Professional kitchens – the heart of gastronomy are in for mega changes

‘The Times they are a-changing’ – this immortal line from Bob Dylan’s all-time favourite song stands so true today. The world can now be clearly slotted into the pre-COVID and post-COVID era, as we are in for irreversible changes in the times to come. As India and the world is bracing up to the new normal, the food industry is taking baby steps adapting to the post-COVID-19 scenario. True, the world is raring to go after this unprecedented pandemic, but caution is the golden rule to follow. We haven’t healed yet but life should move on and eat out is one thing which people across the globe are eagerly looking forward to. 

Brace up for new regulations

While the complete eating out experience will change post-COVID, the one place which is sure to see major changes, is the professional kitchen.  What is served to the customers depends a lot on what goes on behind the scene in the preparation area; that is the kitchen. The storing of raw materials and the final cooking of gourmet dishes in the kitchen determines whether the customer goes back home assured, safe and satisfied or otherwise. Cosmetic changes in the front area or adapting the new rules of social distancing and personal hygiene alone will not be enough to match up to new industry standards.  The FSSAI has already come up with a plethora of guidelines for professional kitchens such as spacing out workstations and food preparation areas, limiting the person to person contact at the kitchen area by creating physical barriers and much more. Hygiene and food safety will be paramount in the post COVID scenario and is bound to come under strict scrutiny.  All these new regulations will go a long way in gaining customer satisfaction so that they can order more home deliveries and slowly but gradually come out for dining experiences.

The time for smart kitchens is NOW

The need of the hour is to move towards smart commercial kitchens with intelligent appliances which can cook almost any gourmet dish with minimal or no human intervention. With the regulations getting more stringent and audits/visits by the regulatory authorities getting more frequent, kitchens have to be upgraded in terms of modern equipment. This is a time for new learnings and adapting to more technologically advanced appliances.  

Hence, more commercial kitchens will be seen moving towards smart combi-ovens which require minimal human intervention. These modern-day appliances require less manpower which helps in adhering to the WHO guideline which says “distance of 1 meter (3 feet) should be maintained between fellow workers”. The health organisation also harps upon the need to “limit the number of staff in a food preparation area at any one time” in order to maintain the quintessential rule of social distancing. 

All that the chef will be required to do is programme these smart combi-ovens as per the dish/dishes that he intends to cook and the rest is taken care of by these intelligent appliances. The beauty of these gadgets is the food prepared is superbly delicious and appealing to the palette as the master chef had dreamt of making it. There is absolutely no compromise in the taste, texture and quality of food prepared by these smart appliances, besides them being time-efficient.  The WHO has laid down the importance of cleaning and disinfection procedures for kitchen equipment and modern appliances such as combi ovens are a perfect fit. These appliances have auto-cleaning functions and therefore can be cleaned at frequent intervals with just the press of a button. Proper cleaning and maintenance of appliances will take care of contamination issues which are a big concern in the summer months which lies ahead of us. 

Towards a new beginning

So, in the coming months, the buzz word for all professional kitchens would be re-designing/ re-engineering. Kitchen planners have already set the ball rolling by sensitizing stakeholders in the food business on ways to face the post-COVID scenario. They are already drafting the blueprints of the new improvised commercial kitchens as well as eating out areas in restaurants, luxury hotels, canteens and other institutions which will adhere to the new normals of social distancing, upgraded hygiene and food safety. Armed with the necessary changes, the food industry will slowly but surely reach newer heights.

Author: Mr. Vikram Goel, Managing Director, RATIONAL International India Pvt. Ltd.

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