apetito has launched a new tool that brings clarity to the real costs of care home catering in today’s challenging climate, defined by ongoing staffing pressures, unstable energy prices and increasing waste regulations
The FREE calculator explores all hidden aspects of catering, from current kitchen staffing and equipment usage to the associated costs of food waste, offering providers a far more accurate understanding of where time, money and resources are going and how catering is really impacting on their budgets – well beyond ingredient spend alone.
James Leigh, general manager for care homes at apetito, said: “We know that many care homes are juggling tight budgets, yet ingredient costs are often the only thing being considered when looking at catering. In reality, cooking from scratch encompasses many more areas that can end up being overlooked and risk draining catering budgets.
“It’s important that providers also look at how much their labour is costing them, the amount of energy being used in the kitchen and costs associated with growing waste legislation to truly understand the whole picture and where cost efficiencies can be made.
“Our approach focuses on more than just providing great food but simplifying the entire catering operation. By reducing preparation time and required kitchen labour and improving consistency and portion control, we can help care homes streamline processes and take greater control of their catering costs, all while maintaining quality and nutrition for residents.”
Care homes can uncover the full picture of their own catering operation by accessing the new calculator at apetito.link/TCOC