Smart preparation

We’ve taken key tasks, broken them down by time costs and looked at how each can be made more efficient.

Task	Time taken in hours/min each day including mise en place	Cost per task in dollars	Cost per hour in dollars	Tips/alternatives
Creating Mains	3 hours	80	27	Build entrée and finish with high quality convenience sauce.
Roasting/Braising Meats	4 hours	80	20	Rub meats with bases to boost flavor and juices, and reduce cooking time.
Creating Stock	3 hours	60	20	Use high quality prepared bases.
Preparing Soups	2 hours	40	20	Use prepared bases or premium dry soup mixes.
Preparing Salads	3 hours	60	20	Use prepared leaves and salad dressing.
Preparing Starters	2 hours	40	20	Use prepared dressings and sauces for consistency. Take photos of each dish and attach to recipe for easy re-creation.
Creating Sauces	4 hours	80	20	Use prepared sauce bases for adding signature flavors, which can be prepared by most kitchen staff. Combining prepared dressings or sauces makes for easy variations.
Preparing Desserts	3 hours	60	20	Use some pre-prepared ingredients such as ice cream, dessert bases and fruit coulis that would otherwise take time to create.
Larder Inventory and Rotating Stock	2 hours	13	6.5	Make it easy by putting clear use by dates on the front of each item so they can be seen at a glance.
Ordering	1 hour	20	20	Use your last order as a base but ask suppliers to look at what you currently buy and present new but relevant products.
Pot Washing	4 hours	27	6.75	Invest in a dish washing machine.
Preparing Meat/Fish	3 hours	60	20	Ask your meat supplier to prepare your most common cuts of meat. Ask your fishmonger to filet your regular order.
Vegetable Preparation	4 hours	80	20	Train assistants in the kitchen to wash and peel vegetables to free up time of cooks for preapred dishes.