There is much debate about the direction in which the foodservice industry is heading. We asked some of those taking part in the webinar on sustainability and luxury organised by HostMilano for their thoughts. This is what they said.

“In my opinion the future of catering is as bright as ever, even though it may not seem that way now,” said Dieter Xiao from Miami. He is head of corporate restaurant operations and development manager for Norwegian Cruise Lines. “This virus is here to stay and other threats will come, so we need to take this opportunity to permanently adopt changes to better deal with such situations.” So future operations will be all about minimising and managing risk. Which has its advantages: “the fact that this pandemic is global also means that guests will better understand why certain things cannot be done anymore but will be grateful for the innovative and fun things that will replace them. That could mean a new style of buffet where you are being served individually-plated mini-portions by an attendant, as opposed to helping yourself from a traditional chafing dish that many others have touched. Or being served plated meals from underneath cloches and by someone wearing nice gloves.

“The hospitality industry has always been very resilient and undoubtedly also very quick to adapt and innovate. The scale of this pandemic is of course unprecedented, but that only means we all have to change together. Once the economy gets going again, the demand for catering will come back and will be even stronger, due to many events being cancelled or postponed,” Xiao goes on.

However, demand is likely to be slightly different. “Social distancing may mean smaller events, but not necessarily less revenue. I don’t think it will be impossible to explain to guests that additional but necessary protocols often mean more cost. But this should also translate into enhanced hygiene and most importantly a better overall experience. I also foresee more demand for events at private homes (as seen in the strong demand for private chefs) and even the opportunity to recreate the restaurant experience at home, on everything from food and beverage to furnishings and décor.”

Andrea Marchesin, Executive Chef del Toscana Divino Group of Miami also explained how luxury is evolving and taking the sustainability route. “Today the perception of luxury is changing from ‘price point’ to ‘quality point’. Diners demand that chefs be transparent and informed about the origin of their products, but this can only happen if ingredients are chosen ethically, higher up the chain. All of this, combined with correct processing and a certain amount of imagination, will transform what was once a dinner in a sumptuous dining room into an unforgettable experience where the focus is on the quality of the service and of the food served.”

That view was echoed by Marco Rosa country manager of the distribution company Longino & Cardinal in Dubai: “Sustainability, like quality, is the result of a process that starts from the selection of suppliers and ingredients and continues through to packaging and logistics. Traceability is a way of checking that things are being done properly. The ultimate objective should be zero waste. When the process is done in the best possible way, then you have a luxury product.”

The patisserie sector is going in the same direction as other foodservice areas, as Marchesin also pointed out : “In the last few years, there has been a great deal of change in pastries, especially the kind served in restaurants. The experimentation seen in state-of-the-art restaurants in the 2000s led to the introduction of more modern, more efficient techniques. Portions have been reduced so that the experience is a brief one, but one which offers greater pleasure for the palate. The same thing is happening also in savoury cuisine: here, as in pastry-making, ingredients and aesthetics are now of primary importance.”