Is the coronavirus (COVID-19) keeping diners cooped up at home, and out of your restaurant? Since the outbreak, operators have seen a rise in demand for food delivery and a decline in dine-in numbers. As a food business here is an outline of what you will need to do if you want to expand into home deliveries.
Do you need to change your food registration?
No, if you are registered as a food business in the UK you don’t need to change your registration. You will need to make some changes to your Food safety policy and HACCP.
The key to making your venue fit to do deliveries is temperature control.
Food needs to be kept hot before it leaves your kitchen above 63°c and kept hot throughout the delivery process so you will need to invest in thermal boxes. If the food is meant to be kept cold it must be below 8°c when it leaves your kitchen.
To keep it simple its best to cook dishes last minute then send them directly to your customers. If reheating food, you will need to have records to show how you have cooled it and that it has been heated again to the right level.
Provide great value with set meals
If you are new to this here are a few idea to help you stand out from the crowd! Diners as you know appreciate good value, and set meals and meal deals are really popular as they represent value for money and makes orders simple for both the customer and the kitchen.
Look to see if you can pull more dishes together for a family meal for 4 people or couples deals to appeal to families and couples alike.
Social Media
If you are new to the deliver game – make sure you let everyone know you are now offering.
Make sure on your post you have:-
- Links to website or menu
- Photo of your food
- Order telephone number
- Special offers
Ensure your food delivery options exceed expectations
Your food delivery menu shouldn’t simply be a digital version of your restaurant’s dine-in or takeaway menus. When it comes to winning the food delivery game, everything counts. These are a few quick tips:
- Select a menu that delivers well (and fast!)
- Use quality, leakproof packaging
- Deliver promptly and punctually
