Restaurant ‘ready meals’: Tell us your thoughts on outsourcing

HardensBytes

TOTTchannel4This week there’s been quite the hubbub about a new Channel 4 documentary series Tricks of the Restaurant Trade that claims to be ‘lifting the lid’ on restaurant industry secrets. The programme, which aired on Tuesday 19 January, discussed how many UK chains (like PizzaExpress, Leon and Frankie & Benny’s) use pre-prepared food from centralised kitchens and outside caterers which is microwaved before being served to customers.

The show’s co-presenter and restaurateur Simon Rimmer says he understands why chains use central kitchens to produce food off-site, including maintaining consistency and quality across multiple sites. However he believes restaurants should be more upfront with customers.

Harden’s co-founder Peter Harden, who was interviewed by Channel 4 and appeared on Tricks of the Restaurant Trade this week, agrees and says outsourcing is understandable in order to run a profitable chain.

We’d like to know if customer expectations are in line with industry practices. Please take a couple of minutes to answer the questions below. Your answers will remain confidential. Only the average response across the whole survey will be published.

How widespread do you think outsourcing practices are in the catering
industry?
 Widespread throughout the industry Widespread among chain and cheaper restaurants Widespread among high-end restaurants Not widespread

Are customer expectations realistic when it comes to preparing food on-site?
 Yes No

Should restaurants be required to reveal to customers information on
bought-in elements of a meal?
 Always, no matter how trivial Only if whole dishes, or major items have been outsourced No, customers should judge by what's on the plate

OPTIONAL QUESTION (WE STRESS AGAIN, THIS IS A CONFIDENTIAL SURVEY)

To the extent that you buy in any pre-prepared materials (including bread,
stocks, pre-portioned fish or meat, etc), please tell us your main
motivation in doing so:
 To save money To save time To maintain consistency Better quality products can be bought in than we could realistically produce at a competitive price Can't realistically employ the skills to produce such items Other

Please specify

Your Name (required)

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Opt in to the Harden's Newsletter?
 Yes

 

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