December 14, 2018

Following the recent retirement of Grant Avery as Vice President of Sales for the Manitoba Distribution Centre, Pratts Food Service has hired Jamie Campbell as Vice President of Sales for Manitoba, North West Ontario, and Thunder Bay.

 “Grant has been with our company from the very beginning and we are forever indebted to him for his leadership, dedication, and for playing a pinnacle role in helping Pratts Food Service achieve its present position in the Canadian Food Service Industry.” said Jason Baranyk, President of Pratts Food Service Canada. “Grant’s decision to retire left us wondering how long it would take to find a successful replacement. It’s a paramount role in our company and we knew replacing Grant was not going to be an easy task.” Fortunately for us, Jamie was ready for a change, so I suppose it was all a fortunate stroke of serendipity.”

 Campbell brings a wealth of knowledge and experience after more than 25 years in the Western Canadian Food Service Industry.  “Jamie has been a sales leader in our industry with numerous accolades and more successes than one can recount.  His dedication to sales success and the food service industry as a whole is second to none and was a primary factor in our decision to bring him on board,” We’re certainly sad to see Grant leave our organization, but I firmly believe Jamie is exactly the individual suited to fill his role.

Jamie most recently served as District Sales Manger for Northwestern Ontario and Northern Manitoba for Sysco Food Service Winnipeg. Prior to that he looked after the Business Resource team which included Protein Specialist, STiR Team, Key Accounts, and the Business Development team.

Milan, 13^thDecember 2018. One thousand shades of hospitality. Fragrances and olfactory perceptions, starred chefs and bartenders, unreleased material and new technologies. Hotels have become the places where social relations happen.They are not just a venue where to spend the day, but also hubs for the latest consumption and lifestyle trends. And these trends will be all showcased at the 41^stedition of HostMilano(at fieramilano from 18 to 22 October 2019), one of the world’s leading events for the Ho.Re.Ca and retail sectors, which is going to be once again the trendsetter for the hotels of the third Millennium.

Themacro-area of the Milan-based event dedicated to Furniture, Technology, and Tablewarehas always been the place where to get a preview of the latest professional hospitality solutions through exclusive formats, concept stores, and installations well-established on the market.

An example? Exhis 2013 – the concept store designed by Dante O. Benini exclusively for Host– had already given an overview of what hospitality is today, i.e. a hub where social relations occur, especially in the luxury segment.  A true display of beauty, which marked the hotels’ path to the future: 4 themed areas – Work, Mind, Body, and Relaxation – in which to invest to transform a hotel into the ideal place, where every activity is facilitated by services and the quality of the environment.

Robotics, human touch, and sustainability are the future

An area where social and business relations are easier. And a venue where to experience moments to remember. “I’ve always believed in creating a place where people want to stay and come back. In my opinion, travelling means presence. “You are here now, living the moment, immersed in a new experience, whether it’s a particular menu or a room with a view” said a luxury hotel manager who gained their expertise in major international facilities. Who added: “People who do this job shouldn’t set any limits. We need to reinvent ourselves, challenge each other, and be constantly up-to-date.”

But where is hospitality going? While waiting to know which will be the next trends at HostMilano 2019, industry insiders made their point at “The future of Food & Hospitality”, the annual conference organised by Consultants Society International Europe, Africa, Middle East (FCSI EAME) that took place a few weeks ago in Rotterdam.

Trend-wise,Roboticsis going to be more and more necessary. Robots and tablets will replace concierges and waiters in welcoming guests and taking their orders.

Sustainabilityis another factor under the spotlight. No more waste! The best practices of the hotel world include recycling and a rational use of linens, food, and water. Not to mention toiletries made with natural products, room keys made of cardboard, wood, or organic plastic.

TheHuman touchis also in the top three trends. At the end of the day, everyone needs to meet real people. Hospitality serves this purpose by providing an authentic and spontaneous service.

Millennials and more: here comes technology

According to the latest research, Millennials will represent about half of the travellers on a global scale by 2020. This means one thing: the hospitality world is going to change forever. Digital natives, who expect services to be more and more customised, people born between 1980 and 2000 are at the forefront even when it comes to using the latest applications from smartphones or tablets. Many high-tech solutions, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, apps, and smart keys, are already common solutions.

For example, the first robot-staffed hotel was recently opened in Japan. Robots here provide information at the reception, file records through facial and voice recognition technology. Another application that is becoming increasingly popular is the chatbox, which is already used on the hotel’s social media, because it allows clients to ask questions and get the answers almost instantly, 24/7.

