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Leftover food items and ingredients from your pizza operation don’t have to end up as food waste. And as food waste is an issue costing the hospitality industry millions each year, it’s bet-ter for your business if this can be avoided. Thankfully there’s plenty you can do not only to re-duce your food waste, but to actually make food waste work for you financially.
At Arla Pro, we’re dedicated to minimising food waste – in our own dairies and production lines as well as in the kitchens of our customers. Read on to discover our expert chefs’ top tips for making the most out of food waste for your business.
8 things you can do with pizza leftovers to make your business money
1. Use leftover dough to create exciting snacks
Pizza dough is a hugely versatile ingredient and the beating heart of any good pizzeria. If you’ve got dough left at the end of a service, why not turn it into specials for the following day’s menu? Our chefs love turning leftover dough into pesto sticks, which can then be sold as a starter or side dish.
2. Stuff the crust
Stuffed crusts are an excellent upsell opportunity and can make a real difference to a pizza’s margin. Using leftover cheeses, plus other ingredients such as herbs, to create tasty, limited-time stuffed crust options could be a real win for your bottom line.
3. Repurpose your pizza sauce
A good, classic pizza sauce is key to any pizza menu, but it’s also versatile enough to be used in other dishes too. If you’ve got surplus sauce, try using it to create a tomato vinaigrette for salads, or as an arrabbiata sauce for pasta dishes.
4. Offer crust dips
Crusts are often wasted by consumers, but you can help to reduce crust leftovers by offering crust dip at a reasonably low price. These dips can be made easily in-house, using ingredients already available back of house. Encourage your team to get creative!
5. Try your hand at dessert pizzas
Leftover dough can be used to create more than just savoury snacks. Why not add long-life in-gredients such as chocolate or hazelnuts spreads, ice cream and UHT whipped creams to mini pizza bases made from leftover dough. It’s a great way to use leftovers, whilst adding a whole new revenue stream to your menu.
6. Sign up to Too Good To Go
Too Good To Go makes it easy for businesses to sell surplus food to customers via an app. List any leftovers as a ‘Magic Bag’ on the app, and let consumers come to you at a time that suits your business. Pre-payment is all managed through the app too and the service now covers most major European cities.
7. Activate special app or in-store offers at the end of the day
Avoid food being thrown away at the end of the day by introducing an incentive programme on leftover items for your final hour of operation. This could be a large discount, such as 50% off, or ‘buy one get one free’ on pizzas.
8. Design your own "waste warriors" pizza
If you’re using leftover or surplus ingredients to create a special, then why not encourage purchase of the dish by letting your customers know that it’s helping to reduce food waste? The "waste warriors" pizza could rotate daily so it’s always a surprise – and should always be available at a lower cost to pizzas on your main menu.
Want to learn more about tackling food waste in the pizza industry?
Download our guide “Pizza With A Purpose” and get tips, tricks and recipes to help you reduce food waste in your pizza business.
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