A smart meter that records the amount of food wasted in the catering industry is giving chefs an insight into the way they can better manage their kitchens, and has the potential to revolutionise the way the sector manages food waste.
In the UK alone the hospitality sector wastes over £2bn, or 920,000 tonnes, of food each year. That’s largely because, with no effective way of measuring food waste, kitchens tend to believe they’re wasting less than they are.
The 11 Restaurant Associates kitchens piloting Winnow Systems’ smart meters now know exactly what they’re putting in their bins. Kitchen staff use a touch screen tablet to identify what they’re throwing away.
An electronic scale records the weight and sends a message to the user, giving the cost of the food they’ve put in the bin. The meter is connected to cloud software which records and analyses the day’s waste, giving chefs the information they need to reduce it.
Kitchens in the pilot reduced waste by 50% – that’s over 10,000 plate meals a year. One kitchen identified eggs as a large and costly source of waste during breakfast service. Instead of making one large batch of scrambled eggs, they now produce them in five separate batches, cutting waste – and costs – when demand is low.
Restaurant Associates plans to extend the number of kitchens using the meters to 30 by the end of June. It is also has plans to replicate a showcase it held in May 2014, bringing together clients, suppliers and opinion formers with high profile figures like Michel Roux Jr.
By showing the dramatic savings that chefs using the system are making, the organisation hopes to address the challenge of waste in restaurant kitchens.