All these pluses are expected to attract not only Millennials, but also another target, i.e. millennial-minded people, who have become essential for hoteliers. These people are not necessarily a demographic group defined by age, location, or goals, but are millennium-minded, meaning those who combine work and private life, switch from a conference call to a post on social media, buy a book online, while ordering lunch.

Eye for detail is the key

The hotel of the future is asked to catch ongoing trends to intercept guests’ new needs, under any point of view. Trends and innovation are the common thread of every edition of HostMilano, a true hub where to explore the best solutions in the hospitality world, in terms of design, contract furniture solutions, and exclusive concepts.

Therefore, while furniture and accessories are evolving to adapt to new spaces, design is ready to propose new aesthetics, combining elegance with functionality,while being bound to its territory. Elegant and natural products made with refined materials and styles that meet today’s requirements.

The reason is simple: rooms must always be smart and hyperconnected, lobbies are now designed to be true living rooms with multi-functional areas, such as bars, restaurants, business centres, and lounges, where anybody can meet at any time. 

But there is a but! To succeed, hotels must deal with an increasingly fierce competition. That’s why, services multiply to make your stay an experience to remember. A few examples? Many hotels are now turning into huge showrooms, where to test and showcase products useful for travelling or that you can take away, such as perfumes and natural cosmetics. The latest trend for hotels, especially the high-end ones, is to focus on wellness and wellbeing. Gyms, health centres, and personal trainers are just one side of the medal, which also includes the accurate choice of lighting, colours and materials, besides paying attention to food and beverage. Nothing must be left to chance.

Something similar occurs in the restaurants of the most exclusive hotels, which have become true stages for starred chefs. Moreover, an increasing number of designers and starchitects are committed to designing unique hotel facilities, especially when Italy’s excellence is involved. 

CHICAGO (December 10, 2018) – RATIONAL North America, the leading manufacturer of combi-steamer technology, announced today that the RATIONAL North American Distribution Center shipped a record-breaking 10,000 RATIONAL SelfCookingCenter® combi ovens to customers across the United States and Canada.  The North American RATIONAL install base now exceeds 60,000 units, solidifying RATIONAL’s position as the market leader within this foodservice equipment category.

Apart from being the first manufacturer in North America to cross this milestone, year-over-year shipments in 2018 show an increase of 50 percent over 2017, exceeding category growth rates.  RATIONAL combi oven market share is estimated at 45 percent in the United States and 65 percent in Canada, demonstrating clear customer preference for the RATIONAL brand. RATIONAL employs 150 people focused on the combi oven market segment in the United States and Canada.

“At the beginning of the year, shipping over 10,000 units was our goal. Today I am proud to say that we surpassed it. The North American team’s determined focus on delivering unmatched customer benefit enabled us to grow our business across all customer segments. We have a tremendous amount of momentum, and as combi technology gains greater acceptance in our market, we anticipate further growth,” said Markus Glueck, executive vice president of RATIONAL North America.   

Common in European commercial kitchens for four decades, combi technology is now gaining traction in North America where approximately 20 percent of relevant foodservice locations purchase combis, often in place of ovens.  However, with the capability to steam, blanch, poach, bake, roast, sear, fry, grill, smoke, sous-vide, overnight cook & hold, and much more, combis frequently replace several pieces of kitchen equipment. This unexpected multi-functionality combined with advanced intelligence needs to be experienced to be embraced, so RATIONAL invests heavily in live programs ranging from cooking demonstrations, to tradeshow pop-up restaurants, to culinary school seminars.

In 2018 alone, nearly 33,000 chefs and commercial kitchen operators and more than 7,000 culinary school students, were introduced to the RATIONAL SelfCookingCenter®. The RATIONAL Culinary School Initiative prepares future chefs for the next generation of culinary excellence. RATIONAL CookingLive events introduce participants to combi technology and show how the RATIONAL SelfCookingCenter® in particular improves day-to-day kitchen operations.

To learn more about RATIONAL products and services, or to register for a RATIONAL CookingLive event visit www.rationalusa.com.

TORONTO — December 07, 2018 — Restaurants Canada has just released a carefully curated list of the top food and dining trends you can expect to see at the 2019 RC Show, Canada’s largest foodservice and hospitality trade event.

The upcoming RC Show is leading the conversation around the true meaning of sustainability for the restaurant and hospitality industry. Recognizing that the future of foodservice is tied to the health of the planet as much as healthy profit margins, here’s a look ahead at the culinary and technological innovations coming to kitchens and menus near you:

1. Root-to-Stem Cooking — A new trend addressing food waste has taken root. Like the nose-to-tail practice when cooking meat, root-to-stem cooking focuses on vegetables and making use of all the parts we’d typically remove and throw away. Chefs have found that ingredients like broccoli stalks and leaves, beet greens, asparagus stems, carrot tops, jackfruit cores etc. all bring unique tastes, textures and colours to a dish and are 100% edible.

