Technology for foodies

Food and hospitality are as old as human history, but in recent years there has been a particular acceleration and a quite remarkable change in behaviour and expectations among consumers. Technology is required above all to find new solutions to new problems, but that involves understanding customers and their needs in order to give them what they want, which very often is about having a more personal, more sophisticated food experience. Everywhere and in every sector. “In such an aggressive market, innovation is our lifeblood,” says Olivier Brivois, head of marketing and product development at Capsul’in Pro, which earned the prestigious Innovation Smart Label for its oxygen barrier capsules that can be composted and are compatible with the Nespresso system: “We started up in 2010 with an innovative idea: to produce the first empty, rechargeable capsule compatible with espresso machines, and in seven years we have launched six new products. The latest one, which we will be presenting at HostMilano, guarantees a high-quality cup of coffee, preserving the coffee’s aroma thanks to the incredible oxygen barrier that protects and retains the organoleptic properties of the fresh coffee over the whole life cycle of the product. It also offers total personalisation thanks to a high-definition moulding technique, as well as as complying with environmental sustainability stands, since it is completely compostable.”

One trend that has now become well-established is that of street food, with more and more style offerings appearing as consumers expect higher quality. Because innovation is also about “providing our customers with the best solutions within a fast-changing framework, and only through continual investments in research is it possible to constantly improve on the products offered and keep pace with the market,” as Sara Lauro, Head of Professional Ovens Business at Alfa Refrattari explains. The Smart Label went to a super-compact wood-fired, gas and

Food and hospitality are as old as human history, but in recent years there has been a particular acceleration and a quite remarkable change in behaviour and expectations among consumers. Technology is required above all to find new solutions to new problems, but that involves understanding customers and their needs in order to give them what they want, which very often is about having a more personal, more sophisticated food experience. Everywhere and in every sector. “In such an aggressive market, innovation is our lifeblood,” says Olivier Brivois, head of marketing and product development at Capsul’in Pro, which earned the prestigious Innovation Smart Label for its oxygen barrier capsules that can be composted and are compatible with the Nespresso system: “We started up in 2010 with an innovative idea: to produce the first empty, rechargeable capsule compatible with espresso machines, and in seven years we have launched six new products. The latest one, which we will be presenting at HostMilano, guarantees a high-quality cup of coffee, preserving the coffee’s aroma thanks to the incredible oxygen barrier that protects and retains the organoleptic properties of the fresh coffee over the whole life cycle of the product. It also offers total personalisation thanks to a high-definition moulding technique, as well as as complying with environmental sustainability stands, since it is completely compostable.”

One trend that has now become well-established is that of street food, with more and more customer offerings appearing as consumers expect higher quality. Because innovation is also about “providing our customers with the best solutions within a fast-changing framework, and only through continual investments in research is it possible to constantly improve on the products offered and keep pace with the market,” as Sara Lauro, Head of Professional Ovens Business at Alfa Refrattari explains. The Smart Label went to a super-compact wood-fired, gas and  oven, which also has actual flames to give the best performance and ensure the unique flavour only a pizza cooked over a flame can give, and which, because it is much smaller than a wood-fired oven made entirely of brick, considerably reduces consumption. “As well as saving on fuel and guaranteeting excellent performance, this oven saves on time too. We have developed a professional pizza oven conceived as if it were a microwave, or any other plug&play electrical appliance.”

The analysis of Big Data in catering is fundamental if exactly the right service is to be provided and establishments managed in an efficient, cost-saving way. Everything can now be managed from a tablet through an app like Mobipos, a Smart Label obtained by Esc Software which manages the cash desk, among other things. As Giuseppe Rizzo explains: “The use of the Cloud gives us access to all the data, and real-time analyses, and an overview of the activities of the individual points of sale, anywhere and at any time. In practical terms, the app increases the efficiency of the company, helps cut operating costs, improves business performance and gives greater visibility to sales and the way the cash desk is managed. And the availability of all data also benefits clients themselves, because it makes them more competitive as a result of being able to take decisions more quickly and adopt any new market strategies.”

oven, which also has actual flames to give the best performance and ensure the unique flavour only a pizza cooked over a flame can give, and which, because it is much smaller than a wood-fired oven made entirely of brick, considerably reduces consumption. “As well as saving on fuel and guaranteeting excellent performance, this oven saves on time too. We have developed a professional pizza oven conceived as if it were a microwave, or any other plug&play electrical appliance.”

The analysis of Big Data in catering is fundamental if exactly the right service is to be provided and establishments managed in an efficient, cost-saving way. Everything can now be managed from a tablet through an app like Mobipos, a Smart Label obtained by Esc Software which manages the cash desk, among other things. As Giuseppe Rizzo explains: “The use of the Cloud gives us access to all the data, and real-time analyses, and an overview of the activities of the individual points of sale, anywhere and at any time. In practical terms, the app increases the efficiency of the company, helps cut operating costs, improves business performance and gives greater visibility to sales and the way the cash desk is managed. And the availability of all data also benefits clients themselves, because it makes them more competitive as a result of being able to take decisions more quickly and adopt any new market strategies.”