Recognising the considerable energy consumption and waste generated by school catering operations, we identified significant opportunities for improvements in our kitchen. Following a successful restaurant night event delivered by our catering team, Chartwells, we decided to implement a series of energy-saving measures to increase efficiency in our kitchen operations.

We noted that in many school kitchens, as little as 40% of energy consumed is actually used for the preparation and storage of food. The remainder, often wasted, generally disperses into the kitchen as heat. This not only leads to unnecessary energy consumption but also creates a hot and uncomfortable working environment.

It was common practice in our school for all kitchen equipment to be switched on at the beginning of a shift and left running throughout the day. Recognising this as an area of considerable waste, we decided to implement a switch-off policy, alongside educating our staff about preheat times, control settings, and good practice.

To kickstart our energy-saving campaign, we labeled each piece of kitchen equipment with its preheat time, encouraging staff to switch them on only when required. The effect was immediate, with a notable reduction in unnecessary energy use and heat production.

We also tackled the misuse of ovens or hobs for heating the kitchen. Ensuring our school’s heating system effectively warmed the kitchen became a priority, preventing the need for auxiliary heat sources.

In the spirit of conservation, we instructed our staff to switch off ovens, grills, fryers, and hobs immediately after use. Similarly, hot plates used for keeping food warm were labeled with their preheat times and promptly switched off after use.

We didn't stop at the cooking equipment - we also began switching off other kitchen appliances, lights, and extraction fans when not in use. The adherence to these guidelines significantly reduced our energy consumption, and we noticed an improvement in the kitchen's working conditions.

Our catering team, Chartwells, was instrumental in the successful implementation of these changes. Having seen the benefits first-hand during their restaurant night at the school, they are fully committed to maintaining this practice moving forward.

The transformation of our kitchen practices not only resulted in substantial energy savings but also fostered a culture of energy consciousness amongst our staff. This initiative serves as a testament to our commitment to improving energy efficiency in all areas of our school operations.