F & B
Mark Mrantz , GM of the Aston Kaanapali Shores in Hawaii , asked his F & B team to create menu items and cocktails that incorporate foods already being used . The rinds of lemons that have been squeezed for juice , for instance , can wind up as a garnish or flavoring in a drink or dish .
DRINK TO THAT Mark Mrantz , general manager of the Aston Kaanapali Shores in Hawaii , called on his F & B team to create menu items that craft low or zero waste . That ’ s when some creative cocktails made their way onto menus .
“ After we use a lemon for fresh-squeezed juice , it doesn ’ t mean the rind is now trash ,” says Mrantz . “ We ’ ll look for ways to incorporate the rind into another dish as zest or garnish in a beverage to avoid unnecessary waste .”
Sometimes menu items aren ’ t as popular as initially thought . Jennifer West , corporate director of operations for South Carolina-based Charlestowne Hotels , points to a cheesecake served in one of the management company ’ s hotels that wasn ’ t a big seller , so half a cake was thrown away a week .
“ That caused us to look for ways to revamp it by maybe making a smaller cheesecake or individually portioned servings ,” she says .
Griffie agrees that portion size is key to managing food waste . The team at one of Davidson ’ s outlets noticed about one-third of entrée salads were discarded at the end of the meal , so the portion size was reduced .
Those moves can lead to some revenue-generating opportunities . A whole rotisserie chicken is on the menu at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel ’ s Reign Restaurant + Bar + Bakery in Toronto . Executive chef jW Foster says the dish hasn ’ t been a top seller ,
ways
5to avoid food waste
Menu engineering isn ’ t the only way to manage food waste at hotels . Here are a few more tips to control what ends up in the trash . Stay in season : Planning menus around what ’ s in season means these foods are easily available and more likely to be in higher demand with guests , says jW Foster , executive chef at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel . Don ’ t over-order : “ The more food coming into the restaurant , the more waste there is going to be ,” says Jay Minckler , executive chef of The Colgate Inn in Hamilton , New York . Check your logs . If you ’ re throwing away too many clams , perhaps you ’ re ordering more than you need . Serve up the leftovers : Instead of throwing away what you didn ’ t use today , reheat and serve to your team in a family-style meal before each lunch and dinner service , says Minckler . Not only does it prevent waste , but it also leads to team bonding . Monitor and forecast : Look at your booked reservations and adjust based on hourly monitoring of food production , says Executive Chef Matthew Brennan of The Vinoy Renaissance St . Petersburg ( Florida ) Resort & Golf Club . Create specials : Consider a soup of the day made from ingredients you might not otherwise have an application for , says Minckler . This can be changed out daily based on your kitchen ’ s needs .
38 hotelsmag . com January / February 2020