Choosing to run a set-price carvery allows you to offer a wider variety than a plated service would at such busy service times, as the majority of the food can be prepared in advance. It also allows the chef to show off his carving skills which can add a sense of theatre to the proceedings. With the main course displayed and ready to serve, waiting staff can concentrate on bolstering profits by offering drinks, starters, desserts and coffees from your existing menu.
Your customers will be looking for value for money when they dine with you so there is no need to offer premium cuts. For example topside can be just as delicious as the grandest forerib and will result in less wastage, turkey crown and gammon also offer excellent value. Prime Meats, our specialist butcher, offer various cuts fully prepared and trimmed saving you even more time in the kitchen. Plus, Prime Meats charge just for the meat and not for the weight of the bone on a range of product, helping to keep costs down further.
Your accompaniment choices are important too, be sure to serve the crackling – it’s a real treat, plus a good selection of tasty seasonal vegetables, Yorkshire puddings (which you can make yourself or buy ready-made), pigs-in-blankets and roast potatoes not only adds volume to the plate but will be cheaper on your pocket too. You could also make use of your à la carte leftovers by adding complementary side dishes such as cauliflower cheese or bubble and squeak to the mix. Of course, a full range of condiments is essential so make sure you are fully-stocked with all the traditional favourites.
While some things are obvious, others may not be if you are new to carvery – things to think about when you are setting up are that first impressions count; make sure your equipment is clean and that chef is looking smart and approachable (the cost of replacing chef’s uniform is minimal but the impact of a sparkling new set of whites is huge) – it’s a real chance to showcase the restaurant and encourage any new diners to come back and order à la carte in future. Plates must be kept hot but you need to have plates for children that have not been heated. Serving spoons need to have plastic handles otherwise they will become hot under the heatlamps and remember that food needs to be kept above 63˚C to comply with safety regulations, so always ensure that you have a thermometre to hand (for further information see www.food.gov.uk). It’s also important to keep the carvery looking full – don’t ever let your customers feel they have missed the best bits! You can use any leftovers to create new recipes for your specials board.
Once you have your carvery in place you won’t want to restrict its use to just Sunday lunches – you can use the equipment all through the week for serving larger quantities of pre-prepared meals such as chilli con carne, pastas and curries to the lunchtime crowds.
Therefore, it is important that you buy the right equipment for your needs. For instance, units that have integrated bain maries and meat-holding spikes are fantastic for roasts, but those with a flat hotplate offer more flexibility and allow you to load, and keep hot, large serving dishes if you wanted to deliver unportioned meals to many covers. Carvery units come in a range of shapes and sizes so be sure to choose one that you can comfortably store.
If you are interested in offering a carvery, or just updating your current equipment, but are unsure of buying your own unit immediately, you can take advantage of Brakes Catering Equipment leasing options. You’ll find further information about leasing arrangements at www.brakesce.co.uk.
Marketing is key and you’ll want to be sure to get the right message about your new dining experience to your customers. The information you include in your marketing literature can give you an edge over your competitors as Prime Meats can sell you a range of product that is British Red Tractor endorsed, and in some cases they can even tell you the farm at which the meat was reared, another way to make sure your restaurant is the restaurant of choice. Brakes can help you to further increase your marketing potential by providing complementary seasonal point-of-sale material. A-boards are also an excellent and cost-effective way to catch the eye of passing trade and are available from us.
Whatever your scale, budget or occasion you can be sure Brakes have everything you’re looking for.
For a great value way to afford a new carvery unit see our Catering Equipment offer for a deal that could pay for itself.