Introduction

A busy kitchen runs on consistency. Guests who loved a curry last week expect the same flavour this week. A hotel breakfast buffet needs tea and coffee ready from the first guest to the last. A café’s iced coffee must taste the same whether it is made by the manager or a new trainee. Behind that consistency sit reliable ingredients and a supplier who delivers them on time, every time.

We supply restaurants, hotels, cafés and caterers with our own food brands: Udari spices and cashews, Hakgala Ceylon tea, Desco coffee premixes, and fresh Scotch bonnet chillies and golden pumpkins from our own plantations. We can also supply non-food essentials such as printed order pads and menus, staff T-shirts and non-woven bags.

This article explains what food service customers need from a supplier, how our products fit into restaurant, café and hotel kitchens, how to plan orders and store ingredients, and how to use our brands to create consistent, popular dishes. It ends with an illustrative example and answers to common questions.

What food service customers need from a supplier

Food service buying is different from retail buying. Kitchens use ingredients rather than resell them, so they need:

• Consistency. Spices, tea and coffee that taste the same in every batch, so recipes and guest experiences stay the same.
• Practical pack sizes. Bulk and catering packs that are quicker to use, take less storage space per kilogram and create less packaging waste than many small packs.
• Reliable delivery. Ingredients arriving on agreed days, so kitchens never run out during service.
• Clear information. Ingredient and allergen information that chefs can use when writing menus and answering guests’ questions.
• Easy ordering. A single contact, simple reordering and accurate invoices.
• Fair problem-solving. Quick replacement if something arrives damaged or incorrect.

For restaurants

Spices for consistent flavour

Spices define the flavour of Sri Lankan food. When a restaurant changes spice suppliers, or buys from different sources each week, the flavour of its signature dishes can drift. Using the same Udari spices in every batch helps keep dishes consistent, whichever cook is on duty.

Cashews for curries and desserts

Udari Cashew Nuts are whole natural kernels, ideal for kaju curry, cashew paste to enrich gravies without cream, garnishes for biriyani and fried rice, and desserts. Udari Oven Roasted Cashews, dry-roasted and never fried, make an easy bar snack or salad topping.

Fresh produce

Our fresh Scotch bonnet chillies add fruity, intense heat to sauces, marinades and curries, and our golden pumpkins are ideal for curries, soups and side dishes. Both are supplied subject to season and availability.

Tea and coffee

Restaurants serve tea and coffee to diners and staff. Hakgala Ceylon tea suits plain tea, milk tea and iced tea, while Desco premixes offer a quick, consistent coffee for staff rooms and quick-service counters.

For cafés

Cafés depend on drinks and light bites that are quick to prepare and consistent. Our products help in several ways:

• Desco premixes. Desco Classic 3-in-1, Desco Cappuccino and Desco Ginger Coffee can be prepared in seconds with hot water, and Desco Iced Coffee with Milk makes a simple iced coffee base. Premixes suit cafés without espresso machines, busy periods and takeaway counters.
• A tea menu. Hakgala offers black, green, white, oolong and flavoured teas, from Earl Grey and English Breakfast to Jasmine Green and Lemongrass Green. A small tea menu adds variety and higher-value orders.
• Snacks. Udari Oven Roasted Cashews can be sold in small bowls or packs alongside drinks.
• Spiced drinks. Desco Ginger Coffee and Hakgala Spiced Masala tea bring Ceylon spices to the menu.

Simple café drink ideas

Hotels and caterers

Hotels and caterers have some of the widest needs of any food service customer, covering restaurants, banquets, room service, guest rooms, staff canteens and events.

Guest rooms and meeting rooms

Single-serve Desco sachets and Hakgala tea are ideal for guest-room tea and coffee trays, meeting rooms and executive lounges. They are quick for guests to prepare, easy for housekeeping to restock and consistent from room to room.

Breakfast buffets

Large volumes of tea and coffee are served at breakfast. Hakgala black tea grades such as BOPF brew strong, coloured tea quickly, ideal for milk tea at the buffet, while a selection of Hakgala flavoured and green teas gives guests choice.

Restaurants and banquets

Banquet and restaurant kitchens use spices, cashews and fresh produce in large quantities. Bulk Udari spices and cashews, together with fresh pumpkins and Scotch bonnets in season, help banquet menus taste consistent across hundreds of servings.

