CAMERA TECHNOLOGY BACK-OF-HOUSE


with fewer people. That has a big infl uence on design and the adoption of technology.”


Hot-side revolutions


Cooking is the core task in the commercial kitchen and the technology it uses has consistently evolved. Since the days of the wood-fi red stove, the biggest innovation has been the combi-oven, fi rst introduced by Rational 40 years ago. Now used all over the world, combi-ovens allow both steaming, with moist heat, and convection, dry heat. It also has a combi-steaming method combining the two in one appliance. “I started selling equipment in this


industry 60 years ago, and have been in consultancy since 1969,” says UK-based consultant Ken Winch FFCSI, who has designed kitchens at London’s Claridge’s hotel, Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and the House of Commons in Westminster, London. “Ovens changed from conventional gas with some electric, and big roasting ovens have disappeared


as combi-ovens replace convection ovens. “When the microwave was introduced, it was going to be the answer to everyone’s problems – it wasn’t,” he adds. “Traditional boiling pans and steaming ovens have been replaced by the tilting and non-tilting pressure cookers and Bratt pans that do just about everything. They off er much more convenience and versatility. Operators are always asking how many functions they can get out of a piece of equipment.” The combi-oven instantly replaced up to 50% of conventional cooking appliances and enabled shorter cooking times, as well as reducing the consumption of energy and water. Crucially, they also take up less space in kitchens where real estate is at a premium. Although combi-oven technology is constantly improving, the main thrust of innovation in cooking is now automation. “There are many benefi ts to automation, not least because clients are struggling to fi nd skilled staff to run what they have,” Schroeder says. “That is a signifi cant need that operators haven’t had before, and salaries are going up with infl ation, so operators are open to new ideas. Automation is the way the market will go, and having the technology to deliver a fl exible menu, and be able to keep up with food trends as they change.” In fact, cooking is no longer the sole


“OPERATORS ARE ALWAYS ASKING HOW MANY


FUNCTIONS THEY CAN GET OUT OF A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT”


preserve of people. At Spyce in Boston, there are no cooks, only robots that take orders from a kiosk and then cook bowl-based meals in under three minutes. Then there is Flippy, the burger-fl ipping robot, which acts as a fully autonomous kitchen assistant. Designed by artifi cial intelligence (AI) specialists at Miso Robotics, it helps commercial kitchens boost productivity, ensure consistent quality and allow human employees to focus on front-of-house service. “The use of robotics will be for mundane, dangerous and repetitive tasks,” says president of consultancy


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WORLDWIDE


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