How Labl.it Uses Datacake to Empower the Hospitality Sector with Advanced Monitoring Solutions for Food Safety

Maintaining food safety is among the most important things a food business operator must do. To ensure that businesses comply with food hygiene legislation, local authority enforcement officers, known as Environmental Health Officers (EHOs), carry out routine unannounced food hygiene inspections. Labl.it, a company specialising in catering services, has risen to this challenge by inventing a handheld label printer that provides a safer and quicker way of managing food labels. The labels, which ensure full EHO compliance, include a clear and bold expiry date for easy identification in the kitchen, as well as additional information such as allergen content and storage requirements. Their innovative product gives the kitchen team more time to focus on creating great food, rather than tedious administrative tasks.

As Labl.it’s reputation grew, customers began to ask for automated temperature monitoring. At the time, however, Labl.it did not yet have a solution for such monitoring. They were aware that while there were several competitors in the market for remote temperature monitoring in restaurants, their unique selling point (USP) was the integration of the monitoring capabilities into the equipment they already provided. Recognising the potential for expansion and the opportunity to better serve their customers, Labl.it set out to develop a solution that could be implemented quickly and easily. It was during this search that they discovered Datacake.

Labl.it also recognised the value of Datacake’s reporting capabilities, particularly the new rule engine, SMS alerts and white label option. These features became indispensable tools for their operations, allowing them to effectively customise and automate processes. The partnership between Labl.it and Datacake flourished as both parties benefited from each other’s expertise. During the implementation process, Labl.it encountered some minor hurdles, including a variant of a sensor that required a custom payload decoder. However, with the help of Datacake’s support team, these challenges were overcome and Labl.it was very impressed with Datacake’s capabilities. 

The impact of Labl.it’s integration with Datacake went beyond convenience. They were able to mitigate the risks associated with manual temperature monitoring, such as incomplete data or human error. Labl.it’s customers, aware of the potential consequences of non-compliance, eagerly embraced the solution as a means of eliminating procedural risk. The ability to maintain a consistently high standard of food safety has impressed inspectors and enhanced Labl.it’s reputation in the industry.

As Labl.it continued to grow its business, with around 100 sign-ups per month, it also partnered with two companies specialising in kitchen checklist services. While these companies focused on checklists and health and safety checks, they lacked the hardware aspect of temperature monitoring. Labl.it successfully integrated Datacake with these partners’ services, allowing them to offer comprehensive solutions that included both checklist management and temperature monitoring.

Labl.it’s success story is a testament to the transformative power of integrating Datacake’s IoT sensor monitoring and automation capabilities with their existing hardware. With a focus on improving operational efficiency, ensuring compliance and delivering exceptional customer service, Labl.it has become a pioneer in the hospitality industry, setting new standards for excellence.