What are the essential supplies for a restaurant?
Before we get started, it always helps to first identify what type of food your kitchen offers. Some foods can do without certain equipment or kitchenware. For example, a dessert shop may not have much use for a range of pizza ovens, but a pizzeria definitely will.
That being said, here are some of the generally accepted essentials for any professional kitchen.
Kitchen ranges and ovens
Kitchen ranges and ovens are the heart of any restaurant cooking equipment – it’s where the bulk of the cooking is done. When shopping for a kitchen range or oven, it’s best to narrow down which function you expect will be getting the most use.
Will you or your kitchen staff be mostly cooking, or will there be some baking involved? A Rational combi oven might be a good fit for the latter, while a traditional burger griddle would work well for kitchens that fry many of its dishes or ingredients.
Food processors
Your kitchen will also need a range of food processors, such as mixers, blenders, or slicers. These are different from the handy kitchenware tools we’re all familiar with. For example, if your restaurant’s Robot Coupe stick blenders come in various sizes and lengths, they’ll allow you to whip, puree, mash, or otherwise process food items in great volumes in just a few minutes.
Food processors are excellent timesavers in any kitchen, and any busy restaurant will be well-served by having at least a few pieces of food processing equipment among its restaurant supplies.
Freezers and refrigerators
Freezers and refrigerators are also essential to any kitchen, especially for preventing food waste and keeping perishable foods safe. Food items like meats, poultry, fish, and dairy products require temperature-controlled storage to keep them fresh and edible. Freezers and refrigerators also keep leftovers and pre-cooked ingredients from spoiling.
Your freezer or refrigerator should have ample storage capacity that matches the volume of food items you’ll need to be prepared on any given day. If you’re uncertain if your kitchen needs a walk-in refrigerator or a chest freezer, speak with a Reward Hospitality specialist about it – we’ll be more than happy to help.
Kitchenware
The pots, pans, knives, and ramekins of them all – kitchenware is where you’ll find these supplies. While the previously mentioned essentials technically fall under kitchenware due to their primary functions, kitchenware is generally understood to mean kitchen implements that are either not machine-operated or not automated.
Popular kitchenware implements are knives, chopping boards, measuring spoons and bowls, ramekins, rolling pins, kitchen shears or scissors, serving pans and bowls, and pots and pans of various sizes.
The sheer variety of kitchenware items may be overwhelming – if you need assistance in narrowing down your shopping list of restaurant supplies, drop by one of Reward Hospitality’s physical stores. Our in-store specialists will guide you through our available options for each essential tool.
What should be considered when purchasing restaurant supplies online?
Let’s say your business isn’t quite in the metro area, and searching for quality restaurant supplies in person may not be practical at the moment. What do you do? For many, the practical choice is to source their restaurant equipment online.
There are many supply stores like Reward Hospitality that offer commercial kitchen equipment online, but not all of them are built equally. Consider the following points when looking for your ideal supply retailer.
Pay attention to the quality of the restaurant supplies offered. Whenever possible, you’ll want to get supplies that have a reasonable balance between quality and budget.
Ideal commercial equipment suppliers like Reward Hospitality will offer quality products that can withstand commercial use, as well as provide competitive pricing for bulk buys. We source our products from respected hospitality brands, such as Panasonic, Libbey, Stölzle, and Kleenex. We even house exclusive brands like Soft Clean, Kleaning Essentials, Choyer, Earth Essentials, Pro.Mundi, and Pro.Cooker – a testament to our high standards.
Moreover, we offer price matching for eligible supplies or equipment.
Next on the checklist is their delivery turnaround. You’re purchasing supplies because your business needs them, and more often than not, you needed the supplies yesterday. A delayed supply chain means your business takes a hit – you’ll want a supplier that has a transparent delivery policy.
Our third point is after-sales support. What if you wanted to increase the number of your ordered Zuma plates and get them delivered along with your ongoing orders? What if you need to request a refund due to manufacturer errors in your catering equipment? A responsible and professional hospitality supplier should be able to answer questions like these in a timely manner.
How do restaurants look for equipment suppliers?
Finding a reliable and trustworthy source for restaurant supplies is sometimes a process of trial and error. If you’ve already found us here at Reward Hospitality, however, you don’t have to go through all of that.
Reward Hospitality is Asia Pacific's leading hospitality and care supplier, providing supplies and services to the greater Asia Pacific, with over ten physical warehouses and stores in Australia delivering to several metropolitan areas like Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney.
With over 6,500 individual supply items in our catalogue, and a selection ranging from bar tools to hospitality supplies and equipment. We also provide consolidated shipping and 24- to 48-hour dispatch for in-stock items.
Our team has years of experience in providing hospitality equipment and supplies for a wide range of businesses within and beyond the country. We cover all of the bases, from basic supplies to heavy-duty equipment, to customised services and consultations – all so we can help you grow your business to its full potential.
When it comes to the hospitality industry, quality is everyone’s responsibility – and we take our part seriously, as you and your customers deserve.
Order your restaurant supplies from Reward Hospitality today.