What questions do you ask your team when waste suddenly spikes?

Start with the numbers

Before questioning anyone, gather facts first. How much waste did you have last week versus this week? Which products appear most in the trash? This gives you concrete starting points for conversations.

Questions about purchasing and planning

Much waste starts at purchasing. Ask these questions to whoever handles buying:

• "Did we purchase differently this week than usual?"
• "Which products do we have left over from last week?"
• "Were there deliveries we didn't expect?"
• "Did we account for the weather/events this week?"

Also check if miscommunication happened between kitchen and purchasing. Maybe the buyer thought you had a big event, while it got cancelled.

Questions about preparation and portioning

Plenty can go wrong in the kitchen without anyone noticing. Ask your chefs:

• "Did we change how we cut/prepare things this week?"
• "Do we have new staff members who're still learning?"
• "Have portions gotten bigger than what the recipe card says?"
• "Which dishes are we remaking because they weren't good?"

Questions about shelf life and storage

Products that spoil too early cost you twice: you bought them and you must throw them away. Check with your team:

• "Are all products stored at the right temperature?"
• "Are we using the FIFO principle? (First In, First Out)"
• "Are there products that spoil faster than expected?"
• "Do we check expiration dates daily?"

Also examine the refrigerators and freezers. A broken cooler that's 2 degrees too warm can cost you hundreds of euros without immediate notice. I've seen this mistake cost restaurants EUR 300-400 per month before anyone realizes what's happening.

Questions about sales and communication

Sometimes the problem isn't in the kitchen, but in communication with wait staff:

• "Which dishes are selling worse than expected?"
• "Have there been complaints about quality?"
• "Does the wait staff know which dishes we want to push?"
• "Do we communicate in time when something runs out?"

If your wait staff doesn't know you have lots of fish in stock, they won't push the fish dishes. Then the fish sits until it spoils.

Create an action plan

After conversations with the team, create a plan to reduce waste:

• Short term: What can we do differently tomorrow?
• Medium term: Which processes need adjusting?
• Control: How will we measure this next week?

And importantly: communicate back to your team what you found and what you'll do. This way they feel involved in the solution.

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ℹ️ This article was prepared based on official sources and professional expertise. While we strive for current and accurate information, the content may differ from the most recent regulations. Always consult the official authorities for binding standards.

📚 Sources consulted

• EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
• EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
• EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
• NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
• NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
• Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
• FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
• BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
• Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
• WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source

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