Guide to Purchasing

The KITCHENPRO SERIES: GUIDE TO PURCHASING, 1st edition is the sixth text in the series. By combining real-life situations in food industry purchasing and adding in candid explanations of situations that have been encountered through many years in the food industry, Chef Thomas Schneller along with Brad Matthews have written a text specific to procurement in the food industry. Their vast knowledge of this field gained from years of experience make this text detailed not only in buying ingredients but also on the procurement of equipment as well as finding, identifying and assessing the proper vendor. The text will answer questions about establishing and maintaining vendor relationships, ethical considerations, and enables the buyer to make decisions accurately Since the food industry is full of trends that change frequently, GUIDE TO PURCHASING will help the buyer to understand the importance of trends and how to make the right decision in ordering ingredients by writing product specifications for food service vendors. GUIDE TO PURCHASING is more than a reference tool and a guide for those in the field it but is written in an engaging style so that the reader will learn a variety of purchasing options and product specifications.

Thomas Schneller is an associate professor in culinary arts at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), where he specializes in meat and fish butchery. Chef Schneller is a classically trained butcher who grew up working in a family meat market that focused on wholesale and retail meat production. Before joining the CIA, he was involved in meat selection and procurement in the meat markets of New York City. Chef Schneller also owned and operated Schneller's Restaurant from 1988 to 1999, where he was involved in all aspects of the business, including purchasing.
Brad Matthews is the director of purchasing and storeroom operations at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Directing a storeroom staff of more than two dozen, Mr. Matthews is responsible for all purchases at the college's Hyde Park, New York, campus, including more than $6.5 million of food products each year. He and his staff must assure the value of those purchases through proper receipt, evaluation, storage, and timeliness of deliveries. Mr. Matthews also oversees the distribution of all food coming into the CIA campus to its 41 kitchens and bakeshops.