Catering for a large team? Here’s how to do it right.

Do you have hundreds of employees that don’t have time to waste offsite during their breaks?

An in-house catering option is often the solution to feeding large numbers of employees on site, around the clock, but how do you make sure you’re choosing the kitchen equipment that works day after day to keep employees happy and bellies full during break times?

The proof is in the planning

Catering for a large number of people is no easy task.

It’s important to get the best out of the space available to maximize productivity.

A poorly-organized kitchen can lead to delays in service, resulting in dissatisfied employees and an increased likelihood that they will leave the building for breaks and lunch, potentially hampering your productivity. Kitchens should be designed to make service run smoothly and quickly, enabling kitchen staff to keep up with high demand.

This means equipment must be configured to suit service.

An ergonomic design will minimize the risk of injury to staff and, at the same time, streamline workflow for increased productivity with less effort. It can also minimize the movement of the kitchen staff while they are working, saving energy and avoiding friction.

Configuration = successful service

A configured kitchen allows staff to store products underneath counters and in upright units directly behind them for ease of service, suiting your operation, menu and ways of working – making every service a success.

True’s counter and under counter storage units provide quick and easy access to your ingredients wherever you need it. And with over 300 industry-leading products, with sizes, options and accessories to fit any application, you can be sure to find something that suits your specs down to a tee.

Having a configured kitchen helps alleviate pressures, securing success.

A happy employee is a productive employee

Enabling employees to take a break and come back to work refreshed, is a win-win for employees and businesses, particularly when that break takes place at work. Everyone knows that happy employees are productive and the numbers back it up.

A study by the University of East Anglia, using data from Glassdoor has revealed a strong link between a satisfied workforce and the financial performance of UK companies.

Company culture is a crucial part of what makes employees remain team members. Therefore, food and drink menu items cannot be neglected. Attractive display cabinets packed full of nutritious sandwiches, pasta, salads and even delicious desserts entice customers and increases employee loyalty.

Food products should be re-stocked frequently to ensure freshness and variety, as well as being displayed in the most attractive way possible. LED lighting can help show off food in its best light, catching attention as well as producing a premium look and feel.

Not only does displaying food in an attractive cabinet help improve the overall aesthetic of your premises – you’re also showing employees how dedicated you are in providing them with the best service.

An attractive display will help tempt customers. True display units can be customized with LED lighting.

Avoid illness

Food safety is the most important factor in catering. It doesn’t matter how delicious your recipe is: if the food makes people sick because of improper cooking or handling, all your efforts will be wasted.

When catering for the large numbers, it’s incredibly important to store food correctly to avoid illness – especially when transferring food from the kitchen into display refrigerators in dining areas.

When refrigerators in the canteen are being opened and closed on a regular basis, it’s imperative to ensure the refrigeration equipment is not only robust enough to withstand constant use, but also efficient enough to maintain a constant, food safe temperature.

Through extensive development and testing, True balances hydrocarbon refrigeration systems with the latest in energy efficient components and its own patented technologies. Our products maintain consistent, accurate and safe storage temperatures, even in the most demanding foodservice environments. This makes our products highly energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly, without sacrificing on performance or food safety.

Energy efficiency is a hot topic within the kitchen equipment industry right now.

Working the late shift – grab and go options

Spaces with 100+ employees don’t only need catering options for breakfast and lunch slots, but also for those unable to make the conventional break times too.

The grab and go market is making waves within the industry and helps kitchens cater to employees who are short on time or working late hours.

As its name suggests, ‘grab and go’ is a fast-moving marketplace so it’s crucial that food safety is maintained at all times. Even if something has been made fresh today, it might still be hours before it’s consumed. So, regardless of whether fresh ingredients or pre-made products are being stored back-of-house, or finished products out front in an accessible merchandiser cabinet, salads, cold sandwiches and dairy-based snacks should all be stored at temperatures between 0.5 and 3.3 degrees Celsius.

As well as maintaining safe temperatures when no one is around, it’s important to consider stock levels and management. Refrigeration must be equipped to deal with large quantities of product, available at any hour of the day.

True designs innovative shelving solutions to enable maximum storage capacity without affecting food safety or presentation. Helping kitchen managers to utilize all available space, ensuring no one misses out, or has to sort through food products to reach what they want.

Ample amounts of food products can be stocked, without looking cluttered or over-packed.

How we can help

True understands the pressures faced providing a dedicated selection of fresh food and drinks to a location with hundreds of employees.

We can offer practical advice and refrigeration that can take your large-scale catering project to the next level.

From stunning and versatile display units, to super-efficient storage, True has the solution to fit your space.

Get in touch to see the solutions we have available.