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Butlers for service Foodcase has developed a way to ease back-catering with ambient options designed for minimal touchpoints and maximum consumer confidence, reports Julie Baxter
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pecialist in ambient food solutions, Foodcase (like most inflight caterers) saw a 95% drop in its business at the start of the pandemic and adapted fast to offer post-COVID solutions. Wilbert de Louw, chief executive officer, says: “We were determined to face the challenges of the pandemic in a positive way and worked on new ideas to ensure we would come out of this crisis stronger than ever.” The company’s ambient specialism was helpful. He explains: “Ambient food products have been very useful for restarting inflight service and we are handling a lot of requests for ambient save costs. Thankfully we have heavily meals and return catering boxed invested in these concepts over the last solutions, as well as for our new hygiene three years.” kits. We also developed a pre-packed Key to new developments from and sealed full service breakfast solution Foodcase is the Butler for hotels and a No Box concept which Touch Door Opener provides smart preto help with touchless delivery.” We believe we have packed and sealed He believes the created the perfect solutions in a practical, minimal-touch way. airline industry has post-pandemic It was developed already dramatically solution to meet the need changed, with the for secured return focus very much on catering, allowing airlines to serve food food safety. He says: “There are a lot of without being dependent on caterers myths circulating around food safety or suppliers outside their main hubs. but consumer perception counts for “We had already recognised a a lot and we believe airlines will react need for smarter and easy-to-handle to this by offering sealed food for a solutions even before COVID-19. We considerable period. Boxed solutions knew sustainability and waste reduction will become even more important in were a high priority for airlines so we the long term as consumers prioritise worked to jump into this gap, offering a food safety. They are seen as very safe, full ambient tray set-up. Learning from and also minimise waste streams and
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the past and adapting to what is truly needed we believe we have created the perfect post-pandemic solution. “Our No Touch Door Key is a good example too of an innovation which would have never been thought of if there was not a pandemic. Now we are working on another solution which will have huge impact on the perception of safety onboard - it is in the development stage, watch this space!” •
