Catering Consultant in Gloucester

I work with Gloucester commercial kitchens on the decisions that are expensive to get wrong: the equipment, the layout, what the menu actually earns, and whether the team can run it under pressure.

I am René Chapman, based in Newport, about an hour away up the M4 and M5. Far enough that I plan the visit properly, close enough to be there for a service and back the same day.

35+ years in the hospitality sector, across kitchens, front of house and wholesale food buying and selling.

Catering equipment

I specify the equipment and manage the supply and installation through to commissioning. Where a cheaper machine will do the work, that is what I put on the schedule. More on catering equipment and combi ovens for Gloucester kitchens.

Kitchen design

Drawn around the way a service actually runs. Fewer steps between sections, less standing in each other's way, and a lower energy bill at the end of it.

Menu and gross profit

I cost every dish and show you what each one really contributes. It is common to find two or three strong sellers quietly running at a loss.

Staff training

Front of house, back of house, and the handover between them, which is usually where a service breaks. On site, in short sessions built around your rota.

Stock, ordering and rotas

Whether a system pays at your size is an arithmetic question, and I will do the arithmetic with you. Plenty of kitchens are better off without one.

Who I work with

Independent restaurants, cafés and bistros. Gastropubs and food-led bars. Hotels. Contract caterers. Care homes and healthcare. Education catering. Food production.

Where to start

A free conversation about what is actually going wrong. If there is no clear way for me to make you money, I will tell you rather than take the work.

Serving Gloucester, Cheltenham, the Forest of Dean, Bristol, Newport and the surrounding areas.

Feature image: Docks in Gloucester by Nessy, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized from the original.