A quality fine dining experience doesn’t just come down to the food. From the moment you step foot in a fine dining restaurant, you want to feel engulfed in luxury and taken care of by professional, friendly waiters and waitresses. Uniforms, cleanliness, and customer service are all aspects which greatly contribute to a high standard restaurant.
The Benefits of Quality Uniforms
One hugely noticeable aspect of a fine dining experience is the staff’s uniforms. Uniforms can have a great impact on the look and feel of a restaurant, and can contribute towards your restaurant's brand identity.
A professional looking uniform can make your employees look reliable and trustworthy, which allows the customers to relax and feel that they are in safe hands.
Not only this, but when uniforms look great and fit well, they instil pride and confidence in your employees.
This list delves further into the benefits that a quality uniform can offer.
Branding and Advertising
Having an easily recognisable unique uniform can make your business stand out against the market. Adding your logo or slogan to employee uniforms is a practical way to advertise for free.
Safety
Uniforms are designed to protect staff from any work related injuries. By providing protective clothing to employees, restaurants may reduce workers compensation claims. This is an inexpensive investment that also increases employee job satisfaction.
Promotes Team Spirit
Uniforms foster team spirit and promote a sense of belonging which can ultimately increase worker productivity.
Improve Security
Company uniforms featuring specific styles or colours quickly identify who does or doesn’t belong in specific work areas or on job sites. It has been proven that customers trust uniformed employees more than employees who don’t wear uniforms.
Employee Benefit
Employer provided uniforms means that employees save money, and when part of a linen company like Johnsons London Linen they save time laundering too.
Cleanliness
Routinely laundered uniforms reduce the spread of harmful bacteria and risk of contamination. This is particularly important when working in the food industry and handling food.
Providing each of your employees with a few spare changes of the uniform will mean that their uniform will always be clean and presentable for work.
A clean uniform lets customers know that their food has been cooked with care and hygiene in mind.
Reputation
Restaurant reputations can spread quickly, particularly if it is negative. BEnsure that your reputation is positive by instilling a professional, hygienic uniform into your workplace.
So what are the different types of uniform that can make your business look and feel more professional?
Professional Chef Uniform
Dating back to the 19th century, the chef's uniform remains a standard in the food industry. The basic concept of the chef uniform has remained the same since then: white jacket, trousers, apron, side dish towel and a toque (chef’s hat).
Despite often being hidden from customers, a chef's uniform is equally as important as the front of house staff. Not only does it maintain a high standard and sense of professionalism within the restaurant, but it also serves different functions like reducing health hazards and cross contamination of the food.
Chef Whites
Legendary French chef Marie-Antoine Careme is highly credited with the creation of the chef’s uniform.
Marie-Antoine Carême chose the colour white for the chef outfit to represent cleanliness. While this may seem an impractical choice considering chefs are around food all day, Careme stated that a good chef should be able to work without staining their uniform.
A white uniform also allows for chefs to visibly see a stain immediately, so they can change into a fresh uniform and avoid cross-contamination of food.
Another benefit of this colour is that it is reflective soo will repel heat instead of absorbing it, meaning that it will keep the chef cooler.
Chef Aprons
Aprons act as an added layer of protection from heat and flames, as well as stains. This can prevent cross contamination of the food.
However, chefs should avoid using their apron to clean up spillages because this can stain the apron. They should instead use towels to clean up any mess.
Some aprons also come with pockets, which enables chefs to access and carry equipment easily.
Johnson's London Linen provides a comprehensive range of chef's aprons which take into consideration comfort, functionability, temperature, choice, design and safety.
Toque
The most recognizable part of a chef's uniform is usually the hat. It is white like the rest of the chef uniform to emphasise cleanliness.
Dating back to around 1870, the height of the chef’s hat originally represented the wearer's rank in the kitchen hierarchy, meaning the taller the hat, the higher the rank.
This led to chefs wearing taller and taller hats to try to prove their status.
The modern toque, however, is tall to allow for the circulation of air above the head and provide an outlet for heat. The health department requires chefs to wear a hat or hair restraint of some sort to prevent hair from falling into food, so the toque has continued to be a striking piece of the chef uniform to this day.
Chef Jackets
The chef’s jacket is an integral part of the uniform. It is usually double breasted which provides an additional layer of protection from heat or any hot splashes. If the inevitable stain does occur, a chef can simply reverse the flaps.
The jacket also has long sleeves to protect the arms from burns while reaching into ovens.
At Johnsons London Linen, our chefs jackets are made from superior cotton, natural linen, and materials of the finest quality.
Appropriate Chef Footwear
Sturdy, comfortable and anti-slip shoes are essential for chefs. Slipping or tripping over laces in the kitchen can be dangerous so it is important that chefs wear the correct footwear.
Open-toed shoes, sandals or shoes with laces are all inappropriate footwear options for a chef. These types of footwear can lead to an increased risk of tripping or burning yourself.
The most popular form of footwear for a chef is a clog because it doesn’t require laces and is made of easy to clean, breathable leather, making it able to survive the rough kitchen environment.
Professional Waiters / Waitresses Uniforms
As waiters / waitresses are usually the first people customers will see, it is important that they make a good impression.
Generally, waiters and waitresses should wear a white shirt, black trousers, comfortable black shoes and a tie.
Jewellery should be avoided and hair should be tied back to prevent strands of hair from falling in the food.
You should choose a breathable material for your waiting staff’s uniform so that they do not get too hot, because if customers can see that your staff are visibly sweating, they might worry about the cleanliness and hygiene of the food.
At Johnsons London Linen, we provide breathable trousers and aprons which would be ideal for all of your waiting staff.
Hygiene
Hygiene is arguably the most important aspect of a waiter / waitress and chef’s uniform. Although the uniform provided should be designed in a way that is the most hygienic it can be, there are steps which your employees can personally take in order to maintain good hygiene standards in the restaurant.
- Shower and brush teeth - This goes without saying, but personal hygiene is very important as an employee of a restaurant. Before arriving at work, employees must shower and brush their teeth so that they are clean and ready to handle the food
- Hair - Although chefs will be wearing a hat while in the kitchen, it is still crucial that they tie their hair up if it is long to prevent strands of hair from getting in the food
- Open wounds - Ensure that your employees have any open wound covered with a bandage or plaster to prevent contamination of the food
- Jewellery - No jewellery should be worn in the kitchen to prevent if ending up in the food
- Perfume - Employees should limit the amount of perfume they use because it could overpower the scent of the actual food
Additional Products That Contribute Towards a Fine Dining Experience
Aside from your staff’s uniform, you should also consider adding these items to improve your restaurants hygiene and contribute to your guests experience
- Bar wipes - More absorbent than kitchen towels, bar wipes are more effective at cleaning up spillages on the bar
- Candles - Candles adds an intimate atmosphere to your restaurant, especially when paired with soft, ambient music
- Table Linen - Table linen is great for both dining aesthetics and to prevent stains or scratches on your table
- Kitchen, glass and oven cloths are all necessary in keeping your kitchen clean and free of any spillages
Are you Looking for Chef Clothing in London?
Serving the London restaurant and catering industry for over 80 years, at Johnson’s London Linen, we have become experts in our field.
We have been the leading linen hire and laundry supplier in the capital since 1935.
We provide an extensive range of luxury linen chef aprons, jackets, trousers and shirts so that your employees will look the part while feeling comfortable.
We also offer high quality table linen to transform your restaurant into a fine dining experience.
For additional information on our products and services, please visit our website here today!
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