As foodservice professionals strive to deliver exceptional experiences, speed scratch ingredients can be a game-changer. Choosing the right speed scratch ingredients can save staff dozens of hours per week without sacrificing quality. In fact, they can introduce flavors an operation may not have been able to implement otherwise.

Here are some of the top reasons to try speed scratch — and what they can look like in practice.

Reduce waste

Prepared ingredients are often designed to be long-lasting, which increases flexibility and decreases food waste. With food costs making up a quarter of overall operator expenses, the reduced risk of ingredients going bad can mean major savings.¹

Convenient & efficient

Combining prepared ingredients with food made from scratch can dramatically reduce prep times. Speed-scratch can have a big impact on the bottom line, especially when also making the most of these efficient ingredients.

More with fewer ingredients

Using ingredients across menu and dayparts maximizes inventory, letting operations easily add great flavors to many dishes. Using prepared ingredients this way can be just as valuable for taste as it is for staff efficiency!

Add flavor and flair

Speed-scratch cooking doesn’t come at the expense of taste. In fact, using prepared ingredients gives inventive chefs the chance to easily add flair to menus. For instance: using flavor concentrates to add zip to cocktails, or prepared sauces with scratch dishes like eggs Benedict or stir-fried noodles.²

Go global with your offerings

Speed scratch ingredients can mean serving flavors with exotic origins — without needing to source all the required fundamental ingredients.

• Harissa sauce can add North African heat
• Teriyaki sauce can bring sweetness and umami
• Hibiscus lemonade can deliver citrusy floral flavor

Ingredients made for foodservice

Speed scratch ingredients aren’t just designed to maximize flavor. Many are designed with foodservice in mind, offering exceptional flexibility in addition to their quality. For instance, gravies that offer superior steam table hold, or sauces that work in hot or cold applications, straight from dry storage.

As flexible as you want it to be

One of the best things about speed-scratch solutions is how it empowers the operator. Ultimately, each operation gets to choose what to get ready-made and what to make from scratch. That can unlock a lot of creativity, flavor, and impress guests who want to come back for more.

Want to learn more? All of these insights came from the Nestlé Professional Solutions report, “Working Smarter: Back-of-House Operations” — check it out here.

Content courtesy of Nestle Professional

¹Datassential PULSE Industry Overview: Segment Detail (2024)

²Use Key Ingredients Across Dayparts, Nestlé Professional Solutions (2025)