What moves the commercial catering sector?

Today, guests and society in general expect more than just catering. More and more people want to know where their food comes from, how it was prepared and what impact it has on health and the climate. This attitude does not stop at canteens, dining halls and hospital ward kitchens. According to the study, 73% of respondents would like to see more regionality and seasonality in commercial catering, and almost as many call for more transparent communication about ingredients, origin and preparation methods.

The downside: Many facilities are unable to fulfil the growing expectations. The investment backlog is enormous. According to the study, there is a nationwide shortfall of around EUR 10 billion to modernise catering infrastructure, digitalise kitchens and train skilled workers. There is often a lack of serving capacity in daycare centres, suitable technology to keep food warm in nursing homes and staff in schools. At the same time, pressure in the kitchen as well as in service and logistics is high. This restricts flexibility and hinders a holistic transformation.

Precisely because the industry is so large, its leverage for change is enormous. When more sustainable processes, healthier recipes and modern technology take effect, their impact is multiplied. The study shows that even small improvements in the infrastructure lead to measurably better results – in terms of food quality, hygiene, use of resources and employee satisfaction.

There is a particularly acute demand for intelligent solutions that simplify processes and help to fulfil legal requirements. For example, for seamless temperature documentation, the traceability of ingredients or hygiene monitoring. At the same time, digital control and smart units are becoming increasingly important: Where processes can be standardised and centrally monitored, reliability increases and the susceptibility to errors decreases. When requirements change frequently, modern serving technology and modular furnishings offer the necessary flexibility.

This is precisely where B.PRO comes in – with durable systems that can be flexibly adapted to existing structures and expanded step by step. This results in solutions that do not demand everything at once, but can do everything that modern catering needs. Whether in process or product.

B.PRO offers pioneering concepts in the field of food distribution conveyor automation, for example. Modular systems for the automatic loading of trays allow manual work steps to be reduced in a targeted manner, while visualisations on displays assist the team with portioning. The result is a minimised error rate and optimised personnel deployment with increased process reliability.

When it comes to daycare centres and primary schools, the JUNIOR-SERVE all-in-one serving system comes into play. In view of the upcoming requirement to provide all-day childcare from 2026, it covers the entire process from delivery to serving and clearing.

The , for example, is equipped with precise sensor technology which, in conjunction with the software solution from collaborative partner QMSpot, enables the temperature to be maintained with pinpoint accuracy throughout the entire distribution process – a key aspect in sensitive areas such as clinics or retirement homes. Data on other processes and cleaning intervals can also be recorded, analysed and documented centrally. Digital quality assurance saves time, reduces risks and creates transparency for internal and external inspection bodies.