Where the waste comes from
WRAP puts food waste in UK hospitality at £3.2 billion a year — about £10k per outlet. Its 2013 study (old data, but the best sector split we have): 45% food preparation, 34% customer plates, 21% spoilage. The log uses four reasons:
- Spoilage — stock that goes off before use: over-ordering, poor rotation, a warm fridge.
- Prep waste — trim, peelings, off-cuts, burnt batches, dropped trays.
- Plate waste — food returned from the dining room.
- Overproduction — made for service, not sold, can't be kept.
600 covers a week at £28 average spend ≈ £16,800 sales. At 30% food cost, purchases ≈ £5,040/week. Wasting 5% of that is £252 a week — over £13,000 a year — before wages. An example, not a benchmark.
The waste log template
| Date | Item | Reason | Weight | Cost | By | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Mixed leaves | Spoilage | 1.2kg | £9.60 | JM | Cut Friday order by one case |
| Mon | Salmon trim | Prep | 0.8kg | £14.40 | AK | Use in fishcake special |
| Tue | Chips | Plate | 2.5kg | £2.50 | FOH | Check portion against spec |
| Tue | Risotto base | Overproduction | 1.5kg | £4.50 | AK | Lower Tuesday par |
Cost = weight × price per kg from the invoice (dish food cost for plated items). Making it stick: scales next to the bin · keep to the four reasons · log plate waste in batches at end of service · run it four weeks before judging · never use it to blame staff, or people stop logging.
03The 20-minute weekly review
- Total the week's waste by reason.
- Find the three most expensive items — by cost, not weight.
- Agree one change per item: order, par, portion or recipe.
- Write the changes onto next week's order sheet or prep list.
- Check last week's changes — keep the ones that worked.
- Track one number: waste cost as % of the week's food purchases.
The fixes that work
- Spoilage — order against pars and covers; smaller, more frequent orders for short-life stock; first in, first out; label everything; fridges at 5°C or below, checked twice a day; walk-in check at opening with near-date stock moved to specials or staff food.
- Prep — write trim specs; assign trim uses (stocks, sauces, staff meals, specials); set prep pars from covers and sales mix, not yesterday's list.
- Plate — review what comes back; drop or make optional the regulars; weigh portions against spec (they drift up when it's busy); ask FOH what guests say.
- Overproduction — smaller batch cooks during service; lower pars on days that always end with leftovers; plan safe next-day uses or make less.
Questions
What should a waste log include?
Date, item, reason, weight, cost, who logged it, and the action taken. Total by reason weekly.
How much do restaurants waste?
WRAP's sector figure is £3.2bn a year — about £10k per outlet. Your own figure needs your own log.
What's the biggest cause?
In WRAP's study: prep at 45%, plates at 34%, spoilage at 21%. Your kitchen may differ — that's what the log is for.
The zones that catch it
Kitchen Ops · Suppliers & Finance
Prep lists and portion specs from your menu and covers; invoices checked and orders built against stock. From £29/month per zone, £89 for all seven.