Why stock control slips in kitchens
In most small restaurants, stock is managed by the head cook's memory. He knows roughly how much paneer is left and when to call the supplier. It works on normal days. It fails on a busy weekend, when he is on leave or when a new dish suddenly sells well. The result is a kitchen that runs out of a key item in the middle of dinner, or a store room full of things that spoil before use.
Good stock control does not need a big system. It needs a short list of what matters, a record of what comes in and a regular check of what is left.
Start with the items that matter
Do not try to track every spice from day one. Start with the items that are expensive, used in large quantities or likely to spoil. For most Indian restaurants this list includes:
- Dairy: milk, paneer, curd, cream, butter and ghee
- Proteins: chicken, mutton, fish and eggs
- Staples: rice, flour, oil and sugar
- Fresh vegetables used in bulk, such as onions and tomatoes
- Packaging for takeaway and delivery
Record every purchase
Each time stock comes in, write it down with the date, quantity and supplier. This is the habit that makes everything else work. If purchases are recorded, you always know what came in, and comparing that with what is left tells you what was used.
Keep the supplier bill with the entry. When quantities or prices do not match what was agreed, you can raise it the same day instead of discovering it at month end.
Set reorder levels
For each key item, decide the level at which you should reorder. Think about how much you use on a busy day and how long the supplier takes to deliver. If you use eight kilos of paneer on a Saturday and the supplier needs a day, you want to reorder well before you drop under that. Write these levels down and review them every few months, especially when the menu changes.
Count stock regularly
Pick a fixed time for stock counts, such as after closing on Sunday night or before opening on Monday. Count only your key items, quickly. Compare the count with what your records say should be there. Small differences are normal. Large or repeated gaps point to waste, wrong portions, spoilage or worse, and are worth looking into calmly.
Reduce waste at the source
Most waste in restaurant kitchens comes from a few habits. Over-prepping on slow days, storing items in the wrong place and not using older stock first. Follow first in, first out: new stock goes behind old stock. Prep based on expected covers, not on habit. Note what is thrown away at the end of the day for a couple of weeks. Patterns appear quickly and are usually easy to fix.
Common mistakes
- Tracking too many items at the start and giving up
- Not recording purchases on busy days
- No reorder levels, so ordering is always last minute
- Counting stock at random times
- Ignoring small daily waste that adds up
Link stock to your menu
Once purchases and counts are steady, look at which dishes use the most expensive ingredients. If a dish sells well but uses a lot of an item that keeps running short, plan purchases around it. If a dish rarely sells but forces you to keep stock that spoils, consider dropping or changing it. Your sales data and stock data together make these choices much clearer.
Work with suppliers, not around them
Good stock control also depends on how you buy. Agree delivery days with your main suppliers, so your reorder levels match a predictable schedule. Check deliveries at the door for quantity and quality before signing, and send back what is not acceptable. Keep two suppliers for critical items such as dairy or chicken, so one late delivery does not stop service.
When prices change, note the date and the new price. Over a few months you will see which items swing most, and you can plan menu prices or portions with real numbers instead of guesses.
How VegaDine helps
VegaDine, by D&D Technology in Jaipur, includes raw material inventory where you keep a list of ingredients, record purchases as they arrive and get low stock alerts for key items. Alongside it, the daily sales dashboard shows your top selling items, so you can plan purchases around what actually sells. Book a free demo on WhatsApp at +91 95116 38160.
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