Staff canteens

Staff meals and staff tea and coffee are a constant need. Catering packs of Hakgala tea and Desco coffee, and bulk Udari spices, keep staff canteens supplied economically.

Tourist seasons

Hotels see sharp peaks during tourist seasons and holidays. We recommend sharing expected occupancy and event plans with us early, so we can plan stock for your peak months.

Non-food essentials for hotels and caterers

We can also supply printed stationery such as order pads and menus, branded staff T-shirts and printed non-woven bags for events and guest gifts. Insights Article 3 explains our non-food range.

Caterers and events

Caterers face a particular challenge: large, irregular orders for weddings, parties, corporate events and religious occasions, often at short notice and concentrated in busy seasons. To plan well:

• Share your event calendar with us as early as possible, especially for the wedding season and festive months.
• Use standard recipes scaled by the number of guests, so spice and cashew quantities can be calculated in advance.
• Keep a core stock of the most-used spices, cashews, tea and coffee, topped up before each busy period.
• Plan non-food items too, such as printed menus, staff T-shirts and gift bags for guests.

For large events, we recommend confirming quantities a few weeks ahead, so stock can be reserved.

Planning orders: par levels

Running out of a key spice in the middle of service is stressful; over-ordering ties up money and storage space. Many kitchens use par levels: the amount of each item they should have in stock at the start of each ordering cycle.

To set a par level:

1. Work out how much you use in a typical week, for example 4 kg of curry powder.
2. Choose your ordering cycle, for example weekly or fortnightly deliveries.
3. Add a safety buffer for busy periods and delivery delays, for example 25% to 50%.
4. Set the par level. For a weekly delivery with a 50% buffer: 4 kg plus 2 kg equals 6 kg.
5. Order the difference. Before each order, count what you have and order enough to bring stock back up to the par level.

Review par levels before festive and tourist seasons, when usage rises.

Storing ingredients in a commercial kitchen

Use “first expired, first out” rotation: place new stock behind older stock, and use older stock first.

Controlling food costs with consistent ingredients

Food costs are one of the largest expenses in any restaurant or hotel kitchen, and ingredients that vary from batch to batch make costs harder to control. Consistent, well-packed ingredients help in several ways:

• Standard recipes. When a spice tastes the same every time, chefs can write standard recipes with exact quantities. Every portion uses the same amount, which makes the cost per plate predictable.
• Less trial and error. Cooks spend less time adjusting dishes that taste different because a spice is stronger or weaker than last week’s.
• Bulk pack value. Larger packs usually cost less per kilogram than many small retail packs, and they reduce packaging waste.
• Less spoilage. Spices and cashews stored properly in sealed packs keep their quality longer, so less is thrown away.
• Accurate menu pricing. Once the cost of each dish is known, menu prices can be set to protect margins.

A simple step is to cost each signature dish once a year, or whenever ingredient costs change, and adjust portion sizes or menu prices if needed.

Reducing waste in the kitchen

Waste costs money and harms the environment. Practical ways to reduce it include:

• Order to par levels, so stock does not sit unused until it passes its best-before date.
• Rotate stock using “first expired, first out”.
• Store correctly, keeping spices, tea and coffee sealed, dry and away from heat and steam.
• Use the whole ingredient. Pumpkin seeds can be roasted as a bar snack or garnish, and pumpkin trimmings can go into soups and stocks.
• Choose the right pack size. Very large packs can go stale if a kitchen uses them slowly; choose sizes that match your usage.
• Measure, don’t guess. Using measuring spoons or scales for spices avoids over-use and keeps flavour consistent.

Training kitchen and service staff

Good ingredients deliver their best results when staff know how to use them:

• Kitchen teams should know which Udari spice goes into which dish, how much to use and how to store opened packs.
• Café and bar teams should know how to prepare Desco drinks consistently, including the right amount of water and how to make iced coffee.
• Service staff should be able to describe the tea menu, recommend a Hakgala tea to suit a guest’s taste and answer allergen questions accurately.
• Housekeeping teams should restock guest-room tea and coffee trays to a standard layout, checking dates.

We can provide simple product notes to support staff training.

Receiving deliveries in a busy kitchen

Deliveries often arrive during preparation, when kitchens are busiest. A simple routine protects quality:

1. Check the delivery note against your order before signing.
2. Count cartons and check they are dry and undamaged.
3. Check best-before dates and pack condition.
4. Put chilled and fresh items, such as Scotch bonnets, into storage first.
5. Move new stock behind older stock on shelves.
6. Report any problem to us straight away, with photos if possible.

