https://www.caterermiddleeast.com/people/opinion/87756-why-restaurateurs-shouldnt-be-afraid-to-outsource
Abela Co Culinary Solutions head of business development Brian Gambin runs through the ways outsourcing can boost your business
The decision to outsource catering services has become increasing popular following Covid-19. There are a range of reasons to swap to outsourcing and below I'll run through them...
Expertise
Hiring the correct staff for the job today is a tough call, too many cooks and chefs today chase different opportunities with many starting and leaving short timeframes, thus making consistency in product development a real challenge. Additionally, as the labour pool reduces and staff move from one employer to another it can mean that staff are often under-qualified which poses a real issue when it comes to delivering a quality product.
Cost and space
The cost of building and equipping a kitchen is high and the amount of space assigned to the kitchen means that costs proportionate to revenue should be balanced. Outsourcing reduces the fit-out costs and at the same time minimises the floor space assigned to the kitchen. A smaller, more focused kitchen means more tables, chairs and customers resulting in increased revenue relative to the total area. Consider that rental is a major factor in operating costs, assigning more space to seats and paying customers makes sense.
Economies of scale in purchasing
Consider that large central processing units procure sizeable quantities which means they can often source raw materials at prices more competitive than the independent operator whose scale is not large enough to capitalise on the scales of economy.
Regulatory oversight
Outsourcing means that the time and effort needed to ensure regulatory compliance is minimised as much of the product arrives either fully cooked, partially prepared, assembled, calibrated and requires finishing only. This means that the compliance and certification is easier, much of this load is taken by the processing unit.
Technology
Advances in food technology are organic, the advent of new and advanced methods happens frequently, making it challenging for the smaller or independent restauranteur to keep abreast of change and it is even tougher to absorb the costs associated with these new advances. Large central processing units ensure that they do keep current and are able to make the appropriate investments if the market warrants investing.
Customisation and personal oversight
Outsourcing does not mean relinquishing control, on the contrary, recipe development is collaborative and is done in a controlled environment. Large processing units like Culinary Solutions offer full turnkey solutions from joint menu development in conjunction with a qualified food safety team, quality control team and is able to offer a myriad of packing solutions.
These are several reasons why companies across the FB industry choose to work with us
Brian Gambin is the head of business development and member of the executive committee for Abela Co. Opened in 2019, Abela Co Culinary Solutions is a fully certified processing facility offering a one-stop shop for the FB industry to outsource much of their culinary requirements.
