When kitting out a restaurant or bar, it's worth considering polos and T-shirts, caps, tabards, trousers, ties and specialist shoes for those in the kitchen and front of house. You may even need to supply corporatewear items to the management staff (see last issue's feature for details).

While items like chef's whites are an iconic uniform for those in the food industry, these garments do fulfill a practical purpose. So it's important for garment suppliers to be mindful of the hygiene and safety standards that these people must adhere to at work.

Food industry clothing needs to be practical, hardwearing and able to stand hot, bacteria-killing wash temperatures. So that fancy beading and glitter printing technique you've just acquired is probably best saved for another client.

History

The origin of the chef's uniform is thought to be around the mid 1800s when French chefs decided that white was the best colour to wear in the kitchen as it denoted cleanliness as well as excellence.

It was around this time that the classic doublebreasted jacket and cylindrical white hat (or 'toque') became kitchen staples. The checked trousers often seen in the kitchen are similar to what bakers wear to disguise spills and stains, and aprons have long been worn long to protect the wearer's front from hot ovens and spillages. The chef's uniform has endured to today, although many bars and restaurants adapt the traditional look to suit their own image.

The two sides of the food industry – that is front of house and kitchen – mean that a wide range of garments are worn by staff.

Kitchen staff

Those working in the kitchen will need the practical, comfortable and breathable items usually associated with the chef's uniform. A chef's jacket is often coupled with either traditional check trousers, neck scarf or hat, or sometimes all three. An apron is a must, and all clothes must be able to withstand high temperatures, both while being worn and when being washed.

Front of house staff

What the waiting or service staff wear will depend on the image the establishment is trying to create. Traditional restaurants will often have staff kitted out in white woven shirts with a waistcoat and tie; trendy bar/restaurants and gastro pubs may opt for a smart casual look, with polo shirts and pocketed aprons; while fast food restaurants may opt for a T-shirt and baseball cap combination.

Other food industry staff

Many companies have staff handling food all day long, such as those working in freezers or food manufacture. Staff here traditionally wear a cotton coat or tabard which protects both themselves and the food they are working with.

STYLES

Items of clothing in the food industry vary enormously, depending on how trendy or traditional the establishment wants to be. Traditionalists will stick rigidly to black, white and blue colours and traditional styles, while many others are wearing bright colours with checks or contrasting buttons to brighten up their image.

Chef's jacket, or 'whites'

The easily-recognisible, double-breasted, highfastening jacket is built that way for practical reasons: it's double-breasted so it can easily be reversed to hide stains, and the extra layer of cotton at the front protects the wearer against intense heat or spillages. Usually made of non-flammable white cotton for comfort and breathability.

Tie/neckscarf

On a practical level, neckties are worn by kitchen staff to soak up sweat while working in hot environments. Now that modern kitchens are less inferno-like than those of yesteryear, many kitchens have ditched the necktie. Some still prefer the look for aesthetic purposes, however. Anti tangle ties that can be tied over and over again are a particular favourite for front of house staff.

Headwear

The toque is only worn by only the most traditional of chefs. Some kind of headwear is still worn by many in catering, however, as it helps prevent the ultimate embarrassment of hair in food. Headwear in the food industry can include: trilby, chef’s hat, cap, hairnet and snood (for beards/moustaches).

Trousers

Usually white or with blue/black checks, trousers worn in the kitchen are usually cotton and loose fitting for comfort. Trousers worn by front of house staff may be smarter depending on the establishment's image.

Shirt

Whether polo, woven or T-shirt, the style worn by front of house staff very much depends on the image of the restaurant.Woven shirts can take the form of plain white or a special waiter shirt with a wing collar; it really depends on the restaurant's smartness.

Apron/tabard/smock

Aprons are worn almost universally across the food industry. They can be worn long for extra protection or short for greater comfort. Front of house staff aprons often have pockets for money, pens and notebooks. Tabards and smocks are most popular in food shops and in food manufacturing companies.

Shoes

For hygiene reasons, some staff in the food industry are required to wear anti-bacterial soled shoes.

FABRICS

Easy care, quick drying, non-iron fabrics are popular with everyone, but for staff who have to wash their uniform after their shift and put it on the next morning, they're essential. Garments should also be able to withstand a high-temperature, bacteria-killing wash of at least 60°C. Fabrics and finishes that fade, shrink or become damaged at these temperatures should be avoided.

Cotton is traditional and comfortable, and is the fabric of choice for chefs as it is cooler and breathable in hot environments. However, items that must be washed at 70-80°C to get stains out should be made of sanforised, or nonshrink cotton. Sanforised cotton can be washed at very high temperatures without shrinking.

A blend of poly/cotton is ideal for items such as aprons, as dye fastness is better than on 100% cotton and it gives a greater resistance to a hot wash. Easy care 100% polyester is also popular as it doesn't fade, shrink or wear out. Because aprons are not worn next to the skin, breathability is less of an issue. Black is the favourite colour and as this is the most difficult to dye in poly/cotton, the 100% poly is becoming popular.

Polyester shirts and blouses are low or non-iron, but cost more – most employers work on low cost items due to staff turnover.

Safety issues

According to clothing suppliers there are several potential safety issues in this market.

Nick Jubert of Denny's says: "Everything that comes in contact with cleaning materials and is a dark colour should be VAT dyed so that it is bleach resistant. The same rule applies for all items you want to send to the laundry."

Regarding embroidery, Jubert adds: "All embroidery must be made with colourfast thread. Many embroiderers who work for the promotional market use rayon thread which is no good in the hospitality market."

Other considerations include pockets and studs. "There are many rules for supplying the food manufacturing market in terms of pockets and studs but the kitchen is not covered by the same regulations and the rules are minimal," says Jubert. "Safety comes down to non-slip shoes and floors."

Sean McNabb, of Davern Workwear, explains the limitations of pockets and studs, which includes no external pockets. This is for hygiene reasons and because they can get caught on sharp edges, he says. "No plastic button plackets either – metal studs only. This is so they can be picked up by metal detectors or magnets. If a plastic button falls into some food then you may not find it. Name badges should be embroidered for the same reason."

Price points

As with other sectors of the clothing industry, factors that may affect price include: style and special features, such as additional tailoring; fabric – the technical features and variety of technical fabrics used in the construction of the garment. As mentioned previously, polyester shirts tend to be more expensive than cotton, but are easier to care for. Size and quantity are also defining factors – generally, larger sizes tend to cost more than smaller sizes and larger orders benefit from a lower unit price compared with smaller orders.

Trends

It looks like the catering industry is about to get a lot more colourful, says Mark Wilkinson of Mandate Clothing. "We are looking at running aprons in more colours for next year as people are tending to get around the plain black and white wear.We're running our standard shirt and blouse range from 15 to 25 different colours. That's what's happening across the market. People are using colour as well as a brand logo to represent the business.”

Sizing

Aprons and tabards tend to be one size only. Other garments, including chef's whites, come in the usual S, M, L, XL or more combinations.

Brands

Many brands supply polo shirts, T-shirts, trousers and woven shirts. The following brands, however, supply workwear specifically for food and catering environments (this list is by no means comprehensive):

Blue Max
Davern
Denny's
Mandate
Premier

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