The economic squeeze is taking its toll on many in the hospitality industry, so in this blog we’re taking a look at ways in which restaurants and pubs can reduce costs and increase profitability. Whilst there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this, there are a few key elements that could help you make your make your budget go further.

First and foremost, the best way to slash costs is surprisingly simple… Tackle food waste.

 We think the secret recipe to success are these three game-changing ways to trim expenses without compromising on quality:

• Ingredient intelligence: Take charge of your ingredients by closely monitoring inventory levels and usage rates. Whilst there are cutting-edge inventory management tools out there to help you keep a close eye on this area, working alongside a supplier who can support you with this can also prove helpful. Look for simple ways to improve the efficiency of your current stock-taking routine and you are bound to see results.
• Master your menu: Review your menu – which dishes are high-profit and low-waste? Can you create more of those? Also, which dishes are low-profit and high-waste? Trimming the fat and bidding farewell to underperforming dishes will help you cut costs and food waste. Also consider how you can get creative and base your menu on versatile ingredients that can be used in multiple dishes. Chicken, fish and potatoes are simple ingredients that can be used in various forms. For those who are higher end – consider creating ‘tasting’ menus rather than whole dishes.
• Perfect portions: You know what they say… size matters! How can you strike a balance between portion generosity and plate waste by revising portion sizes? It’s about delivering value while making sure you’re being efficient. How do your customers feel about your portion sizes? How much food from your most popular dishes comes back to the kitchen?

These strategies are not just cost-effective but also easy to implement, promising a significant boost to your budget.

Remember, saving money doesn’t mean skimping on quality or customer happiness. It’s about smart solutions that are sustainable. Start making these small changes and watch your business savings increase, while keeping customers satisfied.

If you already have a supplier who can support you with your changes, provide ingredients that you will benefit from and work within your budget, then this will help you immensely. If you don’t, then perhaps it’s time to book a call with our sales team and talk about switching to us!

Many cafes, pubs and restaurants rely heavily on customers visiting the business itself, so footfall is a key indicator that many business owners will regularly keep an eye on. With so many fluctuations in consumer confidence over the last few years, due to economic uncertainty, footfall numbers can be unpredictable. To grow your business, you need to be able to level out these changes and keep booking levels as steady as possible throughout the year. Quiet periods can be a challenge for any physical business, but there are several strategies you can try to boost your booking numbers. In this blog we share some ideas that we see our customers using to keep their footfall numbers up.

• Get clear on the numbers: First off, you need to know exactly where you stand. Take some time to analyse your footfall trends for the last year and compare to previous years where you can. Have a look at whether there are any other patterns, past the obvious factors such as time of year, calendar events or weather trends. Are there any particularly busy or quiet periods that don’t seem to have an obvious cause behind them? Are they regular?
• Review your promotional events calendar: With common quiet periods in mind, look at where tactical themed events could help boost footfall, past the obvious calendar events such as bank holidays. Does your business have a particular theme to its food, or interesting heritage that you could play on? You could read our blog on how to create a great dining experience for some more inspiration on this point!
• Think bigger than individual bookings: For example could you host meetings, networking events, open days with a special guest, or workshops featuring local businesses? Offering free or paid workshops, demonstrations, or classes related to your products or services can be a great way to reach new customers and show off what makes you special. It’s also an opportunity to share more about what goes on behind the scenes. At Cooper Foods, we are are doing this ourselves! We are planning to offer some open days for some of our customers throughout 2024, giving them an opportunity to see how our specialist meat and fish teams put their skills into practice.
• Encourage those hashtag moments: For regular customers that know and love you, consider what you can do to have them share their food experience on social media with their friends. Could you incentivise them to share a picture of their food with a particular hashtag which enters them into a regular monthly prize draw, for example? People buy from people, and word of mouth recommendations are still one of the most powerful marketing tools you have at your fingertips.

We hope you’ve found these ideas helpful and would love to hear how you are driving bookings from your customers.

Alongside the backdrop of rising costs and changing consumer habits, we know from our conversations with our customers that Garden Centres face additional challenges when it comes to business growth. However, challenges can also mean opportunity, so in this blog we will explore four areas unique to Garden Centres and how they can present opportunities for your business to thrive.

• Seasonality: Garden centre cafes are naturally busier during the spring and summer months, which can make it challenging to maintain profitability throughout the year. However with the rise of the all-year round marketing calendar, there are opportunities to ensure a steady flow of customers even in the colder months. Calendar dates such as Halloween, Blue Monday (in January) and Valentine’s Day provide an opportunity to get creative and come up with promotions and incentives or for customers to visit
• Dependence on footfall: Garden centre cafes rely heavily on customers visiting the garden centre itself, so any decline in footfall can have a significant impact on your business. Planning your promotional calendar across the year and looking at your footfall trends will allow you to plan for quieter periods and understand when a promotional event could be helpful.
• Maintaining the garden centre experience: Cafes need to balance the need to be profitable with the need to maintain the overall experience of the garden centre, which should be relaxing and enjoyable. Whilst some customers will plan a visit for a specific reason, many customers often visit with a ‘day out’ mindset, especially in the winter months when there is the opportunity to spend some time inside the warm! Consider how you can make your garden centre experience as inviting as possible to ensure a longer duration of visit, which could include a meal or hot drinks at your cafe.
• Ensure you have the right suppliers in place: At Cooper Foods, we understand the importance of delivering delicious dishes to your diners, while maintaining your margins and upholding uncompromising quality. With our dedication to providing top-of-the-range high-quality food products, quick delivery and unwavering support, we are here to help your garden centre thrive! Click here to find out more about how we serve Garden Centres across the South.

