Stephen Norris, sales director at Nestlé Professional UK & Ireland said: “After months of uncertainty, initial data is showing promising signs as the industry re-opens with 46% more bookings made for the week commencing 17 May compared to the first week of outdoor opening in April.

“These last few weeks have shown us that consumers are keen to get back out there, which is very encouraging but uncertainty still lies ahead.

“As an industry, it’s important that we work together today in order to build a better tomorrow. So, following weeks talking to customers, we’ve compiled a list of top tips to help navigate these unprecedented times.”

Order little and often to prevent waste and maximise profits

Unpredictable consumer demand will continue to make forecasting stock levels a challenge. We know wholesales, caterers and chefs are looking to keep stock levels to a minimum – both to avoid waste and increase profitability.

To help, Nestlé Professional  are working with customers to simplify menus and encourage stocking more versatile ingredients that can be used in a number of different dishes. Nestlé Professional are also having conversations across the supply chain to ensure that we have the stock available.

Harness the trust of brands

Harness the trust of brands by being vocal about which ones you use on your menu. With more than two-thirds of #1 brands seeing higher than average share in April 2020, it’s apparent that consumers look for brands they can trust in times of uncertainty.

Pull on the power of plant-based

Nestlé Professional knows that 44% of consumers would like more restaurants to offer plant-based meat alternatives. The plant-based category presents a large growth opportunity across all channels.

Pull on the power of plant-based by making sure there are veggie and vegan options available on your menu to cater to this growing demand and encourage repeat visits/purchase.

Get basics right

Almost 87% hospitality employers have said that they were finding it difficult to recruit for kitchen and back of house roles and this has meant that they have to invest more time and money into retraining to ensure current employees are prepared after several months of furlough.

From specialist barista trainers to development chefs, food technologists to nutrition and sustainability experts, our solutions ensure we can give your business the know-how where you need it most. Nestlé Professional has been running successful virtual samplings to ensure that staff are knowledgeable about our products.

Boost productivity with your food and drink offering in the workplace

Nestlé Professional believe we are likely to see a hybrid workplace model emerge in which employees divide their time between working from home and going into the office for collaborative sessions.

Research shows that face to face meetings can boost team performance by 35% and the food and drink offering will be key in helping to facilitate this.

From seasonal promotions to meal deals, there are lots of ways to drive your potential and satisfy your customers and using our extensive research and industry-specific experience, Nestlé Professional can help find the most effective strategies to achieve this.

Continue to embrace delivery to increase revenue streams

Delivery has been a lifeline for many establishments during lockdown. In fact, 27% of British adults ordered more deliveries than usual (or for the first time) during lockdown, with signs indicating they will continue their high frequency including from pubs and bars.

Planning for the future with a mix of take-away and delivery-friendly dishes will help cater to changing consumer demands as well as generating additional revenue streams.

By partnering with Nestlé Professional you can access some of the best development chefs in the industry. As well as benefiting from a constant stream of innovations, you can also use their knowledge to develop your own cutting-edge food and drink products.

For more information or support with the reopening, please visit: https://www.nestleprofessional.co.uk/