In the food and beverage business any detail counts, and that of cleanliness is one of the most important. A clean and tidy establishment can guarantee the return and loyalty of users.
by Valterina Gherardi Torres*
Many of us, if not the majority, enjoy eating out from time to time; others must go out to eat for business or during the lunch hour of their work. Therefore, the least we expect is to be sure that we arrive at a suitable place, where the established norms and standards regarding the proper cleaning and handling of food are met.
According to my experience, having visited many restaurants, cafes, premises (whether national and international franchises or sole proprietors), I have been able to observe some points that are more sensitive than others:
- Fat and food waste on letters, tables, chairs and floor of the main hall.
- Dirty bathrooms.
- Kitchen area staff without gloves and without masks.
- Dirty floors of the kitchens.
- Chimneys and ventilation ducts with grease.
- Dirty and insect loading and unloading area.
Perhaps many of us as customers have not paid attention to the points indicated above, since we have the confidence that if an establishment is in operation it is because it complies with all the rules of cleaning and food handling. Unfortunately in many cases this is not the case.
A food and beverage establishment must be impeccable from end to end, thus guaranteeing the good health of the diner and his total satisfaction.
The cleaning of the premises in its entirety must be deep and constant from the beginning of daily activities until the end of the day.
The following are some recommendations that, sometimes, due to daily concerns, are not taken into account and it would be worth remembering them always.
- The cleaning of the tables and the cards must be done every time the diners leave the tables, so the next people who occupy the table and read the cards will be clean and with less probability of contamination.
- The cleaning of the bathrooms should be frequent and carried out by the personnel who do not have direct contact with the food to avoid its contamination.
- In the same way, the kitchen staff must carry out adequate personal hygiene such as washing their hands every so often, they must wear gloves and masks when having direct contact with food, thus avoiding that when they speak microorganisms do not reach the food.
- Kitchen floors must also be constantly cleaned. Absolutely everything is cleaned including under equipment and furniture, not just what is in view of the customer.
- The accumulation of grease in chimneys, ventilation ducts, utensils, work tables and different surfaces in restaurant kitchens is inevitable, therefore, constant cleaning and maintenance procedures must be established, to avoid risks such as fires since the grease is flammable.
- Another area that many do not consider is that of loading and unloading. This area must be spotless, some do not give due importance on the cleanliness of this place since it is located outside the restaurant and inadvertently pollute the load and at the same time the environment.
- Assess that the water supply is constant
- Evaluate that the wastewater drainage system supports maximum loads and always have the appropriate maintenance and cleaning services.
- Remove waste from preparation areas and bathrooms as soon as possible.
Cleaning is everyone's job: the owner and his collaborators. The administration should determine the cleaning standards and develop the procedure manuals indicating step by step the cleaning, the cleaning products to be used, the frequency with which these procedures will be carried out, keep a daily record of these activities in shifts, and establish who will supervise compliance with the indications.
Here are some steps that must be followed in order to obtain a proper cleaning:
- Determine areas, surfaces, utensils, equipment to be cleaned. It must cover absolutely the entire establishment including equipment and furniture.
- Establish what will be the cleaning materials (detergents, disinfectants, brushes, brooms, among others) and the appropriate amounts for each element and surface in the establishment.
- Delimit the appropriate times and frequencies to develop the cleaning activity taking into account the work shifts and the service flow.
- Design and communicate the procedures, step by step, of the cleaning of each of the areas, surfaces, utensils and equipment.
- Develop the formats in which the time and staff that carried out the cleaning activities will be recorded.
- Evaluate if the established procedures and standards need to be improved according to various factors such as variation of shifts, service flow, increase in diners, among others.
- For the factors indicated in the previous point if you notice that it requires the modification of the established standards or procedures, immediately design new manuals.
- Likewise, establish standards of personal cleanliness and standardize the complete uniform.
- Develop manuals of hygiene procedure, use of the bathroom, hand washing, nail maintenance, hair care, uniform cleaning.
- The person responsible for the operations of the establishment shall constantly monitor that the procedures and standards established for cleaning are complied with to the letter. You will also need to strictly supervise that staff meet individual hygiene standards.
Both owners and administrative and operational staff of food and beverage establishments should be aware of the importance of cleaning the establishment, personal hygiene and the application of good food handling practices.
Lack of cleanliness and bad practices when working with food can lead to contamination of food and cause disease. The mission is to ensure the health of the diner, take care of it, maintain it and provide excellence in service in such a way that it returns and recommends said establishment.
In this way you will achieve that the business grows and remains in force for a long time, accumulating a good prestige both in the service and the good food it offers and in the cleanliness and hygiene.
* Manager HOTEL SOLUTIONS MVH SAC
[email protected]
www.solucioneshotelerasmvh.com.pe
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