Future Gazing

We know keeping abreast of trends is an essential tool for planning for the future. However, is it possible to forecast how a professional kitchen may look like in 25 years’ time?

When we consider the kitchen of the future, there is no doubt that sustainability will be ingrained in every business practice. Taking this further, you might ask how it will influence processes in the professional kitchen and how you can stay ahead of the curve.

A powerful way of anticipating this is by gathering expert opinion from those immersed in the sector. To help uncover this insight, we commissioned in-depth research on the views of 750 hospitality professionals* to find out how they predict the industry will change in times ahead.

The results are in…

Sustainability trends uncovered

Consider a world where artificial intelligence (AI) has become the norm. Food is available 24/7 and kitchens are futuristic environments. They are places full of adaptive technology that can customise food to varying requirements or produce 3D printed foods. These are all projected trends for the kitchen of the future, but there is one key theme that has stood the test of time.

The drive towards sustainability will be at the heart of the industry in the future. Our research found that eight in ten hospitality professionals say achieving zero waste will be the top sustainability initiative, which could be achieved through smart storage devices, automated stock control methods, or management of leftovers.

Other key sustainability initiatives could include professionals demanding kitchen technology that delivers smart cleaning and less water waste (72%) and product innovation that sees a total ban on single-use plastics (53%).

Three ways sustainability will impact the kitchen of the future

Smart systems: Businesses will need to provide secure traceability for every food item, not just farm to fork but from seed too. The kitchen of the future will fully automate this process, meaning that food waste becomes much less of an issue and traceability will be instantly available to all.
Investing in equipment: One quarter of hospitality businesses say the most likely technological change in 25 years’ time will be kitchen machinery and technology that is self-servicing and automates the maintenance process. This will mean machines last longer and use less energy, promoting sustainability even further.
Advocating preventative maintenance: Hospitality businesses can be even more sustainable by ensuring their equipment does not need replacing more than necessary – employing effective preventative maintenance methods will help tackle this. In fact, combi ovens use over 30,000 litres of water a year, so limescale build-up can be extremely detrimental to the efficiency of the equipment and increase the likelihood of breakdowns, before it is optimally sustainable to do so.

Did you know BRITA Managed Services offers bespoke packages to help you manage your water filtration needs? From water testing and training to monitoring filter usage and notifying customers when the next filter exchange is due, we offer so much more than just filtration. To find out more visit BRITA Managed Services.

Planning for a sustainable future

It’s clear from our research that, in order to prepare for the future, hospitality businesses will need to take their sustainability efforts to the next level in order to remain competitive.

For some businesses today sustainability may be something considered in isolation, or it is lower down on the priorities list with the impact of the pandemic influencing every business decision right now.

However, by 2044 sustainability will be a recurring theme that runs across all aspects of hospitality; from sustainable sourcing and growing your own produce, to working with sustainable suppliers and ensuring the longevity of equipment, environmentally friendly practices will become the norm for hospitality professionals.

To download a copy of the Life is Better Filtered: Catering School of Expertise toolkit and find out more insights from industry experts on what the sector could look like in 2044, please click here.

_{*Research throughout is from 3GEM conducted with 750 hospitality professionals (July 2019)}