Chefs and the Technology Paradox

All industries and organisations continue to use technology to improve performance which can lead to competitive edge, a reduction in labour cost and a better customer experience, there it is, your win/win/win but what does this mean to Chefs….

This post is taking a look into the benefit of technology in kitchens as well as the paradox it throws up…..

In an article by Professor Svetlana Rodgers for the Australian Food Service Academy reported that; 

‘While chefs are not expected to find solutions to complex engineering problems, they may scan other ’high tech’ fields for potential applicability in the kitchen’

It needs to be recognised that technology can lead to better working conditions for hospitality staff especially those in a kitchen, the days of passing a mousse through chinois’s and muslin cloths time and time again or cleaning ovens at the end of every shift may well be all but over. In many respects technology has made working in a kitchen which is a great job less arduous but does that also remove some of the satisfaction.

Applications from other fields are used in the kitchen to contribute to commercial competitiveness and better profitability and job satisfaction. It continues to amaze me that many kitchens still Cinderella the kitchen floor, you can have kitchens with 20K plus ovens, the latest EPOS, thermomix, sous vide machines, pacojets, the list goes and yet when it comes to cleaning the floor they use a mop and bucket, maybe a bucket with wheels if your lucky. Basically the same system of cleaning as they were using two - three hundred years ago…………………….

Research has also shown, although chefs welcome technology in the kitchen as it eases the strain in kitchens which are generally seen as short staffed. Panteldis (2009) states;

‘that Chefs will always be required, what makes an ordinary dish become an exceptional dish is the individuality of each chef at each restaurant.’

It is against this proven point that the industry faces its usual staffing challenges.

Brian Wisdom, former chief executive of People 1st stated;

“Chefs represent one of the biggest skills shortages the hospitality industry faces”.

The work carried Robinson, N.S, Barron, P.E (2006) into the the impact of deskilling of chefs through technology showed that whilst chefs do have poor working conditions and high labour mobility, the reduction of creativity and innovation lends its self to high staff attrition levels to an already transient workforce.

As companies drive to standardise restaurant menus and food production methods ensuring the consistency of product delivery and to ease the pressure in kitchens on labour costs, the technology paradox has emerged. The extrinsic causal factors that effect chefs in kitchens are well documented, Robinson, R. Beesley, L. (2009) have shown factors such as socioeconomic and education levels do contribute to labour turnover.  If the intrinsic motivators for job satisfaction are removed, such as creativity and innovation then a core element of a chefs occupational culture as reported by Cameron D. (2001) will have contribute to the high attrition rates therefore a high labour costs which in-turn companies will bring in more technology to counter this, leading to an homogenisation of skills and a reduction a technical craft based skill set. This has been shown by the introduction of ready meals and other food items, a lack of capitalisation and training both in the industry and in the education system as a whole. This serves to rise the attrition rates of chefs and lack of enduring career paths open to chefs who stay in this fabulous industry.

Further Info

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/04/man-v-machine-robots-artificial-intelligence-cook-write

https://www.spyce.com

https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2018/12/11/will-chefs-lose-relevance-in-a-robotic-kitchen/?sh=13aaab5213ac

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