Egyptian hotels do not differ from each other in the matter of attitude toward the food left on the buffet table. All hotels practice the principle “Everything goes into business”, but they do it in different ways: some strictly economize and recycle the remaining leftovers to feed their guests with it the next time, in this case, as a rule, the result is often deplorable. However, others, above all, 4- and 5-star hotels, which preserve their youthful reputation, demonstrate a rational and careful attitude to food. This was explained in more detail by a blogger who lives in Egypt on PMP.
According to her, in the conditions of the crisis, inflation, and depreciation of the local currency, there is rarely a lot of food left in hotels that “wasn’t consumed” by tourists: hotels have gone into economy mode. Here is the work order followed by the hotel staff:
Every morning, the chef and the accountant meet and calculate how many products are required according to the standards for a specific number of tourists resting that day at the hotel, plus feed the staff. And for exactly this amount, the chef receives meat, chicken, vegetables, oil, etc. from the refrigerator on the invoice. An experienced chef should be able to save something for the hotel. It counts for him, so he also has his tricks.
Example: 400 tourists are resting in the hotel, and the chef knows that 200 chickens are needed for dinner for this number of people. He, just in case, prepares not 200, but only 100! Suddenly the tourists will not have an appetite or the band has gone on an excursion. If he sees that the tourists are “bursting” well and the chickens are running out, he gives the command to finish more. The equipment in hotels is powerful, and everything is prepared quickly. And maybe tourists won’t pounce on food and additional chickens won’t be needed — so, well done, you saved the hotel’s money.”
In this case, uneaten dishes by tourists go to the tables of hotel employees. They are usually happy to eat food prepared for vacationers. “If the chef miscalculates the amount of food needed to feed tourists and staff and prepares too much, they will have a conversation with him once or twice, and then they may be fired,” she added.
However, five-star hotels in Egypt follow a different food algorithm. They do not prioritize saving, because they value their reputation, and do not throw away food, but give it to the needy.
“The scheme is the same: tourists eat first and then staff. Suppose everyone is full and some food is still left. In that case, it is sent in boxes to the so-called “bank food” in Hurghada. From this “bank”, food is quickly transported by institutions: to police stations, to a hospital for junior medical personnel or sick people who do not have relatives, and also goes to orphanages in Hurghada, Safaga, and possibly Rozgareb,” the blogger explained.