Holiday Hustle Made Easy

The festive bells are jingling, and everyone’s on the hustle. Although a merry time, we know the heat cranks up in your restaurant during the festive season, especially when customer demand skyrockets. We know it can be tough, but we’re here to help your kitchen thrive! No matter your needs, we’ve got your back! 

It’s not just about food; it’s about keeping your kitchen efficient and your customers happy, even in busy times.

IT’S TIME TO SHARE THE CHEER AND OWN THE FESTIVE SEASON!

Grab-and-go festive feasts

Everyone’s in the mood to indulge in good food and People are on the move, and they want tasty food that’s easy to enjoy. Whether it’s a compact sandwich for that quick office break or a full-blown roast to be the star of the family dinner, people want their food fast and festive. With our versatile products and recipes, you’ll have a treasure trove of ideas to cater to every kind of holiday hunger! But here it is how you can plan ahead of time.

Engineering a profitable Christmas menu: Where to begin

‘Menu engineering’ – sounds a bit complicated, doesn’t it? It really doesn’t have to be. We break down the basics behind menu engineering and help get you on the path to crafting the ultimate Christmas menu.

Where to start: Throw it back to last Christmas

If you’ve got sales data from Christmas 2024 to work from, that’s a really great place to start. 

The world has changed this year, but it’s unlikely that people’s appetites have shifted too far from the Christmas classics.

In fact, insight suggests that the old favourites and a sense of normality will be all the rage this December.

Once you’ve pulled your sales data from last December, plot your dishes and pricing information into an analysis template. Your analysis will tell you which dishes were most profitable and most popular for your business last Christmas – and which weren’t. Start shaping your menu by maintaining the ‘Stars’ (High Performing Menu Items) and consider how you can improve the popularity and profitability of the ‘Arrows’ (Slow moving Menu Items) – or whether to remove them completely. 

Now make your life in the kitchen a little bit easier

Dish complexity refers to the amount of effort and skill required to execute a dish successfully. 

This can include factors like prep time, number of steps in the recipe, number of stations required to prepare the dish,  and margin for error, etc.

Decreasing dish complexity can help make your operations more efficient, offer your guests a more consistent product, and often decrease your food cost – especially if labour is a challenge for your business in the run up to Christmas. This is where UFS products come to the rescue, reducing prep time and dish complexity, increasing consistency, and eventually decreasing labour and food costs.

Finally, consider how much to charge

Christmas might be a time when consumers don’t mind splashing out, but most will still want to feel that they are getting value for money. It can be a tricky balance to strike when setting prices for your menu. 

Set menus will likely have a better perceived value amongst consumers, especially when dining at Christmas (they’re also easy to prep for and manage during a busy service in the kitchen!). 

Consider how you can maximise your margins with upgrades, add-ons and drinks to help elevate the dining experience for the consumer, along with your profitability.

PRODUCTS THAT KEEP KITCHEN STAFF ON TOP

To keep your restaurant staff from getting sandwiched between rising demands and delivering quality, our versatile solutions help your kitchen run smoothly and efficiently.

From portion control to minimising prep time, our products are designed for maximum output without compromising on flavour. The cherry on top? An array of recipes that range from quick fixes to gourmet delights that ensure your staff can whip up a storm even during the busiest shifts.