It’s no secret that food and drink businesses reap rich rewards during the festive season. From work parties to family meals, the demand for hospitality increases sharply in the lead-up to Christmas.
While this may bring more customers and increased profits, there are fresh challenges for these businesses to face.
Our guide will look at the biggest challenges you could face and ways to overcome them. Read on to learn how to run your food and drink business successfully this Christmas.
Surge in demand
Demand is likely to surge at Christmas with more events and people wanting to celebrate this joyous time with friends or family. Failure to prepare for this can lead to running out of popular items on your menu, potentially leaving customers disappointed.
A simple way around this is to forecast your increased demand and plan accordingly. Your plan may consist of ordering more products ahead of December and having an effective inventory management system in place.
Supply chain disruptions
Deliveries for businesses and individuals can face severe delays due to the sheer amount of orders that need to be fulfilled. Royal Mail revealed that 60% of UK adults had to deal with letter delays and other logistics companies that you use may have similar issues.
We advise that you get your stock in well ahead of the holiday season to ensure you have it ready to serve in December. You could also consider looking into specialist food & drink manufacturing insurance that may protect against unforeseen supply chain issues.
Quality control and safety concerns
With more orders to fulfil at Christmas, quality control and safety procedures can become an afterthought. This can lead to problems like contamination or injuries, which is something you’ll want to avoid. Ensure safety measures remain in place at all times and have someone overlooking the food and drink production to guarantee it meets your high standards.
Seasonal workforce challenges
The increased demand may require more staff members to help you cope but finding this workforce may be tough. Last year, it was estimated that the retail and hospitality sector needed 250,000 more staff during Christmas and that could well be the case in 2023 as well.
To ensure you acquire an adequate number of seasonal workers, advertise as early as possible. This will help you get ahead of your competition and give you ample time to provide training sessions, so your new workers are up to speed and can cope with the demanding nature of Christmas.