Foodservice operations across Canada are still on the path to a full recovery. While there will undoubtedly be continued challenges with rising costs, supply chain disruptions and labour shortages, the 2023 industry forecast gives reason for optimism. Among the variety of predicted trends for the year ahead, Foodservice and Hospitality magazine has identified both Virtual Connectivity and Innovative Software as trending proponents of smart foodservice equipment (full article here). Virtual connectivity and innovation lend to tackling some of the difficult challenges that chefs and operators are facing. From intelligent cooking programs that can be managed remotely, to multilingual software designed to make training simpler and more accessible to new hires, the digital and dynamic capabilities of modern equipment are incredible.
Innovative Software
With the cost of raw ingredients continuing to rise, finding innovative and sophisticated solutions while maintaining product quality is becoming a greater focus for chefs and operators. ORVED is a company whose smart technology can help save time, reduce labour and reduce waste.
Last year ORVED launched their new Idea Line - an innovative line up of smart vacuum sealing equipment designed with Smart-Touch technology and customizable Chef Programs. These easy-to-use programs are intuitive and were created to help make the vacuum sealing process as easy as possible, for a wide variety of products from powders and spices to meats, sauces, seafood and more. ORVED’s vacuum packaging machines can help food last longer, preserving its biological integrity without loosing freshness, which in turn reduces food waste. The absence of air inside the vacuum bags prevents bacteria from attacking the foods, producing fresh, safe products.
With this smart preservation technology, you can create infusions and marinades by exploiting the speed of the vacuum process. Food preparation processes that used to take days, can now be completed in minutes with the press of a button.
Virtual Connectivity
Let us look at how the virtual aspect of equipment can help alleviate some of the pressure points operators could face in the coming months.
Smart technology in kitchen equipment is rapidly advancing and breaking down the conventional limits of the past. The cloud-based combi oven operating systems on the Naboo Boosted from Lainox allows you to operate on an entirely new level of simplicity, efficiency, and profitability. Connect with cloud-based remote menu management, monitoring & diagnostics across multiple units, locations, and devices. High-definition touch screen displays with easy to use “tap, drag and drop” make it familiar and user friendly. In terms of combi-ovens, the virtual capabilities of Lainox are unparalleled.
The XpressChef 4i high speed oven is another cooking option that has really embraced the benefits of fast paced technological advancements. These user-friendly, high-capacity ovens offer a large cavity with accelerated cooking times and the option to cook multiple items on demand. Touch screen displays and easy programmability make these ovens a great option for any operation. These ventless ovens have a much smaller footprint than traditional ovens, making it easy to integrate them into any operation.
Given today’s labour challenges, high turnover and rising wages, any efficiencies that are available to operators will take priority as workers remain hard to find and become more expensive to train and employ. Both the Naboo Boosted Combi Oven and the XpressChef4i offer great solutions to help alleviate some of the labour issues across all sectors of the food service industry. They drastically reduce training and make it simpler and easier to expedite cooking process while allowing you to cook multiple items at one time, on demand.
Embracing the rapidly advancing technology and choosing to invest in smarter kitchen solutions is making the lives of chefs and operators easier. ROI is always an important part of the discussion when making the decision to invest in a new piece of equipment or process for your operation, but maybe an even more important metric to look at is COI. Cost Of Inaction. What is the genuine cost of doing nothing? With virtual assistance, automation and intuitive controls at your fingertips, the potential to streamline cooking process and increase profitability is more accessible than ever before.