How Hilton Southampton reduced food waste and saved kitchen time with Labl.it
Inside Hilton…
“Labl.it is grades above everything else on the market. It reduces the time that the chefs take to write their own labels and saved me loads of man hours per week.”
Jamie Holmes, Executive Chef at Hilton Southampton Utilita Bowl
At Hilton Southampton Utilita Bowl, efficiency, consistency, and sustainability are all essential to running a high-performing kitchen. In a fast-paced environment moving large volumes of food daily, clear and accurate food labelling is critical for food safety, waste reduction, and team productivity.
Executive Chef Jamie Holmes needed a solution that was faster, simpler and more reliable than traditional labelling methods. That’s where Labl.it came in.
The problem
Traditional methods were slow, inconsistent, and inconvenient
Like many professional kitchens, Hilton Southampton relied on a mixture of handwritten labels, day dots, and date guns to manage food storage and compliance. While functional, these methods are time-consuming and prone to inconsistency.
Labels can be hard to read, easy to miss, or forgotten altogether during busy service periods. Chefs had to dedicate valuable time to writing and organising labels that could otherwise have been spent enhancing food preparation and service.
Sustainability goals were pushing the team towards more zero and minimal waste dishes, and the lack of clear visibility on out-of-date products made stock control harder than it needed to be.
Identifying what needed to be used first wasn’t always immediate, which increased the risk of waste and inefficiency in an already demanding kitchen environment.
The solution
A simple, intuitive system that every chef could use instantly
Labl.it replaced multiple labelling tools with one easy-to-use device, bringing clarity and speed back to the kitchen. Instead of handwriting labels or having to navigate different systems, chefs could create consistent, professional and compliant labels in seconds.
The flashing alerts for out-of-date products made stock rotation easier, helping the team to reduce food waste.
Because the system is so intuitive, every chef could pick it up and start using it immediately, improving labelling accuracy across the entire kitchen team.
“I've been in the trade a long time and I've seen many gadgets come and go, but Labl.it is brilliant. Every one of my chefs can pick it up.”
Jamie Holmes, Executive Chef at Hilton Southampton Utilita Bowl
The result
Improved efficiency, reduced waste, and significant time savings
Since introducing Labl.it, Hilton Southampton Utilita Bowl has gained greater control over their food stock and expiry management. Products near their use-by dates are now clearly visible, helping the team to prioritise what needs using, and significantly reduce unnecessary food waste.
At the same time, the chefs spend far less time creating and organising labels. The man hours saved free the team to focus more on food quality and service, which are the things that really matter.
Labl.it has become a simple but essential tool in their kitchen, delivering consistency, sustainability, and time savings, all while fitting seamlessly into the fast-paced hospitality environment.
