Restaurants that cannot find staff, closing an extra day or stopping lunch service altogether; it has been the order of the day in recent years. Yet according to Tommy de Bie of de Bie Groentenverwerking, there is a very simple solution: buy in more sliced products. With a self-developed calculation tool, he now lets his customers see for themselves what they can save by buying more pre-cut produce.
"After all, there are hardly any good cooks to be found; many restaurants close for one or several days purely because no staff are available. It is a real shame when a business has the potential to operate every day. Two years ago, I started looking at how we could become much more of a partner to the chef rather than just a supplier. And I truly believe I have found the solution. When kitchens receive far more pre-processed products, they need fewer people, and the supplier does the work that chefs no longer have time for," Tommy says.
© De Bie Groentenverwerking
This way of working does require a cultural shift, according to the Nieuwegein-based catering supplier. "Traditional restaurant kitchens still do most of the cutting themselves and buy at least 90 per cent of their produce unprocessed. They will often buy onions pre-cut, but carrots and leeks are a different story. I did some research and found that it takes an average of one hour to cut 4 kg of carrot cubes. An average self-employed cook costs EUR 42.50 per hour. Add the cost of raw materials, and you end up with very expensive carrot cubes. From me, a restaurant buys sliced carrot cubes for between EUR 2.80 and EUR 3.50 per kilo. That saves the chef at least EUR 28 per kilo."
© De Bie GroentenverwerkingSaving 15,000 euros in labour costs with one customer
"I am convinced that buying more pre-cut produce is financially better for a kitchen's bottom line. Although purchasing costs increase, labour costs fall many times faster than vegetable prices rise. In this way, we can solve many of the challenges chefs are facing," Tommy says. One of his clients achieved as much as EUR 15,000 in labour cost savings last year simply by buying more pre-cut.
"An additional benefit is that chefs can focus on the work they are actually good at. When you go to a restaurant, you are not dissatisfied because of the size of a cucumber cube. Vegetables are often an afterthought on the plate. But if the meat is not tasty because the cook had to spend too much time cutting cucumbers, then you really have a problem. A chef should be focused on cooking; he didn't become a chef to serve a perfectly cut cucumber cube."
"Another advantage is that pre-cut produce is always delivered, because you also eliminate the risk of a colleague calling in sick," Tommy notes. De Bie Groentenverwerking itself has also made the switch by sourcing more pre-cut raw materials. "For example, I no longer de-core peppers myself; I buy them already cut in half. I also prefer not to cut fruit myself. As a result, we sold 15 per cent more kilos of product last year with the same number of production hours. That means lower labour costs and higher volumes. You would wish that saving on everyone."
When it comes to the availability of fruit and vegetables, Tommy is not concerned. "I have thoroughly explored the market over the past few years, so I can always source products. Compared with the big players, our advantage is that we can move quickly. We have started the year well again, and at Horecava we also generated some interesting new leads."
Asked about the most popular products, Tommy says that traditional vegetables are selling particularly well. "For example, I sell higher volumes of broccoli, cauliflower, and beans than in other years. Classic vegetables are being beautifully transformed into caramelised cauliflower or broccoli mousse. In addition, mini vegetables remain very popular, and a product like bimi is clearly on the rise."
© De Bie GroentenverwerkingFor more information:
Tommy de Bie
De Bie Groentenverwerking
Ravenswade 12
3439 LD Nieuwegein
Tel: +31 (0) 30 - 281 72 77
Mob: +31 (0) 6-22035798
[email protected]
www.debie.org
