It is safe to say that 2020 threw the UK economy, and indeed the world economy a curveball. One which appears to be lingering for 2021 too. One sector that has been hit particularly hard has been the hospitality industry. With three national lockdowns to date many establishments have been forced to close for multiple weeks, sometimes months. However, where food venues are concerned there has been a saving grace which comes in the form of takeaway food.
The governments allowance for food businesses to still offer takeaway via either click and collect or delivery has been a lifeline for numerous businesses. But with this comes the necessity for cleanliness, ensuring the health of both employees and customers is considered and protected. In order to achieve this there are three key cleaning areas that need to be addressed:
- The Kitchen
- The Staff
- The Delivery
The following outlines numerous ways you can ensure you business is doing its part to keep hygiene and cleanliness a top priority.
The Kitchen
Firstly, the kitchen. The beating heart of any business that provides food, most venues will already have strict cleaning protocols in place for ensuring their kitchens are clean and sanitary. But in light of the ongoing pandemic it is now more important than ever to implement more stringent cleaning strategies to prevent further infection and transmission. Below are a list of tips and practices that should be included within your cleaning schedule if not already utilised.
Cleaning Checklist
Most kitchens will employ a cleaning rota and a checklist should accompany this. For clarity, a checklist should be more than a record of all areas that need to be cleaned, it should also contain information of how often different sections should be cleaned, how it should be cleaned, how long cleaning should roughly take and with what product / chemical.
Having a clear and concise checklist can make life much easier for your staff as it gives structure and guidance on how particular areas are to be maintained and cared for whilst also breaking down cleaning duties into more manageable workloads. Furthermore, it allows kitchen leaders to easily and quickly review how much cleaning is required and delegate tasks to staff during work periods ensuring cleanliness is sustained throughout a shift and not just addressed at the beginning and end.
For information regarding how to best set up a cleaning checklist and when areas should be cleaned, read our commercial kitchen cleaning procedures article here.
Know What You’re Using
The Food Standard Agency (FSA) naturally promote the importance of cleaning when it comes to commercial kitchens due to the numerous diseases and cross-contamination possibilities that already exist. However due to COVID-19, cleanliness and best practices have very much been under the microscope. One clear step for effective cleaning that is promoted by the FSA is disinfecting and sanitising products and surfaces.
When cleaning surfaces, either during or at the end of a busy work period staff should employ proper cleaning techniques for the various types of chemical they have access to:
- Detergents: A detergent is brilliant for removing grease, fat and dirt from surfaces, however unless explicitly stated, they do not kill bacteria and viruses.
- Disinfectants: A disinfectant kills bacteria and viruses (the types of bacteria and viruses will be specified on the bottle) but is only effective at doing so on visibly clean surfaces. They are less effective on areas that are covered in grease and dirt and should be wiped down first before spraying with disinfectant. Also be sure to leave disinfectants on the surface for the time specified on the bottle.
- Sanitisers: A sanitiser can be used for both the purpose of removing visible dirt and grease or disinfecting. If sanitiser is available use as part of a two-stage cleaning process whereby you first remove visible dirt, then redistribute / respray the area and leave for the required time needed to disinfect the area.
Always read any labels and instructions before using cleaning chemicals and make sure they are communicated to all kitchen staff. Products should be safe to use in areas or on surfaces where there is food, contact times should be noted so cleaning solutions can be used effectively, and concentration levels should also be adhered to.
Little And Often
Where possible, try to instil within kitchen staff the idea of little and often when it comes to cleaning, especially where preparation surfaces and utensils are concerned. Naturally these areas are subject to regular wipe downs but following recent events it is more important now to ensure cleaning is a consistent step in the food prep process, opposed to an afterthought.
A tactic which can be used to help this is to ensure all food prep areas have a bottle of food safe sanitiser or disinfectant to be used during periods in between preparing food. Equally, all chopping board, knives and cooking utensils should be washed properly after being used. This helps to prevent cross-contamination which is an essential in any kitchen.
