"Molecular gastronomy" dishes that reinterpret tradition and look forward to a possible future. Ingredients that were once difficult to preserve and use are now giving rise to new recipes, keeping the flavours and aromas unchanged. Cooking and plating methods that preserve the health and nutritional value by combining them with impeccable presentations.

In recent years, haute cuisine has increasingly accustomed us to unusual variations on the theme, which consumers are increasingly appreciating, as confirmed by the data: in Italy alone, in 2022, the added value of restaurant services is estimated to be 43.5 billion euros (data by Confcommercio), up 18% on 2021.

But what lies behind this success? A lot of it is thanks to professional kitchens – places customers rarely get to see – and the secret is called technology. It is helping more and more chefs to give free rein to their creativity by simplifying the most routine operations. A technology to be discovered in the Professional Foodservice area of Host 2023, at fieramilano, Rho from 13 to 17 October.

For example, by combining several functions to shorten times, while keeping quality unchanged, as Chiara Roncagli, brand manager of Angelo Po explains: “Our offer is constantly evolving, and starts with us listening to customers. We recently launched new multifunction blast chiller-freezers with programmes that allow you to use a single chamber for both hot and cold processes, also taking advantage of moments when the kitchen is not operational and the possibility of controlling them from an online portal".

Solutions that often, thanks to innovations that have marked a real paradigm shift, have earned the authoritative Smart Label – Host Innovation Award, as happened in the last edition at Unox: “Our patented system is the first vacuum-packing machine able to seal food that is still hot directly in the pan that was used to cook it,” the company says. This is a solution that comes in response to two of the most pressing needs in the food service today: fighting waste and supporting delivery. "Together with our 'hot fridge' capable of keeping cooked food at serving temperature for up to 72 hours, the system eliminates waste and waiting times."

And the fight against food waste is part of the broader theme of sustainability, and in particular of energy saving, a point also stressed by Enrico Ferri, CEO of Rational Italia: “Trending topics continue to be linked to energy saving, following the higher costs deriving from price increases and inflation, and the difficulty of finding kitchen staff. We offer technological solutions that allow staff to work fewer hours but more productively, that make the most of night hours for long cooking times, and that plan production in advance and delegate activities, with the certainty that the quality of the dishes served will always be the same."

Professional training is a prominent subject among the events dedicated to foodservice. And that involves everything from the interaction between people, ingredients and sustainable methods outlined by APCI (the Professional Italian Chefs Association) with the Smart Food - Smart Chefs - Smart Future events, to the major challenges foodservice faces - such as digital transition, sustainability, skills – discussed during its meetings at FIPE (the Italian Federation of Bars and Catering). On top of which comes Academy 2023 organised by FIC (the Italian Federation of Chefs), the seminars organized by FCSI - Foodservice Consultants Society International, as well as an actual Food-Technology Lounge organised by ANIMA Confindustria Meccanica Varia with its associations and EFCEM Italia.