Solving Summer Staffing Gaps: Smarter Production for Smaller Teams
London is finally sunny, and summer is here at last! But with the warmer days and holiday season upon us, kitchens across the city are feeling the pressure. Regular staff are taking well-earned breaks, freelancers are harder to book, and suddenly you’re running around with a full restaurant to serve but fewer hands on deck.
For many restaurants, hotels, and caterers, this isn’t just a seasonal challenge—staffing shortages have become an ongoing issue. The real test is how to keep quality, consistency, and service speed high without burning out the team you do have.
That’s where smarter production planning comes in.
Focus your team on what matters most
When your kitchen is short-staffed, it’s essential to prioritise. Where can your core team create the most value? It’s often on the final assembly and finishing of dishes — the craft that customers really notice.
The earlier stages of production — stocks, sauces, prep — can take up huge amounts of time and labour. Outsourcing some of this allows your leaner team to focus on cooking and service.
Outsource your high-labour elements
Here are just a few of the components that can be prepped to your exact recipe off-site:
Sauces and dressings
Stocks, glazes, jus
House-marinated items
Pastry elements - Pancake / waffles batters, cookie dough…etc
Mis en place for signature dishes
With these elements delivered fresh and consistent, your team can plate confidently, even on thin staffing days.
Protect staff wellbeing
It’s tempting to ask your core team to ‘push through’ during busy weeks — but that leads to fatigue, mistakes, and high turnover. Production support helps avoid burnout by easing the load, keeping service quality high and shifts manageable.
Plan ahead for holiday periods
If you know your staffing will be tighter in July & August, now’s the time to look at what you can outsource. Lock in production support early so you’re not scrambling at the last minute when bookings surge and team availability dips.
We work with chefs and operators to tailor production exactly to your needs — whether it’s a single sauce or a full menu component. Everything is made to your recipe, your standards, ready for your kitchen team to use as their own.
With the right support, your kitchen can stay consistent, calm, and creative — no matter how short the rota gets.
