Three tips to reduce milk waste in your coffee shop
If you own a cafeteria, you know that the loss of ingredients or materials can be a hard blow to your pocket. Profits can be affected by a dropped cup, spilled coffee, sugar and even milk waste, the latter being one of the most frequent.
As you know, in a cafeteria where drinks like cappuccino, latte or macchiatos are made, milk is one of the ingredients that cannot be missing. Of course, this without leaving aside the coffee. Being very attentive to the appropriate use of milk could reduce waste and avoid negative results in the establishment's accounting.
Does your cafeteria waste a lot of milk? Or don't you know what strategies to implement? Well, don't worry, because thanks to the help of the team of specialists at Incapto Coffee will provide you with the best resources to avoid this type of situation.
Why is milk waste so expensive?
The loss of materials in any establishment can be quite damaging when we look at the costs. If you manage to attack this problem in time, you will be helping your coffee shop's finances and allowing you to use that money for other needs. For example, the acquisition of new ingredients or emergencies.
Reducing waste not only plays a positive role economically, but also helps conserve the environment. And in how your clientele perceives your business.
As a result of the pandemic caused by Covid-19, many food establishments have been affected. Since, by remaining closed to the public, this caused the waste of perishable food every day. A situation that caught the attention of the organization Dairy Farmers of America, one of the most prominent dairy cooperatives in the United States, since farmers were not exempt. It was estimated that the union would be discarding a total of 3.7 million gallons of milk, daily at the beginning of April 2020. That is, at the most critical point of the pandemic.
The public joins responsible consumption
A study published by the Capgemini Research Institute, revealed that only 79% of consumers were changing their preferences for ones that were more sustainable for the environment and for society.
That is why experts recommend studying the issue of milk waste in your cafeteria, devising a good plan so that your customers continue coming and, in turn, attract the attention of others. If you do this, you will begin to notice that profits will begin to rise in the long term. This research details that those establishments that promote sustainability will have greater customer loyalty. Obtaining more income thanks to the message they seek to convey.
Do you know how much milk you waste?
Specialists assure that milk waste They occur for countless reasons., while the exact volume will always vary depending on the location. The coffee consultancy, which works in Hong Kong and China, Celia Wong, explains that milk waste will mainly depend on how many drinks contain this ingredient, as well as the size of the cups reflected on the menu, which means that more milk will be used.
On the other hand, the Edinburgh University notes that approximately 16% of all milk produced is wasted. The Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security (World Academy of Agriculture and Food Security) states that at least 116 million tons of dairy products, are discarded or discarded around the world annually. Even in countries with higher incomes such as the United Kingdom, consumers, distributors and sellers are blamed for the majority of this waste.
If accidental spills or deterioration due to poor storage constantly occur in your cafeteria, they are not considered the main causes of milk loss. This is because specialists attribute it to the large quantities that are used when making a drink (lattes, macchiatos, among others) or simply not preparing it according to the consumer's demands. Causing the drink to be repeated and more milk to be consumed.
Are climate changes another cause?
With the arrival of winter, especially the very low temperatures caused this year by Storm Filomena, have encouraged many to consume hot drinks and the foamier the better. Apparently they seem to be the ideal option to combat the cold.
That is why the owner of Caffeine Coffee, In San Diego, California, Andrew Benavides believes that milk waste is much more frequent during these seasons. This happens because a larger quantity is used so that when vaporizing it, a better result is obtained. While frozen drinks do not require large quantities of milk, due to the ice cubes that are added to the glass to provide freshness.
If you have a coffee shop, and you want to have greater control regarding milk waste. Benavides, who has had success with this particular point, recommends paying more attention to the barista equipment and the tools used. Since you cannot rely on the same measurements that some baristas usually use. As well as being very alert about the amount of milk you order for the rest of the week. However, this last point could be an indication that would indicate how much you would be using. That is, if you notice that you order more and more than normal.
Another expert in the field gives us a slightly simpler solution. Which consists of giving each of your workers a bucket to put the milk that was not used during the day. Thanks to this, he was able to realize that his cafeteria was losing around $15 worth of milk daily. Which is equivalent to $5,000 a year.
Tips to avoid wasting milk
When you finally identify how much milk you are throwing away in your cafeteria, then it's time to take action. To do this, we will give you some tips that you can apply and make your business more sustainable, without major financial losses.
Have the right equipment on hand
When preparing an espresso, the barista must measure and dose the exact amounts of ground coffee for a shot. The same goes for milk, if the correct equipment is used, the measurement will be perfect for each drink. But in case your cafeteria is in its first years, and the income is not so fluid, you can continue using your usual equipment and be guided by the measurement marks reflected on the jug.
Several experts recommend that coffee shop owners purchase self-dosing devices. Thanks to this equipment, baristas have an easier time pouring the exact volume of milk, with the pre-established temperature and amount of foam. Celia Wong advises having a milk dispenser in establishments, however, this device must be connected directly to the refrigerator.
Maintain good communication with your clients
Those inexperienced customers generally do not know how they prefer their cup of coffee, and they do not even know the exact amounts of milk for a macchiato, latte, cappuccino or flat white. When the drink does not meet their expectations, they end up ordering another one, ending up wasting the milk that was used in the previous cup. In these types of cases, we invite you to communicate with the customer and help them resolve their confusion, indicating what ingredients make up their foaming coffee.
There are also those who, in order to lead a healthier lifestyle, prefer vegetable drinks, such as almond, oat, soy or coconut. This could affect the coffee, if the correct one is not selected. For example, if the customer wants a latte you can use almond or soy milk. But, cashew and hemp milks have a neutral flavor, however, do not produce foam. Try to clarify all the customer's doubts, since this will leave your business in a very good place.
Trained baristas
Avoiding milk waste in your cafeteria will also depend on your team of baristas. We advise you to train each member, try to get them to worry about measuring the milk carefully minutes before heating it. It cannot be reheated repeatedly, something that not only damages its texture, but would also represent a danger to the consumer. This is because milk contains bacteria that thrive between 5 and 60 °C. Therefore, the milk left over in the jug would have to be discarded.
A more cost-effective and viable way to train your baristas is that, instead of using milk in practice, they do it with water. To which later, you can add a few drops of liquid dish soap to learn about texturing and vaporization.
Controlling the issue of milk waste in your cafeteria will not only give you a more sustainable image and take care of your future profits, as your clientele will see in you a person committed to their business and who knows how to take the reins of it with great commitment.
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