In the food biz, time is money so the greatest advantage of speed-scratch cooking is improved time management. Using speed-scratch ingredients can help double your kitchen staff’s output. Some speed-scratch items, like flavor concentrates, allow you to add slow-cooked taste in half the time it would normally take to add more depth to a meal.

While many prepared items can save you time, it’s important not to overuse them. Speed-scratch cooking works best when it is used to enhance a meal. If you’re overly reliant on microwaving or reheating frozen, prepared meals, your customers will certainly notice.

Speed-scratch items allow operators to create custom meals without the added labor. Adding seeds and seasonings to ready-to-bake items or finishing off ready-made produce with your own combination of herbs and spices is a simple yet effective way to create a signature dish.

When it comes to time and labor-intensive foods, like fresh baked bread and certain sauces, it only makes sense to work with a prepared product. This is especially true if these items aren’t a part of your core menu. However, the biggest concern is that some speed-scratch items unfortunately come at a higher cost, and although you’ll save time on labor, you’ll need to consider whether the labor savings outweigh the additional cost.

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If you want to develop a loyal customer base, you have to deliver meals that are consistently delicious. If your chicken is moist and tender one day and dry the next, customers will notice. It can be a challenge to ensure that each dish on your menu tastes the same each time it leaves the kitchen.

Speed-scratch foods can help with this issue by ensuring your flavors are consistent every time. In many cases, suppliers offer consistency in both flavor and reliability. It’s not always easy to find that same level of consistency with fresh food suppliers.

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