Finding Good Food Suppliers

Premier Hotels & Resorts understands the importance good food suppliers are in making our hotel restaurant run smoothly. Even some chefs will go as far as saying that the quality of ingredients you get from your food supplier can make or break your kitchen. However, in saying this, finding the perfect food supplier is sometimes seen as this never ending quest as kitchens are often let down by unreliability, bad quality produce and poor customer service. We have had to think long and hard about our process of hiring food suppliers for each of our hotels and have simply applied the following simple steps.

WHAT TYPES OF FOOD SUPPLIERS

Firstly, it is important to take a deep look at the types of food suppliers you need. Although finding one supplier that can do it all may seem like an effective way of doing business, it is next to impossible to find one that specialises in delivering the freshest ingredients across all food groups. therefore, it is important to consider your specialties. Do you offer the best steaks in Cape Town? Then finding the most reliable meat supplier is a must. Is grilled fish a main selling point for your Durban restaurant? In that case, finding a quality seafood supplier and distributor in Durban is a priority.

CONSIDER ALL YOUR OPTIONS

Once you have established all the food groups that need to be supplied, you need to see what supplying companies are available to your company. Learn more about the individual establishments from other restaurants using their services. Look at reviews and never settle for the first option, making comparisons between different companies is vital for your long term strategy. Look at the advantages and disadvantages of each is important. For example, big suppliers may have plenty stock, but if you are trying to run an ethical kitchen, you may want to look at their cultivation process. Are your fish suppliers involved in sustainability? These are things you need to think of.

CONSIDER A SHORT TERM CONTRACT

Testing food suppliers in the real time is one of the most valuable parts of the process. Before signing a six month or one year contract, ask if you can run a month to month contract to assess whether they are meeting your objectives and quality standards. By doing this, you are able to opt out at any point.

Bad suppliers have the ability to hurt your brand so this process is extremely important. At Premier Hotels & Resorts, we are continuously assessing our standards and supply lines and now have a team that we can trust at all of our establishments. If you are looking for a comfortable room and delicious food, contact us today to speak to one of our consultants.