"When considering the design of your outlet, it's just as important to pay attention to the layout of your kitchen as it is to the front-of-house areas," says Paul Knight, managing director of 3663 Catering Equipment.
"No matter what its size, a properly planned kitchen will offer long-term benefits in terms of better work-flow, improved operating costs and more efficient use of labour.
"By carefully planning and choosing equipment that best suits your needs, you can make use of even the smallest spaces. At 3663 Catering Equipment, we have an expert team of consultants who can help plan and design your kitchen and equipment so that it's fit for purpose and gives you maximum return."
3663's catering equipment team shares its top tips for an efficiently designed kitchen:
- Look at your kitchen layout - is there natural flow, and are there separate areas for starters, mains, desserts and, where possible, cooking, preparation and refrigeration? A separate area for dirty plates is essential.
- Think of your kitchen as a production line and look at how the food preparation process works so you can make sure that your work area follows this in a natural flow.
- Look at multifunctional equipment. A counter-top potato oven can act as a cooker, holding cabinet and merchandiser. Just remember your holding cabinet should match the capacity of your oven.
- Speed up service and save space by using an oven with a built-in bain-marie - a warm bain-marie can hold beans, curry sauce and hot toppings, while a refrigerated bain-marie can store coleslaw, grated cheese and chopped salad.
If your kitchen is not delivering the efficiency you expect, contact the catering equipment team on 0870 366 3960 or visit www.3663.co.uk