What are some of the lesser-known, but often no less vital catering supplies?

Many businesses and organisations in various sectors will need to invest in catering equipment from time and time, and for those that do, it may seem that the basic requirements are obvious. Items like knives, forks and plates are all frequently ordered by firms with catering responsibilities, but in the process, there are many other items that they may forget about, but which are actually hardly any less important.

Catering businesses may, for example, greatly underestimate the importance of the right chef’s clothing for ensuring maximum levels of cleanliness, hygiene and safety. “Chef’s whites”, encompassing the likes of coats, jackets, trousers, aprons, headwear and even footwear, are specifically designed for those long, hard days in the kitchen. Such clothing is thick enough to prevent burns penetrating it, yet is also designed to help keep chefs cool. In addition, it is easier to remove stains from this type of clothing, which assists a catering firm’s compliance with EHO guidelines.

Other imperative, but less often mentioned catering supplies include the menus and boards that inform customers of their food and drink options. The full range of such items includes table menus, menu holders, menu showcases, blackboards and window posters. By purchasing the right number of such items of a consistent design at the same time, a catering firm can project the most professional image to customers.

There are also many vital supplies relating to health and safety, in which many new catering firms may fail to invest – at least initially. These include accident books, first aid kits for multiple persons, rubber and oven gloves, safety signs, wet floor signs and even insect control measures such as an electric fly killer. Failure to invest in the right health and safety items can be expensive in more ways than one. That’s one reason why it’s so important for catering firms to be thorough when they are buying equipment.