Online business tools for chefs
Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority and the Chef Network have launched the first in a series of online business tools, the Chef Action Plan, designed to help chefs become more commercially efficient without compromising on food quality at Catex, Ireland’s largest foodservice and hospitality show. The Chef Action Plan was created by input from chefs across Ireland who have developed a practical guide in the areas of purchasing, controlling food costs, managing employees and eliminating waste.
Tracey Coughlan, Food Strategy and Programmes Manager at Fáilte Ireland said: “We know that visitor and consumer expectations around food and drink is changing, with over half of all visitors indicating that food and drink is more important now than it was five years ago. From a tourism perspective, it is important that we take the next steps to enhance our offering as food and beverage consumption is an intrinsic part of the tourist experience and quality experiences are now a major contributor to increasing holiday satisfaction, creating positive memories and driving advocacy.”
The Chef Action Plan features easy-to-use, downloadable business tools to help chefs streamline their operations, freeing up resources for investment in the business leading to benefits such as the ability to source the best local and seasonal ingredients, providing additional training and professional development, hiring an extra member of the team, or purchasing the latest must-have equipment. The four step Action Plan will be shared online over the coming months demonstrating how to achieve real savings in the kitchen through smart purchasing, effective control of food costs, clever management of labour, and efficient waste reduction.
Chefs who are signed up at www.chefnetwork.ie will be notified as each step goes live and chefs must be signed into the site to access the full toolkit. Chef Network membership is free to all professional and student-chefs. Register now to keep up to date as the series is released and follow Chef Network on social media to get the latest tips.