For chefs and catering teams working in sectors like care, menu planning is about much more than creating delicious meals. It requires striking a careful balance between nutritional standards, budget constraints, and operational efficiency. That’s why we built our enhanced menu planner in CaterCloud, designed to give users greater control and clarity over weekly menu cycles.

A Practical Solution for Real-World Catering Challenges

This feature empowers chefs to build weekly menus that align with both financial and nutritional goals. Supporting residents who need tailored nutrition? CaterCloud brings structure, visibility, and confidence to your planning process.

With drag-and-drop functionality, daily templates, and a user-friendly interface, building consistent menus is faster than ever. Key features include:

  • Simple, intuitive design
  • Side-by-side cost and nutrition tracking
  • Fast menu creation with reusable templates
  • Real-time visibility into daily and weekly targets

Supporting Nutrition in Care Settings

Nutritional compliance is critical in care homes. CaterCloud makes it easy to view average nutritional values across the week, helping care home chefs meet national standards and better support those in their care. For elderly residents, who are especially vulnerable to malnutrition, having clear nutrient visibility can make a real difference.

Keeping Costs on Track

In cost-sensitive environments like care homes, every penny counts. CaterCloud’s planner highlights the average cost per person, per day, helping teams stay within strict budgets while maintaining food quality and nutritional standards.

A built-in traffic light system flags areas where meals exceed or fall short of set targets—both in cost and nutritional value – so improvements can be made proactively.

Consumption Reporting: Bridging Forecasting and Reality

One of the most powerful new capabilities in CaterCloud is consumption reporting. This tool lets users track actual consumption and cost-per-resident-per-day (CPRD), based on occupancy and meal uptake. It’s ideal for both forecasting and post-meal analysis, giving a complete view of performance and helping operators make data-driven decisions.

Exportable CPRD reports in Excel format make it easy to drill into specific days and identify trends, inefficiencies, or opportunities for adjustment – valuable insights for internal teams and external stakeholders alike.

Enhanced Allergen and Micronutrient Management

Meal plan data now feeds directly into CaterCloud’s updated allergen matrix, ensuring allergen risks are clearly visible. We’re also expanding the nutrient analysis options to allow users to track optional micronutrients, enabling even more personalized and precise reporting.

CaterCloud continues to evolve with the needs of modern caterers, offering an all-in-one platform for menu management, nutritional compliance, cost control, and allergen safety.

To learn more or request a demo, please contact Chris Kirton, Head of Business Development: chriskirton@ef-group.co.uk or call on 07484 521996.