Food quality control and excellent service are vital for the reputation of your restaurant. The first impression a customer’s dining experience creates will decide whether they return and spread the news about the quality of your food or decide never to darken your doors again, so make sure their experience is a positive one. The atmosphere created in a restaurant will also play a part in how positive the experience is. You can use Lighting Specialists such as https://encapsulite.co.uk/ to bring some ambiance to your setting. Here are some other considerations for you to think about:
Staff Training
All staff who are involved in food preparation need to be trained in food safety, and there are suitable courses available all over the country. Many local authorities run their own training courses. Staff also need appropriate supervision to ensure they are competent in handling food safely, and existing staff will need refresher courses to keep them up to date with proper procedures. Training is also important for all other staff who come into contact with customers. Waiting staff can make a real difference to the quality of a customer’s dining experience.
Food Safety Programmes
Implement specific procedures to ensure that every step, from ordering supplies to serving the finished dish, is monitored. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a system to help businesses to monitor how food is handled and ensure that procedures are introduced to control risks. This means that harmful bacteria will be controlled so that they cannot cause food poisoning, which, in turn, will protect the reputation of your business. All the relevant information is available from the government website.
Temperature Control
Temperature control is very important at all stages of food preparation and storage. Commercial chest freezers are able to maintain their temperature in different conditions and should be kept at -18 C or below. It is important to chill food properly to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, so it needs to be cooled quickly and then put in the fridge. Foods that need to be kept chilled include anything that displays a “use-by” date, prepared salads, desserts, cooked dishes and other ready-to-eat foods. Check and record the temperature of fridges regularly they often have an external temperature display to make this easier. These foods have many health benefits and can be high in protein, iron and more. If you struggle with certain nutrients in your diet, why not try an iron supplement or a vitamin to help.
According to the Guardian, high temperatures can mask the taste of food, but in a restaurant it is important that a core temperature of 75 C is reached in order to destroy bacteria. Food that is being kept hot should be kept at a minimum of 63 C.
Consistency
Once you have achieved your goals of providing excellent service and top-quality food, you need to work towards maintaining this. Portion sizes, for example, should be consistent – if necessary, they can be measured. Presentation should be perfect every time, and waiting staff should be reminded to make the dining experience pleasurable for all the customers and to treat them all as the individuals that they are.
High-quality, safe food is what the reputation of any restaurant is based on, and all members of staff have an important role to play in providing this. The key to maintaining quality is to keep checking that all the necessary safety procedures are in place and that they are monitored to ensure they are working well for your business.