So I'm trawling here for free business advice

Seriously, I cannot cook, period.

My guest-house in Phuket has a nice little kitchen with gas hob, electric hot plate, deep fat fryer, toaster, microwave, sandwich toaster, convection oven.

My guest-house is also fully booked every night. But that could change in the future, unless I continuously improve the services offered to guests.

The guest rooms are fine, but the choice of food that I offer is not.

The business only has 4 rooms, so it is not viable to employ a cook/chef. All food preparation must be done by my single Thai staff member, using the available equipment in the kitchen.

It is also not viable to use daily fresh ingredients, because there would be a huge wastage of food that has gone unsold. I have access to a Macro food supply store.

Right now, the 'fast' food offered is such wonderfully-tasty items such as French fries, spring rolls, chicken nuggets, hash browns, ice-cream, eggs, toast.

What I would love to offer is a range of tasty snacks for lunch and evening meals that can be quickly and easily prepared, using low-cost, long shelf-life ingredients, (other than daily, bought-in items such as eggs, bread, milk etc).

The snacks could be Thai, western, Mexican, Indian or Martian.

Please don't tell me that it is impossible to create tasty snacks using low-cost, long shelf-life ingredients. I am sure that those members with a culinary skill can suggest something to me.

Suggestions most welcome.

Samosas, always a winner, cheap to prep and can be frozen too

Not sure about why you cant use fresh ingredients every day though, this is Thailand not the U.K, dont exactly cost the earth and the results are so much better

as said before-employ a consultant chef for a couple of weeks and let him create a simple,deliciuos and cost efficient menu and then train your staff accordingly...good invested money and i think it will cost not so much...

ps- i am not available...

How about some kind of customer profile - before we start suggesting meatballs for the veggies.

Frozen 7-11 meals?

Baked bean smoothies?

Something fast, easy, and long shelve life....must have some frozen dinner/snacks at Makro (I don't eat them, my wife cooks fresh) that you can just take out of the freezer and microwave, just as Konying suggested from 7-11.

Anyway ....just a thought.

bacon butties - hienz ketchup

there is a precook rice plastic container that serves 1 meal. just rip the top off and add whatever you like. shelf life of 1 year. my favorite is "Ready Rice Brown Jasmine Rice" but it comes in a few different packs and varieties. some 7s and some tops plus elsewhere i guess.

suggested topping any combo of s: eggs, mayo, kikoman soy sauce, fishsauce with chilli packets/bottles. tinned tuna, rosa gapao gai in a foil sleve, etc.

does me for night snacks even when a 7 is just 50 m from the front door either way.

Toasted sandwiches from a sandwich making machine.

pasta with sauces

toasted sandwiches

baguette sandwiches

found recently, spirulina noodles, and Moroheiya noodles different brand for each sold beside each other at tops. i use one of each noodle layer together and an array of herbs and spices and things. good for you. taste good/different too.

American pancakes, ingredients very cheap,

Easy to make, can be frozen, thawed and re-heated in the microwave.

Great with jam, yoghurt, honey, ice cream.

I say the microwave meals from 7/11 like padkapow etc. Talk to the local 7/11 they usually have a one week shelf life from delivery. Single person portion and tasty!

• Egg and bacon

Egg, sausage and bacon

Egg and Spam

Egg, bacon and Spam

Egg, bacon, sausage and Spam

Spam, bacon, sausage and Spam

Spam, egg, Spam, Spam, bacon and Spam

Spam, Spam, Spam, egg and Spam

Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, baked beans, Spam, Spam, Spam and Spam

Lobster Thermidor aux crevettes with a Mornay sauce, garnished with truffle pâté, brandy and a fried egg on top, and Spam.

Spam's off!

buy a large freezer

make big batches of quality foods and freeze them. package them individually into meals and label them all with date.

Peanuts, salted. Make your punters drink more. Satay chicken is a winner

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Another idea.. if you have some available land fronting the road. Rent it out to a Thai food vendor. Then you have fresh cooked food at your fingertips!

Another idea.. if you have some available land fronting the road. Rent it out to a Thai food vendor. Then you have fresh cooked food at your fingertips!

^^^This. Let someone else assume the overhead and labor.

Outsource it - must have some other close restaurants/cooks nearby...

Por Pia... Buy them in bulk and toss a few into hot oil for a couple minutes when a guest requests a snack... Cheap, easy and culturally neutral...

Por Pia... Buy them in bulk and toss a few into hot oil for a couple minutes when a guest requests a snack... Cheap, easy and culturally neutral...

What's that then?

Outsource it - must have some other close restaurants/cooks nearby...

Simon has already said that all his customers are Chinese and that they arrive and depart in the early hours of the morning.......................when most other businesses are closed.

Por Pia... Buy them in bulk and toss a few into hot oil for a couple minutes when a guest requests a snack... Cheap, easy and culturally neutral...

What's that then?

Spring rolls, and he's offering them already

You can buy good curry paste mixes as Or Tor Kor market in Bangkok already bagged up.

Just keep some chicken and pork in the fridge with a couple of veggies and stir fry as needed.

Only need maybe 4 dishes and some rice.

Or do larb moo tod and freeze it.. Deep fry as necessary.

Mama noodles are hot sellers for the Chinese demographic.

Instant noodles and a freezer that you can store different topping like beef balls, pork balls, shrimp balls, octopus balls, frozen shrimp,frozen thinly sliced pork or beef or fish etc. Keep a little bok choy and green chives in your fridge.

I think there is actually a restaurant somewhere in phuket town that specializes in mama noodles with addons. If you can't find it then just spend a week going to noodle shops trying everything you can to get ideas. Or if you're lazy the just google instant noodle recipes and you'll have enough to keep you going for 3 lifetimes.

You can also buy frozen gyoza, dumplings wanton shumai etc from places like big c

Negotiate wholesale prices with local restaurants having the type foods you want. Schedule delivery times, buy a few hot food lamps/a microwave and you're in business,

Business every where not so good this year so I am sure you can find what want, at an affordable price & then....................

no muss, no fuss, no bother !