2. Restaurant Robotics — Bring on the bots! In 2019, a new generation of gizmos, gadgets, autonomous robots and artificially intelligent technologies will be making their way into our dining experiences. Innovations like the hands-free sushi-making machines from AUTEC and Sally from Chowbotics — the robot that serves customizable made-to-order salads, snacks, breakfast bowls and grain bowls — are revealing that the future is here, and the kitchen is evolving faster than ever. Expect everything from robots delivering meals, to AI providing training, to ordering systems replacing waiters and cashiers. 

3. Clean Motherless Meat — As more and more meat lovers are becoming opposed to eating animals and concerned about the impact that raising livestock has on the environment, interest is growing in innovative alternatives. Lab-grown meats, or “clean meat”, is meat grown from small samples of muscle tissue from animals like cows, pigs, chickens etc. These small samples are then combined with stem cells to multiply growth and generate large amounts of meat without having to raise and kill any animals. Companies like Memphis Meats are working to get these products to market as soon as possible, and are expected to greatly impact the world by reducing water usage, taking up less land and significantly cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

4. Incredible Edibles — Now that Canada has become the second country to legalize recreational use of the herb nationwide, interest in cannabis is taking the country’s hospitality industry by storm. With regulations around edibles expected in 2019, new doors might be opening for chefs to introduce this green to their menus. With the potential for infusing dishes and beverages just around the corner, the possibilities are endless, and consumer expectations are high.

5. We Sea Greens — This year, expect to see more marine greens — anything from kelp noodles and jerky to fish alternatives made from algae. Seaweeds have been found to be a natural source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D and E, as well as being rich in minerals like zinc, iodine, magnesium, iron, copper, potassium and calcium. Turns out the ocean floor is a literal breeding ground for healthy, green ingredients with unique flavours that will add diversity to menu offerings.

6. The Plant-Based Movement — If you aren’t adventurous enough to test out lab-developed meat, you will still have a growing number of plant-based protein options in 2019. EcoIdeas Organic Jackfruit is working to bring innovative plant-based food to the mainstream with their delicious and convenient alternatives to meat dishes. With ingredients like heme and innovative products like Beyond Meat, as well as plant-based milks derived from pea protein and barley proving to be worthy animal product replacements, the future is looking greener than ever.

7. Pretty Please, Without Sugar — Once upon a time we were fighting against fat and now another opponent is in our crosshairs — sugar. The quest for creative ways to reduce sugar and sugary counterparts continues in 2019. We will start to see chefs substituting sugar, honey and agave on their menus for equally sweet but more nutritious alternatives such as carrot, sweet potato, golden beet, butternut squash and corn.

8. Culinary Cocktails — Forget the fruity and sweet. In 2019 we’ll be sipping on endless, refreshing blends of juiced herbs and vegetables, edible flowers, and splashes of tequila, brandy, rum or vodka. The bar industry has seen a shift in pallet from sweet to savoury. This can be attributed to the introduction of bitters and the resurgence of spirits like amaro, vermouth and sherry. The food and hospitality industry’s move to more sustainable practises can also be credited for these bar glass innovations, as chefs now have uses for the leaves and stems and veggies that aren’t quite plate perfection. Culinary cocktails have been popping up all over Canada’s finest bars and cocktail lounges. These drinks stray away from the typical tastes and work to bridge the gap between bar and kitchen by incorporating flavours and techniques used in dishes, all to provide customers with a flavourful experience from glass to plate.

9. In and Out — Kale has officially outstayed its welcome! In 2019 you can expect to see this leafy green replaced by gut flora-friendly ingredients, such as dandelion greens — a natural prebiotic — and amaranth — a hypoallergenic grain substitute for wheat, both pushing the notion that food really is medicine. Other trends you can expect to see making their way into your dining experiences include: oat milk and other dairy alternatives, dry and hot pot cooking, more

substitutions for diners with food sensitivities, creative approaches to reducing waste from single-use items, virtual restaurants and cloud-based dining, spice palettes from countries such as Kazakhstan, Tajikstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, plus edible flowers are back — and they’ll be in your water glass!

You can check out these trends and more at the upcoming RC Show taking place from February 24-26, 2019 at the Enercare Centre in Toronto. To learn more or to register for media accreditation, please visit www.rcshow.com.