u201cVeg-centric cooking is a huge trend in commercial dining, and that\u2019s naturally going to distill into noncommercial settings,\u201d he says.
\nPointing out that veg-centric does not mean vegetarian, Ludwig stresses that meat is still there to add flavour and richness, but vegetables are the main attraction. \u201cThe opportunities for a single ingredient are endless\u2014you can use cauliflower in a composed grain salad; as crudit\u00e9, flash-fried with a dipping sauce; or in a meatless sandwich, grilled, or roasted\u2014and this really applies to almost any vegetable in your inventory.\u201d<\/p>\n
Allison Stock works with chefs. \u201cNobody ever complains about having too much storage space,\u201d she says, laughing. \u201cIt\u2019s a chronic problem\u2014throw in catering and holiday menus in addition to regular meal periods and it just gets crazy.\u201d <\/p>\n
Her nominee for an essential cross-utilization ingredient is low-sodium diced tomatoes. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey can be used for everyone, and across every meal period from breakfast omelets to chili and spaghetti, vegetable soups, salsa, and dips,\u201d Stock says. \u201cFinding a product that fits for every diet is key.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cross-utilization is key in inventory and cost control. It also helps reduce waste and many square feet of storage space. So why is it so difficult to implement? The truth is, it\u2019s easy to let excessive inventory get out of control. With foodservice\u2019s endless demands and deadlines, it can be monumentally difficult to slow down […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4191,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[122,68,123,112,69,111,113],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-catering-small-business","category-culinary-ideas","category-hotels-hospitality","category-restaurant-bars","category-running-your-business","category-healthcare","category-university"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n