The hospitality industry is finally on the road to recovery following the very challenging times caused by the pandemic. Whilst there is some need to rebuild, many are looking at how they can drive growth and protect their business in the long term.

BRITA Professional recently conducted independent research (1) into the changing perceptions of the industry and where investments need to be made as a result. Here we can share the key results and advice from the research.

[1] 3GEM in collaboration with BRITA Professional (March 2021)

Quality equipment

More than half of those surveyed agreed that investing in quality equipment and maintenance schedules is most important to help future proof their business. This is to ensure that all equipment is reliable and protected against costly breakdowns, so that you can focus on delivering consistently delicious food and drinks with the impeccable service that your customers have come to know and love.

Safety first

As a result of the pandemic, it’s no surprise that an extra focus on hygiene and cleaning is also a priority for almost half of hospitality businesses moving forward. Whilst hygiene has always been at the forefront of the hospitality industry, it’s now front of mind for your customers too.

Customer service is key

With this in mind, customer service is also proving to be a continued priority when it comes to future proofing hospitality businesses, with half (50%) planning to adopt innovative customer service technology and a third investing in ‘Internet of Things’ enabled kitchen equipment.

Embrace technology

Technology is not a new development and certainly not in terms of customer service. However, consumers have come to expect certain conveniences when they shop, travel, and handle their finances — such as mobile access, personalisation, loyalty tracking, and no-touch transactions. More and more, they want their dining experiences to feel the same way (2) and so businesses need to embrace this technology in order to stay ahead or even in line with the curve.

(2) Deloitte: Restaurant of the Future – https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/consumer-business/us-consumer-business-restaurant-of-the-future-perspective-final.pdf

Choose the right suppliers who can help your business succeed

Finally, a third of hospitality businesses believe that help from suppliers is essential to achieve greater efficiency across the industry as a whole. Work closely with your suppliers to ensure they understand your needs better and can adapt their services to suit your business. This is becoming increasingly important with the current issues some companies are facing with supply chain and stock availability, which can have a significant impact on your business.

As you can imagine, BRITA Managed Services is passionate about how we, your supplier, can make your life easier. Our tailored packages are offered to relieve some of your pressure and provide services such as ongoing maintenance, advice, monitoring filter usage and carrying out essential filter exchanges in a convenient way that suits you and your business.

For more information about how our bespoke service package can be tailored just for you visit www.brita.co.uk/news-stories/professional/managed-services.

In this article Chris Fay C.F.S.P from ceda Partner BRITA Professional explains why preventative maintenance is key to keeping kitchens running smoothly when the industry reopens.

In 2020 alone, kitchen professionals dealt with 84 days of equipment breakdowns, that’s almost a quarter of the year! As well as having an impact on efficiency and budgets, this is also a huge source of stress. And, at a time when more than eight in ten (81%) professional kitchen workers admit to feeling stressed at work, it has never been more important to take steps to reduce the pressure.

New research from BRITA Professional reveals that almost two-thirds (61%) of kitchen professionals have to manage equipment breakdowns on at least a fortnightly basis. So, it’s not surprising that almost half (47%) believe having more reliable equipment would make their kitchen more efficient when able to reopen. Although unreliable equipment is a longstanding issue, there are some simple steps that staff can take to minimise the risk of disruption to service when the industry reopens:

1. Create cleaning schedules: Almost four in ten (39%) hospitality workers would like more robust cleaning schedules to keep the kitchen running more efficiently. Creating a schedule also ensures that the whole team shares the workload – and it feels like less of a chore when everyone is doing their bit.
2. Prevent limescale build-up: A high proportion of breakdowns are related to limescale, so preventative maintenance is vital. Limescale build-up not only causes breakdowns, it also means that machinery requires more energy to reach optimum temperatures. Using the correct water filter and changing it regularly will help machines to run more efficiently – and last for longer, as well as eliminating costly repairs.
3. Invest in quality equipment: Always choose machinery that meets your maximum needs so that you have the capability to match demand. It may cost more initially, but it’s a worthwhile investment as it will last for longer, saving money over time.
4. Outsource maintenance: BRITA Professional’s research found that 35% of kitchen staff say cleaning equipment sends their stress levels soaring. So, it makes sense that a quarter of professionals would like all maintenance to be outsourced to a third party, giving chefs more time to focus on what they love the most: creating incredible food for customers.
5. Focus on sustainability: Three-quarters (75%) of hospitality professionals would like to increase sustainability in 2021, with over a third (36%) saying they would like to achieve this by focusing on equipment and energy efficiency. Preventative maintenance can reduce the amount of machinery sent to landfill, so it’s not only an important way to save time and money, but it also helps to protect the environment.

BRITA Managed Services can help to improve kitchen efficiency by supporting operators with a bespoke preventative maintenance package which suits their business needs. By offering advice, monitoring filter usage and carrying out essential filter exchanges, kitchen professionals can rely on their equipment to have a longer life span and deliver a smooth service when they need it most.

The research results are available in a new BRITA Professional toolkit: At Boiling Point: which offers vital tips on how to ‘filter out’ inefficiency and stress, as well as save time, money and the planet in 2021. Take a look at our At Boiling Point Toolkit here: brita.co.uk/boiling-point

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*All stats in this article relate to research conducted by BRITA PROFESSIONAL and 3GEM among 500 professional kitchen workers (November 2020)