Measure first
You cannot cut what you cannot see. For two weeks, weigh and log every item that goes in the bin or is thrown away, and give each entry a reason:
- Trim: peel, bone, fat and ends removed during preparation.
- Spoilage: products that went off before use.
- Over-prep: food prepared and not sold by close.
- Plate waste: what guests leave.
Use a simple sheet or a notebook beside the bin. Weigh, write the item, the reason and the weight. It takes seconds if the scale is nearby.
Turn kilos into money
Multiply each category by the average cost per kilo of the items in it.
Example (illustrative, UK kitchen): over two weeks you log trim 18 kg, spoilage 9 kg, over-prep 14 kg and plate waste 11 kg. That is 52 kg. At an average cost of £4.50 per kg, the total is 52 × 4.50 = £234 for the fortnight. Over a year of 26 such periods, that is £234 × 26 = £6,084.
The figure is rarely a surprise in kind, but it is nearly always a surprise in size. Seeing it in pounds changes how the team treats a half-used tray.
Reduce it
Order to demand, not habit. Compare what you order with what you sold. If you always order twelve and sell nine, the three extra are waste you pay for every week.
Rotate stock with FIFO and date labels. First in, first out. Label every container with the date it was opened or prepared, and put the oldest at the front.
Reuse trim safely. Vegetable trim can go into stocks, meat trim into sauces or staff meals, and day-old bread into croutons or puddings, where food-safety rules allow. A trim that becomes an ingredient costs nothing extra.
Adjust prep lists using sales history. Instead of preparing the same quantities every day, prepare for the day's expected covers. A quiet Tuesday needs a different list from a busy Saturday.
Fix portions. If plate waste is high on one dish, the portion may be too big or the garnish not wanted.
What a realistic target looks like
Pick the largest category and cut it first. If spoilage is 9 kg of the 52 kg, a better ordering rhythm may halve it. Cutting your total by 30% would save £234 × 0.30 = £70.20 a fortnight, or about £1,825 a year.
Keep the log going
Repeat the two-week log every quarter. The numbers tell you whether a change worked.
Takeaway
Your own log, not an industry average, is the number that matters. Measure by reason, price it, and fix the largest category first.