Many supply chains are overloaded, with the result that raw materials are becoming increasingly scarce.

This trend is also being clearly felt by restaurateurs.

The good news for every affected restaurateur is at least that all valued ingredients will continue to be readily available. This development will be reflected in the prices for the corresponding goods, which will probably cause some people a lot of trouble.

Normal consumers are also already feeling the effects of this development in the supermarket, but in the future they will also be able to expect rising prices at their next visit to a restaurant. No one likes to see their favorite dish cost a few euros more, but this must also be seen from the perspective of the restaurateurs, who have no real choice:

Most restaurateurs only have a narrow profit margin of around twenty percent after their material costs and operating costs anyway. So if the price of the materials or ingredients also increases by, say, ten percent, their own profit will be considerably reduced. The restaurateur can only counteract such a reduction in his own profit with an equivalent price increase.

But what else can the restaurateur do to avoid having to raise his prices too much and thus remain more attractive to the guest?

Here it can be observed that the approach of the restaurateurs is very different. Some try to keep prices low with economic approaches.

For example, long-term contracts are concluded with producers and suppliers of ingredients, or the supplier is simply exchanged for a less expensive one. Another very sensible approach is to critically scrutinize one’s own operating expenses that are incurred in day-to-day operations. In this way, some expenses are revealed, which were much too expensive for years, or are no longer necessary.

Another very interesting measure is to replace some expensive gourmet ingredients with cheaper products that are similar in taste. Here are a few examples:

• Mascarpone, the popular Italian cream cheese can be replaced with a mixture of pureed high fat cottage cheese and 30-35% cream. This is both similar in taste and the same in consistency when mixed in the right proportions.
• Truffles, this very expensive mushroom which is difficult to substitute in terms of taste also has a suitable alternative: the shiitake mushroom also has a very intense and distinct flavor.
• Anchovies, another very popular ingredient especially in Italian cuisine, are appreciated for their salty aroma. You can replace this expensive fish with sprat, hamsa or spicy sardines. Another option for similar taste here is a Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce.
• Capers, these give a spicy, salty and sour taste. Instead, it is also possible to use pickled cucumbers just in the preparation of salad.

As you can see, there are numerous fancy methods to replace expensive ingredients with cheaper ones and achieve a similar, or even better, taste.

Considering the rising prices and increasing inflation, these measures will not lead to keeping prices permanently low. However, there will always be ways to lower costs and perhaps differentiate yourself from comparable dishes from competitors.

Feel free to drop us a line if you yourself have a hot tip for good alternatives or find a great creation in the future. Then we can write more posts on this topic in the future and keep you updated

We are hugely impressed by the tremendous efforts of restaurateurs and are very grateful that they are trying to keep the customer experience at the restaurant as attractive as possible!