INNOVATION


goes back a long way. I started in 1991 with my fi rst kitchen and back then everyone said staff were not experienced enough and ovens needed to be simpler to use.”


Finding the answer in automation When there are fewer workers in the kitchen and, in some cases, employees are not native speakers of the local language, equipment that is complicated to use or that requires extensive training can cause more problems than it solves. This has accelerated the trend


towards more automated cooking equipment, where precise cooking operations can be performed at the touch of a button.


“The industry has had less well-


trained staff for many years, but it is at a crisis level in the US now,” says Alexandra Ricciuti, chef and combi business development manager at Vulcan Equipment. “You may need to get an 18-year-old novice using a combi oven with good results in a short time. “Also, Covid caused many people not to come back to the workforce, so staffi ng levels are lower – you may have three people instead of fi ve in the kitchen,” she adds. “Even well-known chefs are short of staff and are paying signing bonuses and rates above minimum wage, even for inexperienced staff .” According to Paul Bartlett FCSI of KitchenSolutions Consulting, in the US a starting dishwasher is paid $14 per hour, a skilled cook is from $18 up to $22 per hour, and each position costs $5 more hourly than one year ago. “That is a lot of pressure on operators


when everyone is trying to survive,” he remarks. “There is also a trend towards seeing cooks as assemblers or mechanics with a lower skill level, but cooking skill requires time and a mentor. That is partly why automation is a big trend, though it is also because manufacturers have made processes effi cient in a very small footprint. A little oven in a 2 sq ft space can turn out 20 menu items.” “The last 15 to 20 years has seen big


110


technological advances aff ecting the requirement of staff ,” he adds. “Combi ovens have been around for a long time and can do almost everything – steam, bake, hold and much more. They have preset environments for cooking, with many processes pre-programmed so quality is maximised and not much training is needed.” At a time when more and more people are digital natives, even inexperienced employees have grown up with modern technology such as smartphones, so the learning curve for automated equipment is not as steep. “When we show people how to operate combi ovens with computer control, they tend to get concerned about understanding how the oven works,” says Ted Doyals, principal at US consultancy Ricca Design Studios. “I always make sure my cellphone is at hand and tell them that if you can operate one of those then they can operate the combi oven.”


PRESS TO


COOK


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