The Staff
As a business owner you can have implemented all the above. A thorough and easy to follow rota and checklist, necessary cleaning products and concise instruction on how to use them and provide both cleaning and janitorial equipment to ensure all tasks can be performed efficiently. However, this can be in vein if the products go unused and staff do not follow the new strategies.
The best way to communicate new cleaning procedures with staff is by showing them. How we would recommend doing this is by calling all staff in an hour or two earlier than normal and going through any new methods you want to implement. It is also good practice to run through with staff what cleaning products are available, where they are stored and how / where they should be used. Doing this allows staff to become familiar with the cleaning process and to ask questions regarding it which should be encouraged by managers.
Kitchen staff are not the only ones who need to be made aware of cleaning procedures. Front of house staff also need to be not just conscious but actively partaking in cleaning too. It is just as important for them to action proper cleaning as they are what the customer will see. Admittedly, customer interaction is limited to simply click and collect scenarios / placing an order then waiting outside but there is still a brief exchange between customers and your staff.
Front of house areas and collection points should be sanitised / disinfected regularly, preferably in between every customer. This not only serves as a way of ensuring your establishment is clean and hygienic for staff and customers alike, but also positively reinforces to people visiting for collection your venue is safe for them. Which at present is a very important part of operating and selling to customers.
The Delivery
As mentioned above areas where an exchange occurs are important at this current moment in time for food businesses. In turn, it is critical that deliveries are executed properly and hygienically. Delivery staff should wear proper PPE including gloves, masks (preferably visors) and should sanitise their hands between deliveries.
Again, like front of house this part requires a physical interaction between your venue and its customers meaning your delivery personnel represent your brand. You want to ensure they make your clients feel safe and comfortable receiving food from them. It’s vital that during this time of uncertainty and health concern that everyone does their part to make sure others feel secure.
A word from our suppliers
We asked our suppliers what they felt was important for food catering companies to consider at the current time and they said the following:
Diversey
Diversey has been providing sustainable cleaning and hygiene solutions for over 98 years to various industries including hospitality, public sector, education, healthcare and more. Constantly innovating, Diversey specialises in reducing plastic with super concentrates, reducing energy and creating technologies that reduce risk to the user and the environment.
“Now we are faced with a highly contagious virus, businesses are scrambling to adjust to a new standard of hygiene. As more sites with kitchens prepare to encourage people to visit and/or buy from their facilities, a clear and different approach to cleanliness is required. Employees and customers now demand more.
These 3 tips can help you achieve the confidence you, your employees and your customers need:
- Provide hand sanitiser
- Use surface sanitisers that are safe for workers and approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use against SARS-CoV-2 e.g. that conform to EN14476
- Communicate your cleaning efforts. Educate customers on your disinfecting strategies. Do so using e-newsletters, social media updates and signage.”
Evans Vanodine
Evans Vanodine is an independent family business who have been sharing their expertise since 1919. Manufacturing consistent, efficient, and cost-effective products, of optimum quality with minimum impact on the environment. Producing an extensive range of products, developed for multiple industries, becoming a world leader in commercial, food process and animal health sectors. Evans Vanodine’s three in-house laboratories ensure the products you receive are high performing, comply with industry regulations and meet our claims. They have stated the following three tips are vital for commercial kitchen staff to follow:
- Always read the label
- Always follow dilution rates
- Always follow contact times
SC Johnson Professional
SC Johnson Professional, a leading brand of professional cleaning products and a supplier of Alliance, states that:
“It’s important to choose the right cleaning products for your business as they play an essential role in our daily lives by safely and effectively removing soils, dirt, germs and other contaminants. They also help prevent the spread of infectious diseases and help control allergens, such as dust and mould, helping us to stay healthy.”
At Alliance, we understand the pressures this pandemic has placed on businesses and not just those in the catering and hospitality sectors. Cleaning now must take a clear precedent for all companies, both those that are presently operating and those waiting to reopen. We have a large stock of sanitisers, disinfectants, antibacterial handwash, wipes, PPE and more which can help businesses achieve their cleaning goals. Review our product offering or contact one of our helpful support team for questions on our products or services.
