From sales to kitchen: a clean handover

The person who takes the order and the person who cooks it are rarely the same. Between them sits a handover, and that is where most mistakes begin: a guest count that changed, an allergy that was mentioned once, a venue that moved.

What the kitchen actually needs

The kitchen does not need the whole conversation. It needs a short, reliable list: the date and time, the place, the number of guests (adults and children), the menu for each meal, and any special requirements such as allergies or dietary needs. If those five things are right, almost everything else can be worked out.

One source of truth

The most common cause of a bad handover is two versions of the truth: the one in the salesperson's notes and the one in the cook's head. Keep the order in one place, and make that place the only thing anyone cooks from. When something changes, it changes there, and the person who needs to know sees it.

Make changes visible

Late changes are normal in catering. What hurts is a change nobody noticed. If a menu is changed after it was approved, the kitchen should see that a new version exists and what is different. A short note on why it changed helps the next person.

Close the loop

The handover is not finished when the order reaches the kitchen. It is finished when the kitchen has confirmed it, the food is ready, and the delivery is on its way. Simple statuses (pending, in preparation, ready, delivered) let everybody, including the customer's contact, see where the order stands without asking.

A short checklist

• Date, time, place and guest counts are on the order.
• The final menu for each meal is saved as a version the customer approved.
• Allergies and special needs are written on the order, not remembered.
• Changes after approval create a new version that the kitchen can see.
• Everyone can see the order's status.