menu planning

There are those who order the same thing every time; those who seek something new. A menu needs to satisfy both,
and keep the customers coming back for more. Not only does that mean offering the right dishes, but keeping quality consistent.
Whether traditional, avant garde, ethnic, organic, vegetarian, cross-over or new concept; whether it's fine dining,
or fast food, your menu is you. It's like a tailored suit. It complements your look, it makes you memorable.
It carves a niche in a sector where competition is fierce and expectations high.
As food consultants, we'll tailor-make a menu that suits you; a mixture of firm favourites, signature dishes and
adventurous eating. We'll keep the menu fresh, with daily, weekly, monthly or seasonal variations and specials.
And we'll train your kitchen brigade to prepare and serve every item to perfection.

menu development and evolution

Menus get tired in customers' eyes. Food is part of popular culture, and - like music and fashion - tastes change,
so challenge your customers with new experiences. Set, rather than follow, trends. Wow your clientele. Is your menu
performing? Maybe there are slow-sellers and low-profit dishes that could be replaced. Sometimes it's just a matter of
adjusting recipes and descriptions to be more appealing, more cost-effective. The secret of a good menu is to evolve.

recipe design

Catering is competitive. It's essential to offer a stimulating menu that satisfies the desires of your target audience.
Ronald Lento designs dishes that are unique to you and your market. Every dish and ingredient you want to add to
your repertoire (suggest ideas to us, or ask us for ours) is individually developed, involving extensive research.
As well as whole dishes, we also specialise in sauce design to enhance standard recipes, and give extra menu appeal.

recipe testing

During tastings you evaluate our results. 85% of the time a new recipe will receive a thumbs-up first time. When it
doesn't we incorporate your comments and refine the recipe until you are completely satisfied. Before launching new
dishes you might want to test them with customer focus groups. We arrange trials, evaluate feedback and fine-tune
recipes in response to those comments.

costing: money-making menus

A menu that works appeals to customers and makes you money. Every menu item must pull its weight.
You need to know the cost of every ingredient and its yield, the preparation cost and the on-cost of associated
resources. We consider these factors, for an entire menu or an individual dish.
You might aim for a total food cost of 25% of menu price, but there are always some items that can be produced for less.
Some may cost more but profit on those items may actually be higher, in real terms.
The secret to a successful menu is to strike the right balance, giving value and variety to customers, and hitting or
beating your profit targets.

monitoring and managing food costs

Monitoring costs is the key to profitable catering. Know your food cost, labour cost and overhead.
With the right system in place you can track supplier prices, minimise wastage, control portion sizes and optimise
staffing. Good kitchen management lets you address problems as they arise, before they become crises.
It's an area where we are happy to advise and assist.

food procurement

It takes an experienced chef and specifier to identify the best ingredients for price and performance.
The optimum product is one which produces quality without providing features you don't need.
An example: there are thousands of cuts and types of beef. A recipe using strips of beef fillet doesn't have to be cut
from steak. Fillet tail gives you what you need, is the most tender cut, and costs less. That's just one beef dish.
Every ingredient in your recipes is available in different cuts, weights, sizes and varieties.
The right choices make for great quality, good profits, and satisfied customers.

quality control

Are the dishes you serve not quite what they should be? In the real world suppliers and staff take short cuts,
affecting the quality of the food you put in front of the customer. Quality control is imperative and vigilance must be
continuous.
Can your staff spot the difference between fresh and frozen-then-thawed ingredients? Has your supplier substituted
an also-ran for a winner? Has your chef cut the marinading time? Whether quality is affected with malicious intent,
through ignorance or because of an honest mistake, customers will be lost and revenue will fall.
You need a checking mechanism to make sure the product you serve is uncompromised. Periodic third party controls
from a food consultant work in two ways: they identify and address problems, and once staff and suppliers know
products and processes are under scrutiny they take more care to get things right every time.

catering kitchens, facilities and design

Size and layout of a catering kitchen is determined by sales volumes and menu complexity. Your menu determines
your production processes and station set-up. A kitchen needs to be properly dimensioned for anticipated volumes,
and arranged for work flows from dry storage and refrigeration, to preparation, cooking, plating and service.
Extraction and ventilation need careful consideration.
Staff must be allowed to work efficiently in the kitchen when the restaurant is at its busiest. They need time and
space to complete their tasks smoothly and to comply with health and hygiene regulations.
In food safety terms your kitchen design must consider the circulation of staff, the paths of raw and cooked food,
and the routes of clean and dirty dishes.
Equipping a kitchen is a major investment. Mistakes are costly to fix but even costlier to work with. A carefully
designed kitchen runs like a well oiled machine and will be rewarding in many ways, including financially.

kitchen optimisation

Often, you can't start with a blank piece of paper when it comes to kitchen design.
Ronald Lento can review equipment types and suggest layout improvements to increase throughput in existing or
constrained kitchen spaces.
This is about processing food efficiently from receiving through storage, preparation, cooking and service, while
minimising waste and exposure to contamination. Kitchen optimisation cuts labour and food costs, and boost profits.

wider distribution, going retail

Successful restaurant brands and products can become retail winners. If you want to make the jump from restaurant
table to store shelf you need help; an expert with the experience to develop sustainable retail products.
Retail dishes are prepared differently to those served at table. Preserving the product without changing the flavour,
texture and appearance is a challenge. We can take a signature dish from your menu and develop it for manufacture.
Choosing a manufacturer and checking costings is another task where we can guide you.
If the product you want to sell is an ingredient, you'll need to test recipe suggestions and give preparation instructions.
We can create those and test them with consumers to make sure they'll be understood.
Once your product is ready and the packaging created we can assist in its launch.
Our relationships with retail food buyers let you target buyers where your product will complement their selection.
Often we can go directly to the source to present your products to decision makers. If you want to target large groups
of retailers we can support you in presenting and selling your product at trade shows.

site evaluation

Prior to committing to a lease for new premises it's vital to check if the site is fit for your purpose, whether it is
economical in terms of the amount of construction and fit-out needed, and whether it is located where the customer
catchment area will let you hit your objectives.

site feasibility

Before creating a new menu, find out if your existing kitchen and staffing can produce it effectively and economically.
Changes to your kitchen and brigade may be required. Ronald Lento will tell what you need to do to prepare for a
menu launch, and what it will cost.

employment matters

Certification • Catering kitchens are legally obliged to employ staff with appropriate certification as food handlers.
Ronald Lento can train and certify new employees.
Skills assessment • Before hiring staff and paying recruitment fees it makes sense to verify that their skills are real
and relevant. Whether hiring externally or promoting from within, skills assessment by a third party is perceived as
less invasive, and the candidate can be objectively evaluated. Skills assessment is a valuable tool for teams who cover
a variety of stations - it is important that their skill sets complement each other.
Staff training • Maybe a member of your brigade would benefit from specific training or coaching to upgrade their
skill level. We've trained hundreds of kitchen staff, and can help you. And if we've helped you develop a new menu
or new dishes, we can provide individual or team training in sourcing, preparation and presentation.