Every business in the hospitality industry is looking to cut costs and reduce its environmental impact at the moment. When rising costs meet a climate emergency, tough decisions need to be made across the board, especially in London and the southeast where the concentration of commercial kitchens in hotels, restaurants, and bars is high. So how can your hospitality business save water and costs?

Saving water in your commercial kitchen

Commercial kitchens are one of the highest users of water in the country. With food preparation and cleaning, alongside general cleaning, washing, and associated use, water comes at a cost – not only to your pocket but to the environment as well. While the facts and figures on water waste and usage in commercial kitchens are in short supply, according to climate action NGO, Wrap, “food and beverage manufacturing processes use about 190 million m3 of water per year”.

But as our water becomes more precious, water processing and purifying are driving costs up. London’s hotel and hospitality industry can make progress in being more environmentally friendly by using water supplies more efficiently. After all, using less water will reduce your bottom-line costs too, so here are a few ways to make changes and save water in your commercial kitchen.

Invest in water-saving equipment

Dishwashers and glasswashers are heavily used in commercial kitchens. While necessary for a streamlined service, are they as efficient as they could be? If you’ve had your under-counter, pass through, or conveyor dishwasher for some time, it’s worth considering an upgrade to a model that could use up to 40% less water and be up to 40% more energy efficient.

Install tap aerators

Leaving taps running can be one of the biggest wastes of water when working in a commercial kitchen, especially if you’re prepping or cleaning food or washing dishes. Installing tap aerators that mix air into the water stream will use less water usage without losing pressure. For general use, timer/auto shut-off taps are also useful.

Check and repair any leaks

Slow drips from taps or appliances can easily be overlooked, but their cumulative effect can be costly if left unrepaired. Dripping taps can lead to hundreds of litres of water being wasted every month which will increase your costs when it could be a simple job to fix. But leaks that are out of sight could cost you even more in damage, so check regularly.

Monitor your water use

Checking your water bills could highlight any price increases that come out of nowhere. But with most bills coming every quarter, it might be months before you know anything about it. Checking your water meter daily will help you work out how much water is being used. You can then make any checks or changes to help save water.

Stay hydrated with Thirsty Work

But while these simple, commercial kitchen water-saving tips, you could save money and lower your bills, it’s important to keep your kitchen staff hydrated throughout a hectic shift too. Installing a mains fed water cooler or a bottled water cooler will keep them cool and refreshed in a hot, busy environment with pure-filtered water without the typical chemical taste of London water.

For more information on our water cooler range, call our customer service team on 02080 498 501 or email us at hello@thirstywork.com today to get your free quote or to start your 10-day free trial.