Are you ready to switch to a trusted, well-established, family-run food wholesaler?

Contact us now to experience the unparalleled range of fresh, ambient and frozen foods to help your business boom! 

In recent years, the food industry has witnessed a significant rise in the popularity of ready-to-cook foods for bars and restaurants. This trend has caught the attention of many establishments due to the potential to save time and cost, whilst maintaining quality. In this blog, we explore why this trend is gaining momentum and how you can make the most of it in your business.

Firstly – it’s about time and cost efficiency

One of the main reasons behind the increase in demand for ready-to-cook foods is that it’s a significant time and cost saving. With the rise in costs across the board, thanks to inflation, it’s a fantastic solution for many pubs, restaurants, hotels, schools and catering businesses. By utilising pre-prepared ingredients and/or partially cooked meals, you can streamline your operations and reduce the time required for food preparation. This allows you to serve your diners more efficiently; especially during peak hours. In the long run, it also increases customer satisfaction, which is a huge benefit for businesses.

In addition to this, these meals also contribute to cost savings. By minimising food waste and optimising ingredients usage, you can significantly reduce your expenses. Eateries who have embraced the ready-to-cook options most likely will have reduced their overall food production expenses.

“47% of the 10,034 food and beverage businesses surveyed by ONS said that suppliers, production or both had been affected by increases in energy prices in 2022. As a result of price rises in the industry – 18.7% had to change suppliers” – taken from FoodStars UK, a report published in June 2023.

What this doesn’t tell you is if they were buying all the ingredients to make foods in-house or purchasing read-to-cook options. Either way, we know that businesses have had to reconsider ways in which to operate more effectively.

Secondly – it’s about quality!

Of course, we all want food that’s good quality, and contrary to common misconceptions, ready-to-cook meals don’t compromise on quality and taste. In fact, they often provide a consistent and reliable experience. Here at Cooper Foods, we invest heavily in research and development to ensure that our ready-to-cook range still provides high-standard, nutritional value food. We work hard to provide the best ingredients, so we know that everything on our menu will be top quality on your menu.

The options

If you’re looking for another reason to embrace ready-to-cook foods, it has to be the diversified menu options. You can offer a wider range of dishes without compromising on quality or increasing the complexity of kitchen operations! Are you after a mouth-watering dish containing the finest British beef? Fancy a truly tasty and fresh quiche Lorraine and salad? Treat yourself to a slice of Treacle Tart or Bramley Apple Pie. Whatever it may be – we’ve got you covered!

These options and flexibility allow you to cater to various dietary requirements and accommodate the evolving tastes of your customers.

Is it time to embrace ready-to-cook?

We can see that the rise of ready-to-cook foods in bars, restaurants, cafes, etc, is driven by the desire for time and cost efficiency whilst maintaining high-quality standards.

“64% of Brits say local places to eat and drink are important in building a sense of community” – taken from Open Table 2023.

This is just one of many reasons to continue providing a great dining experience for your customers. The demand for a good range of food options is high, no matter your industry, so it’s worth considering how you can be on trend with ready-to-cook meals. By embracing these meal options, you have the potential to save money, increases customer satisfaction, and optimise your business operations – and, to gain a competitive edge in the ever-evolving food industry.

Head to our website to apply for an account if you’re not already a customer, or give our customer service team  a call on 01264 321050.

Whilst the restaurant industry has historically been slower to adopt technology and innovation, the pandemic and ensuing economic instability have forced many food businesses to think differently about what they offer and how they offer it. In parallel customers have changed their spending habits too! The good news is: embracing new technology doesn’t have to be painful, and there are many ways that owners of independent pubs and restaurants can use technology to their advantage. The opportunities for improving their operations are wide-ranging, from online ordering to inventory management. Here are a few of the most common and their potential positive impact:

• Online ordering and delivery: According to statista.com, the market size of the global online food delivery sector was estimated at 770 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. By 2027, the online food delivery market is forecast to generate revenues reaching 1.4 trillion U.S. dollars. What does this mean for your business? Embracing a tech solution that allows your customers to order food and drinks from your restaurant without having to come in can be a great way to ensure customer loyalty, increase sales and potentially reach new customers too. Here at Cooper Foods we have recently launched online ordering to better support our customers to get exactly what they need, when they need it. Get in touch to find out more.
• Point-of-sale (POS) systems: These systems can help you manage your inventory, track sales, and process payments. Whilst they do represent a significant investment of time and money up front, they will save you time and money in the long-run, supporting smooth operations and helping you make better business decisions.
• Restaurant management software: Software such as this can help you with everything from scheduling staff to managing reservations. Managing reservations manually can eat into your staff’s time, but being able to automatically manage waitlists, waitlists and seating, can free up their time to focus on the customers’ experience. An added bonus is being able to collect things such as diet or dining preferences and contact data, to gain market insights or for ongoing contact to maintain a customer loyalty scheme, for example. All of these areas, and many more, can free up your time so you can focus on other aspects of your business.
• Marketing automation: This software can help you automate your marketing campaigns, giving you the opportunity to drive repeat bookings and automatically collect online reviews. . Online reviews are one of the most powerful ways to influence customer decision-making, so make sure you respond to all reviews, both positive and negative, in a timely and professional manner!

These are just a few of the ways that technology can help you streamline your operations, increase bookings and stay ahead of the competition.