Hospitality operators look to technology to solve sta ng crisis.

Kelsius has launched a counter-mounted tablet with integrated allergen app, giving caterers the facility to display allergen information for all menu items electronically, say the company.

The 10” tablet provides consumers with allergen information at the touch of a button, removing the need for cumbersome, hard copy folders that need updating with menu changes. The simple touchscreen interface enables customers to search for and click through to any menu item, to check which of the 15 allergens are included. Users can also filter for products that do or do not contain a specific allergen. Files can be easily uploaded via Microsoft Excel and rolled out across all sites, or restricted to individual sites if needed.

Mario Kelly, commercial director at Kelsius, said: “As with all of our paperless kitchen compliance solutions, the allergen app makes it quicker and easier for operators to manage their obligations, improving the customer experience in the process. Whether you’re running an independent retail bakery or a large restaurant chain, a contract catering kiosk or a deli counter, our tablet gives your customers the ability to easily check allergen information with confidence.

“Quick and easy to upload information, it’s far more agile than paper-based files and saves the cost and environmental impact of printing allergen information for folders – often required across large site portfolios.”

Other compliance solutions from Kelsius include their FoodCheck 2.0 digital temperature monitoring system and FoodCheck2Go digital temperature checking system.

Increasing numbers of hospitality operators are turning to technology to manage and motivate their staff, according to workforce management company Bizimply, who are seeing growing demand for their services, particularly in the coffee shop and food to go sectors, they report.

Crêpeaffaire, for example, a growing chain of crêpe specialists, recently rolled out Bizimply’s systems across their 13 UK stores and have seen improved efficiencies and staff engagement, they claim. Other Bizimply customers in the sector include around 250 Pret, KFC, Costa and Wagamama outlets in the UK and Ireland.

Bizimply CEO Conor Shaw commented: “The hospitality sector has traditionally lagged behind others in investment in technology, but happily that seems to be changing as more operators look for new ways to meet the current crisis in staff recruitment and retention. We’ve certainly had a big uplift in enquiries in the last few months and converted more of them into customers.

“The right workforce management technology can transform a business at all levels, from front line staff up to head office. By automating staff rotas and payroll, our system frees general managers from hours of admin every week and gives them more time front of house where they can add real value by managing staff teams and interacting with customers.

“It also allows operators to give their team members more notice of their shift patterns and more flexibility if they need to change their hours. At a time when many employees are working longer hours to cover staff shortages, and good ones can move easily to another job, respecting their work life balance in this way can go a long way to motivating and retaining them in your business.”

Marta Oglecka, people manager at Crêpeaffaire added: “Using Bizimply’s systems has improved the way we manage our teams. We can plan further ahead, we’re staffing more efficiently, tracking our team members’ development, and providing better customer service. And our store managers can now create staff rotas for the week in just 15 minutes which is a great time saving.”

Earlier this year, Bizimply carried out research, via consultancy Hospitality Mavericks, into hospitality operators’ response to the staffing crisis. Following a similar survey carried out a year previously as the sector reopened after lockdowns, it found that 60% of operators now believe they need to invest more in technology, compared to only 45% in 2021. At the same time, 83% recognise that improving operational complexity using digital tools is the area with the biggest potential to improve performance.

Conor Shaw added: “Businesses we work with understand that the right technology, implemented correctly, helps organisations to become more human - and in hospitality, great customer experiences are delivered by humans.”

Online takeaway giant, Foodhub, erected an enormous eight-metre-tall inflatable duck alongside the words “what a ducking shambles” outside Downing Street recently by way of protest, and as part of an appeal to Rishi Sunak to take urgent action on the issue of rising food prices. It came as new ONS research revealed that the price of vegetable oil had skyrocketed by 65% year on year, with pasta up 59.9%, chips 38.7%, and bread 37.6%. Additionally, under Liz Truss’s short reign as PM, food prices had risen at their fastest rate in over 40 years, claimed Foodhub, in turn wreaking havoc on UK restaurants and food businesses large and small.