Colours for Uniforms

 A uniform can be a powerful extension of your company identity. As soon as customers see your employees in your company’s uniforms they become a face for your brand.

With extensive style and colours for uniforms choices you can choose a style to match your brand easier than ever before. To make your employees easily identifiable and part of your team, outfitting them in your style and colours will make interaction with customers an enjoyable experience.

Match your theme?

This is where it can get tricky but it doesn’t have to be. Whatever your theme keep it simple and think about what you want to achieve with colour for uniforms and the environment around you.

If you are going for an outdoors/indoors theme try rustic greens, browns and neutral colours combined with denim. If your venue is located close to the beach continue the beachy feel into your venue with a royal blue apron or a blue chef jacket.

Create an atmosphere

Warm colours wake us up and get us moving, very popular in fast food restaurants. Cool colours like blue, green & white have a calming effect and may help to keep people lingering longer.

Complement your brand identity

Your venue and identity are built up from so many different elements. From your interior décor, tableware, to your menu design and welcome sign.  All of these elements work together to create your brand and the more consistency throughout these elements, the stronger the identity will be. Your uniforms should continue to support this.

Consult your team

By ensuring that your team is wearing an outfit they are comfortable in, there will be an increase in morale and productivity. When choosing a uniform, seek the opinions of your staff and find out what will they be happy wearing. A bright orange apron may look fantastic in your venue and most people welcome a splash of colour, but, if a sizable percentage of your team will dread donning their uniform every day, it might have a negative effect.

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From the traditional continental chef’s hat through to contemporary baseball caps and beanies our chef head wear range offers variety along with style and comfort.

CHEF HEAD WEAR RANGE

Our range includes all the formal styles of the white, black & red traditional chef hats.

We also cater to casual styles of baseball caps, beanies, berets in a range of styles, fabrics and plenty of colours to choose from.

Styles include absorbent internal sweatbands, mesh style fabric for breathability and design.

Available in a variety of colours and fabrics including denim.

Head wraps are a trendy alternative that offers a modern look without formal or structured look.

Neckerchief or cravats tie your whole look together to make your uniform smart and finished.

HISTORY 

A toque is a type of hat with a narrow brim or no brim at all.

Toques were popular from the 13th to the 16th century in Europe, especially France.

The mode was revived in the 1930s.

Now it is primarily known as the traditional headgear for professional cooks, except in Canada where the term is primarily used for knit caps.

TRADITIONAL

The traditional chef’s uniform (or chef’s whites) includes a toque blanche (traditional hat), white double-breasted jacket, and houndstooth-patterned, black and white pants

The double breasted jacket can be reversed to hide stains.

The thick cotton cloth protects from the heat of the oven and protects from splattering of boiling liquids.

Knotted cloth buttons were used to survive frequent washing and contact with hot items.

White is intended to signify cleanliness and is generally worn by highly visible head chefs.

Aprons shield the wearer’s garments from food splatters and stains.

The toque is a chef’s hat that dates back to the 16th century^. Different heights may indicate rank within a kitchen, and they are designed to prevent hair from falling into the food when cooking.

The 100 folds of the toque are said to represent the many different ways a chef knows to cook an egg.

In more traditional restaurants, especially traditional French restaurants, the white chef’s coat is standard and considered part of a traditional uniform and as a practical chef’s garment.

Most government health rules and regulations do not go so far as to specifically make Aprons compulsory to wear but nearly all require clean protective garments to be worn in food preparation areas and when handling food.

APRONS

While other clothing including smocks or lab coats may be technically acceptable, aprons are a cost-effective, convenient way to be compliant.

Especially for businesses that do not have laundry services, locker rooms etc, the apron provides some comfort and protection against soiling and contamination.

The Chef Aprons serves as a barrier to prevent micro organisms to some extent, but especially physical contaminants like hair, dust, and dirt from transferring to food.

REGULATIONS

In terms of which employees need aprons, regulations also vary but generally would be anyone who handles food or works in a food preparation area including people who are not handling food like dishwashers.

Another group of people who need to cover up for safety is medical personnel when handling patients doing blood work etc.

Scrubs are a suitable cover for this type of work.

Aprons are a food safety tool but like any tool, they need to be used effectively to work and to also choose the right apron for the job

They need to be clean, changed frequently, removed before leaving the kitchen or using the restroom, and should be worn over clean clothes.

DISPOSABLE APRONS

Disposable aprons are also acceptable and these days there is quite a variety to choose from.

With the styles, fabric, colours and designs available now there is really no excuse why staff cannot have a smart looking apron to go with their uniform and be comfortable to wear.

As always, the best authority on the topic is your local health department as they will be the ones enforcing the regulation.

Your local Hospitality association may also be a good resource on this topic.