Agreeing delivery times outside your busiest service periods also helps.

Allergens and menus

Cashews are tree nuts, one of the most common food allergens. Kitchens using Udari cashews should:

• note cashews on menus for dishes that contain them, including cashew paste in gravies;
• store cashews in closed containers and use separate scoops;
• clean surfaces and equipment after preparing cashew dishes; and
• train staff to answer allergen questions accurately and to check with the kitchen when unsure.

The allergen information on our packs helps chefs prepare accurate menu information.

Menu ideas using our products

• Kaju curry with Udari Cashew Nuts, coconut milk and Udari Curry Powder.
• Pumpkin curry with golden pumpkin, Udari Turmeric and a whole Scotch bonnet.
• Devilled chicken with Udari Chicken Masala and Udari Chilli Pieces.
• Biriyani with Udari Biriyani Masala, topped with Udari Cashew Nuts fried in ghee.
• Pepper chicken with Udari Pepper.
• Iced coffee with Desco Iced Coffee with Milk.
• Ceylon tea selection using Hakgala black, green and flavoured teas.

Illustrative example

The following example is illustrative and does not describe a real customer.

A beach hotel with two restaurants and forty rooms wants fewer suppliers and more consistent food. Its purchasing manager asks us for samples of Udari spices and cashews, Hakgala BOPF and flavoured teas, and Desco sachets for guest rooms.

The executive chef tests the spices in the hotel’s signature curries and standardises recipes around Udari Curry Powder, Roasted Curry Powder and Biriyani Masala. Housekeeping replaces guest-room coffee with Desco Classic 3-in-1 and Desco Cappuccino sachets. We agree weekly deliveries, the kitchen sets par levels for each product, and before the tourist season the hotel increases its standing order and adds printed non-woven bags as welcome gifts for guests.

Frequently asked questions

Do you supply bulk packs for restaurants?

Yes. Udari spices and cashews, Hakgala tea and Desco coffee are available in bulk or catering formats for food service customers.

Can you supply single-serve sachets for hotel rooms?

Yes. Desco premixes come in single sachets, and Hakgala tea is available in formats suitable for guest rooms.

Do you supply fresh produce?

Yes, subject to season and availability. We supply fresh Scotch bonnet chillies and golden pumpkins from our own plantations.

How often can you deliver?

Delivery schedules are agreed with each customer, based on location and order size, and confirmed in the quotation.

Can a chef try samples before ordering?

Yes. We provide samples where suitable, so chefs can test products in their own recipes.

Do you provide allergen information?

Yes. Ingredient and allergen information is shown on our packs. Udari cashew products contain cashew nuts, a tree nut allergen.

Can you help us set up a tea menu?

Yes. We can suggest a small selection of Hakgala black, green, white and flavoured teas to suit your guests and your menu, with simple descriptions your staff can use.

What if a delivery arrives damaged?

Tell us straight away, with photos if possible. We replace damaged or incorrect items quickly, so your kitchen is not left short.

Can we combine food and non-food items in one order?

Yes. Spices, cashews, tea, coffee and fresh produce can arrive together with printed stationery, staff T-shirts or bags, on one delivery and one invoice.

Conclusion

Restaurants, hotels, cafés and caterers need ingredients that taste the same every time, in practical pack sizes, delivered reliably. Udari spices and cashews, Hakgala tea, Desco coffee and fresh produce from our plantations give food service customers trusted brands, consistent flavour and the convenience of one supplier.

Ready to simplify your kitchen supplies? Contact us for samples and a food service quotation.

Request a Food Service Quote

Sources

• Udari Nuts & Spices, Hakgala and Desco product information (Dsigngo Group brand pages): https://dsigngo.com/nuts-and-spices/, https://dsigngo.com/ceylon-tea/ and https://dsigngo.com/coffee-home/
• Food Standards Agency (UK), allergen guidance for food businesses (good-practice reference): https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses
• Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, tourism statistics and seasons: https://www.sltda.gov.lk/en/statistics
• USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Sri Lanka food labelling and advertising regulations: https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/sri-lanka-sri-lanka-enacts-new-legislation-food-labeling-and-advertising