Fast expanding F&B chain: It’s time to change the stock selection criteria

22 May, 2026•6 min read

1. What is ready-to-cook (RTC) and why Horeca & Supermarkets should use

Ready-to-cook (RTC) is a meat product or processed food but not fully cooked, such as seasoned meat, pre-cut pieces, pre-processed meat, balls, fillets, etc. When the restaurant or supermarket uses RTC, they get:
Save on kitchen costs: The kitchen does not need to spend too much time preliminary processing, cutting and marinating; Easy-to-use and focused staff
Quantitative control: each part of RTC has been weighed or divided according to standard quantification, avoiding excess, waste of raw materials
Uniform quality: Because RTC products are manufactured in the factory, according to the strict control process, the dish will be more uniform in terms of taste, texture, and aroma.

The supply of imported meat RTC but also RTC from domestic sources offers great advantages:
Imported meat (e.g. American beef, Australian beef) when doing RTC helps exploit higher value, increase competitiveness
Domestic meat incorporated into RTC helps control raw material costs, reduce logistics costs
With the machining model, we can completely accept ready-to-cook orders according to restaurant or supermarket requirements, creating a great customization advantage for B2B customers

Reduce labor cost: Kitchen just cook & finish; Kitchen staff do not need to cut or impregnate a lot, helping to save wages & time.
Faster service speed: The RTC parts are prepared → the dish is faster, suitable for the busy kitchen.
Good inventory management: RTC is easy to maintain, has clear quantification → controls inventory, reduces waste.
Uniform quality: Each batch of RTC production is controlled according to factory standards, ensuring the same spice, maturity, structure.
Flexible menu adaptation: The restaurant can add new dishes with RTC without large investment in raw materials + preliminary processing labor.

If you are a restaurant, hotel or supermarket that wants to cooperate with the RTC supplier, consider the following criteria:
Origin of meat: Check whether suppliers are imported or used domestic sources, and quality sources.
RTC machining plant: should have production process according to GMP/HACCP/food safety standards.
Quantitative & Packing: RTC products are divided, vacuum packing, clear labels, easy to control.
Delivery & Storage: Suppliers need to have a cold storage / refrigerated vehicle to store RTC at the right temperature, ensuring that when delivered to a supermarket or restaurant kitchen, it still keeps good quality.
Product customization: The ability to process RTC according to its own recipe (for example, hotel kitchens want special seasoned meat).

RTC (Ready-to-cook) is a strategic solution for Horeca & Supermarkets that want to optimize kitchen costs, quantitative control and ensure uniform quality.
Freshfoco with its capacity to import, cold storage, production & processing – has a great advantage to become the leading RTC supplier for the B2B market.
By providing a variety of RTC products (fresh, frozen, imported meat), we not only meet current needs but also support customers to expand the menu, reduce labor costs and waste.

Marketing Director at Freshfoco, responsible for market content, brand development, and communication programs for corporate clients.