From the Stone Age to modernity

Arguably one of the most important turning points in human history, when our ancestors learnt to control fire, a new chapter in the preparation and processing of food began. Indeed, human cookery and culinary development has its roots all the way back in the Stone Age.

The ability to use knives, scrapers, axes and drills made of stone to prepare a cooked meal from bones not only contributed to better nutrition and health. It later also promoted social interaction and cultural exchange. Cooking and eating were often an activity that strengthened the cohesion of prehistoric communities - both in everyday life and during festivals or ritual practices.

Professional kitchens in ancient times were often closely linked to urban life. In metropolises such as Rome, Athens and Alexandria, food was cooked in temples, palaces, inns and at the market. Thermopolia are particularly interesting in this respect. This precursor to street food culture offered the poorer population in many Roman settlements the opportunity to eat on the street at a kind of snack bar. The food was served in bowls set into a counter, the fire crackling underneath to keep it warm.

The term "thermopolium" comes from the Greek word thermopolion, which means "point of sale for hot things". For example, duck, fish and land snails were found to have been on offer at one of the main archaeological sites in Pompeii. The kitchen equipment in many of these snack bars was surprisingly sophisticated: Among other things, there were barbecues, small cookers, mortars and pestles, hand mills, ceramic storage containers and clay cookware.

Between 500 and 1500, large-scale catering began to play a particularly important role in large households, among the nobility and in monasteries. However, because people also spent a lot of time outside the home, for example at work, festivals or markets, eating outside the home also gained in significance. The forerunners of modern restaurants emerged. Germany's first inn was more of a snack bar. The "Wurstkuchl", completed in Regensburg in 1146 and still in existence today, initially catered mainly for stonemasons and labourers. Hostels for travellers, pilgrims and traders also came into existence. They offered meals and safe accommodation at convenient locations.

Kitchens in the Middle Ages had basic equipment. Cooking was often done on a brick-built hearth. Ovens were expensive to buy and were often only available in large households, as were pans, waffle irons, colanders, roasting racks, rotating roasting spits and swivelling and height-adjustable pots. In stately kitchens, catering for large numbers of guests was a mammoth logistical task: At the court of the Duke of Urbino (1422 to 1482), for example, 500 servants were employed to manage supplies, prepare meals and serve them to guests. Chiquart Amiczo, chef to the Duke of Savoy and author of one of the oldest surviving cookery books in Europe (Du fait de cuisine, from 1420), gave tips on how to manage such medieval banquets, including "... with 1,000 carts of good, dry firewood and a barn full of coal".

In 1765, a certain Mr Boulanger is said to have opened the first restaurant in Paris, serving a selection of broths. He advertised them with the slogan "Boulanger serves delicious restaurants". The term used to refer to the food was later to become a place name. “Restaurants" were now places where you could "restore", or simply put, relax.

Then came the French Revolution, which had a profound impact on the development of professional cuisine and the culinary landscape in general. With the fall of the nobility, many highly qualified chefs lost their jobs in the manor houses, which in turn led to the democratisation of the sector: Faced with hardship, they opened inns for everyone. The emerging middle classes were now served at the table just as elegantly as the aristocratic elite before them, and this quickly proved to be a real recipe for success.

The chefs continued to work to the high standards to which they were accustomed. While they were now able to unleash their creative freedom, they also professionalised their art. Marie-Antoine Carême (1784-1833) was one of the most important chefs of his time and made a significant contribution to the development of classic French cuisine. The master chef Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935) modernised his style and developed the principle of the brigade de cuisine (kitchen staff), which made work in the kitchen cleaner, more disciplined and, above all, more efficient. The model, which included various positions and hierarchical levels, assigned clear tasks to each employee, and continues to exists worldwide today. Standardised recipes and cooking techniques guaranteed consistency of quality and taste. Better organisation and menu planning led to optimised cost control.

The French Revolution and its consequences laid the foundations for modern restaurant culture and catering as we know it today.

In the period from the French Revolution to the present day, professional cookery has experienced several quantum leaps. Kitchen utensils in particular have undergone dramatic professionalisation. The coal-fired oven of the industrial revolution has been replaced by gas, electric and induction cookers. Mechanical appliances became electrically powered.

Whether restaurants, canteens or hospitals, today, the common denominator is the efficiency required in the face of cost pressure, inflation and staff shortages. And this efficiency can only be guaranteed through standardised, automated and digitalised processes.

This is why modern professional kitchens are increasingly relying on automated solutions or even robot chefs. The aim is to offload repetitive tasks. This saves time and guarantees consistently high food quality.

Furthermore, today's kitchen appliances are increasingly digitally controlled, networked or already equipped with AI functions. Integrated sensors and monitoring systems guarantee optimum quality and hygiene.

In addition, modern kitchens use digital technologies for recipe management, inventory management and kitchen organisation. Software solutions enable those responsible to manage recipes, place orders, track stock and optimise workflows.

Whether food storage, portioning, transport, keeping food hot and cold, serving or front cooking, B.PRO offers an impressive range of cost-effective and customer-orientated solutions for food logistics processes. In addition to tried-and-tested classics, our portfolio offers many highlights in the areas of automation and digitalisation - from individual products to comprehensive concepts.

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