In my view, the future of hospitality hinges on how we evolve our kitchens. As ready meals get better, and delivery from dark kitchens improves, we need to make sure the food from our kitchen team is up to scratch.
For me, there is a risk that over time some kitchens, maybe many of them, are seen as the modern version of a coal mine; hot, dark, and a bit frantic. Of course, a great kitchen is none of those things, but the perception remains.
In order to avoid this becoming our reality, we need to establish a strong competitive advantage, which I believe resides in several crucial areas. The first and most obvious advantage is great cooking. The skills of a talented chef are unparalleled, and no one can match the artistry and precision that a master in the kitchen brings to the table. The value of a great chef goes beyond just the taste of the food. Like a fine wine, the expertise and creativity of a skilled chef command a premium, and people are increasingly willing to pay for this experience. We are able to deliver high-quality meals which set us apart in a crowded market.
The second advantage comes down to our equipment. Our kitchens are equipped with sous vide machines, deep fat fryers, chargrills, and rationales, among other advanced tools. These sophisticated pieces of kit enable us to produce food of a better quality, far beyond what can be achieved with standard home cooking appliances. Even if the operator’s skill isn’t at a first-class level, the capabilities of this equipment ensure consistently excellent results.
And then there’s the crucial advantage of the freshness of our ingredients. I couldn’t count how many times I have been at home and have failed to add dill, yoghurt, or an ingredient I have never heard of in the latest Ottolenghi cookbook, simply because I do not have them to hand. For me, this kind of situation highlights the big difference between home cooking and a professional kitchen. In our kitchens, we have a wide array of fresh ingredients readily available every day. This constant access to fresh, high-quality ingredients makes a huge difference in the dishes we produce.
So, what are the challenges, and how can we improve the future of our kitchens? Several things need to evolve in the next few years to achieve this. First of all, I think the supply chain needs to take on more responsibility for preparing dishes that hold well over time. For example, making a Boeuf Bourguignon doesn’t necessarily need to be done in a central kitchen or on-site; much of it can be efficiently handled by machines. The real challenge lies in how manufacturers can adapt to small-scale, bespoke production, but fortunately, some are already starting to do it.
The dishes we serve must be better than the store-bought M&S version! Our goal should be to add the finishing touches. We add the parsley, make it look good on the plate, and then serve it with a smile and a lovely glass of red.
Ticket management has typically been one of the most challenging skills in the industry. Managing three tickets simultaneously is common, but handling more than five is rare and exceptional. While ticket management systems are evolving, they are typically used by operators with multiple sites or very large spaces. What we need is a simpler form of ticket management that everyone can use, regardless of their operation’s size. Will we ever see the end of the tab grab? Only time will tell.
Ordering should be simple, but it often requires a level of technology that many of us still lack. Achieving a system where the correct amount of fish is ordered based on actual usage, and where we process larger fish to meet a standard specification, is still a work in progress. But, if we could receive the right food at the right time, with the system advising us on what to cook, life in the kitchen would certainly be a lot easier.
Working on these three areas would undoubtedly transform our kitchens for the better. There would be less work to do, lower stress levels, and lower numbers. Efficiency would be optimised by shifting more responsibilities vertically to tech suppliers and food manufacturers, allowing us to streamline our operations and enhance overall productivity.
All of this is not to say that there wouldn’t still be some challenges in running our kitchens. However, I think that these changes would allow us to focus on our key advantages and deskill the less important areas of our kitchen, which seems to be the most important next push for the industry.