FOOD SERVING – A CONCEPT OF DAYS GONE BY?
The world's changing – and so are many old habits. Where are food serving trends heading?
Flexible working times, remote working, home schooling and a new awareness of nutrition have changed many habits at a rapid pace over the past few years. The current labour shortage is another important issue in the food service industry. Digitisation, automation and hygiene are playing a considerably greater role than they did two years ago. These changes also affect the requirements on contemporary catering concepts at the workplace, school and canteen.
|
|
Which trends are here to stay, and how can the industry respond to them in a meaningful way? We discussed these topics with Bernd Rupprecht, Managing Director/Head of Sales & Market Development Catering at B.PRO. |
Mr. Rupprecht, the past few years have led to noticeably accelerated changes to everyday life. What effects will the so-called "new normal" have on the field of commercial catering, from your point of view?
Bernd Rupprecht: Many of the effects can already be seen today. The digitization of ordering processes, delivery services and foods on offer from vending machines have all increased considerably. It's frequently been traditional providers who lost out due to this trend, including in the fields of business and education. Even though the situation has relaxed again somewhat, we still have to remain capable of responding to short-term changes.
What could the owners of commercial catering companies do? How do they have to adapt in order to stand up to these trends over the long term?
Bernd Rupprecht: I think it's important to accept the changes and then see exactly where opportunities lie. With regard to digitisation, this could be an internal ordering system with the option to save personal preferences and incompatibilities in the system, for example. As a result, you'd only be offered food suitable for you and can order directly at a specific time using the system. Another option would be to have canteen food brought directly to your home office by a delivery service.
Digitisation certainly provides lots of options, but often times they can't be implemented very quickly. What short-term options do you see for responding to changing underlying conditions?
A very important topic is that of hygiene. An example would be the use of food serving systems which enable the flexible use of sneeze guard solutions. This makes it possible to implement hygiene measures on short notice and increase the trust of guests visiting a canteen.
Another solution could be decentralized food serving at smaller, mobile stations. This brings the food closer to the guest. Long distances and larger numbers of people can be avoided in this way.
The use of vending machines could also potentially lead to increasing frequency. I don't just mean offerings of sweets and crisps, but high-quality solutions for an automated offering of tasty sandwiches, bowl meals and salads, for example.
So you think that the era of traditional food serving has come to an end? Now it's just delivery and vending machines?
Bernd Rupprecht (laughing): No, not at all. That's just one side of the trend, in my view. Quite the opposite, I think commercial catering will take on an entirely new role. Virtual meetings at the home office and by e-learning study groups have created a new and different sense of community.
Cooperation in more flexible structures instead of traditional meetings will shape working life to a much greater degree in future, even if people are working and studying on site more and more.
"Working and studying in more flexible structures" – how should that be interpreted, and why does that affect the requirements of food serving?
Bernd Rupprecht: The traditional canteen, with its rows of chairs and tables where a group of twelve might all go at the same time to "grab some food" – at some point, this will no longer exist in its current form. Instead of this, I see rooms which serve not only the purpose of catering, but also interaction, community and communication. Working groups which can withdraw into extra alcoves while at the same time partaking in fresh food offerings. In other words, the food serves as an engine for creativity.
The big tech companies are already doing it – more productive interaction in a design-oriented environment with healthy round-the-clock catering. This ranges from a continual offering of fresh fruit and salads to nice sandwiches and snacks to a cook at the front cooking station who whips up a desired dish in minutes.
Accordingly, the equipment has to suit this as well: mobile and design-oriented modules for food presentation and components for attractive food serving & self-service. In the case of self-service, counters can further increase the attraction of one-dish offerings, with appetizingly served food on plates, in bowls or in small oven dishes. This allows for fantastic presentation and makes fast serving possible. Add atmospheric lighting and flexible solutions for fresh front cooking – including preparation – to this, and you can offer your guests a fantastic experience.
From what you're describing, it sounds to me that you mean high-priced solutions which actually may not be all that feasible. Did I get the wrong impression?
Bernd Rupprecht: It does sound like at lot at first, I'll admit, but there are always smarter and more cost-effective solutions. At B.PRO, for example, we developed the COOK I-flex, a compact and efficient front cooking station which is very flexible and versatile in use. This makes it possible for those with limited budgets to offer fresh and attractive eating experiences as well.
Alternatively, you could look to mobile modules for food presentation and serving. This enables the room layout to be changed again and again relatively easily. Add to this a little stylish decoration or movable room dividers, and you can create a new sense of space in short order again and again and surprise your guests in the process.
Mobility, flexibility and contemporary design for food serving don't have to cost an arm and a leg, but quality will always have its price, of course. In the best case scenario, it will also be reflected in the longevity of the products and the reliability and service of the manufacturer, though.
So you see the canteen as a place for productive group work or even a social centre of the company?
Bernd Rupprecht: Exactly. Companies have to understand that fantastic food offerings can immensely enhance their attractiveness as an employer. For the highly sought-after employees of the young generation in particular, these kinds of benefits are often pivotal in their decision to work for a company. Here once again, we see that Google and the like have already demonstrated this.
Ideally, the company restaurant becomes a much-loved "heart" of the company which makes it possible to experience the company culture in the best sense – a place of togetherness, a wellness area for meetings with colleagues and a representative room for discussions with customers and externs which you're proud of and which you're happy to identify with.
In your view, what would an appropriate response by manufacturers be to these trends and developments?
Bernd Rupprecht: It's always been the case that eating together builds community. Mobile, flexible and adaptable food serving systems are an important component of this. They make it possible to offer guests more freshness, more emotion and more experience – eating together enjoyably in a pleasant environment promotes communication and networking. This can't be replaced, even in the digital age.
That's why we at B.PRO are putting lots of energy into the development of contemporary food serving and presentation systems which offer the user maximum flexibility and very high quality. Naturally, aspects like saving energy, digitisation and the responsible handling of resources play a large role here. Our customers have to be able to rely on our products and solutions as being a wise investment in the future of their company. It means we've done our job just right.
Thank you very much for the chat, Mr. Rupprecht!
Interested in a consultation on the topic of food serving?
Bernd Rupprecht would be happy to help you:
Bernd Rupprecht
Managing Director/Head of Sales & Market Development Catering
Phone: +49 7045 44-81383
bernd.rupprecht@bpro-solutions.com
Information on the "How will Germany be eating in 2030?" future study [DE]
