Tabletop Trends: AI: science with seasoning?

Ten things we learned at the FEA Industry Conference

1. QSRs in the USA are digitising rapidly.  McDonalds is installing AI enabled kitchens and ‘ready on arrival tech’ that’s cutting waiting times by 50%.  Chick-fil-a is testing 24 hour vending machines and using the Cloud to speed up the customer experience.
    
2. The return of restaurant razzle-dazzle.  Chef theatrics at the table, such as flambé cooking, are making a comeback.  US consumers say they value experience over price.  Hence the rise of multi-sensory eateries – where light, sound and FX all play a role in the customer experience (as well as the food, of course).
    
3. Adaptable premises.  Designers need to build flexibility into their premises, so they can adapt to changing demand.  It’s already happening with the hotelification of the workplace (think therapists, sleep areas and gyms as well as fancy cafes), which is magnetising people back to the office who were choosing to work from home.  Meanwhile Bambi Bar in London’s Hackney exemplifies the adaptability theory, mutating from coffee shop to restaurant to music venue through the day.
   
   
4. NextGen is the next thing.  FEA’s bold NextGen initiative is all about attracting young people into this brilliant industry, by giving them the knowledge and tools they need.
    
5. AI is the new sous chef.  Yes, artificial intelligence is already having a huge impact and it will continue to do so.  It’s overseeing mundane tasks like cooking vegetables so that chefs can get on with being more creative.  It can help in all sorts of other areas, too, from menu development to allergen control.
    
6. AI boosts profits.  78% of companies use AI and 71% say it increases revenue.  82% of foodservice operators plan to increase their use of AI.  AI can make businesses more agile.  We shouldn’t be scared – it’s just another tool, an enabler.  In the kitchen it’s already being used to, for example, predict parts failure (reducing downtime) and analyse food waste (one hotel group reduced food waste by 30% using AI).
    
7. AI helped Spurs increase F&B from £15m to £50m.  That was through areas like analysing customer preferences, so the club could focus on them.  Mark Reynolds described AI as the future of the kitchen, combining science with seasoning, data with creativity, and man with machine.
    
8. Investing in advanced technology needs a user warning.  Embrace innovation, but buyer beware: your investment could be obsolete in two years, so make sure it’s scalable.  Plus, you need to be aware of cybersecurity risks – data security is a minefield.  When it comes to your company strategy, use AI to advance it, not to define it.
    
9. AI won’t replace the human touch.  People are what counts.  AI can’t replace passion, either – the human touch will be a hospitality essential for the foreseeable future.
   
   
10. Don’t ski jump using an old helmet tied on with string.  According to keynote speaker Eddie the Eagle Edwards, the string tends to break mid-flight.  Our advice: don’t ski jump, period.   

The FEA Conference 2025 took place at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park Hotel on 12^th-13th November 2025.  The Conference presentations are available to download here.

Here’s a full list of the 2025 speakers:

Michael Jones head of the contents team for the FCSI worldwide – he was voted ‘editor of the Year’ at the CMA’s international content marketing awards 2020.  The conference facilitator, he presented on global foodservice trends.  

Emma Brooks chair of FEA and MD of Quintex Systems – the Foodservice Equipment Association’s first female chair, she opened and closed conference with a mix of thought- provoking insights and enthusiastic comments.  

Declan Curry broadcaster and journalist – gave a fascinating economic update and prediction.  Early in his career he wrote for the Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 

Claire Smith, MD, and Tansin Blankley, senior designer, ABDA Design Consultants – they gave a lively presentation on designing hospitality premises for agility, so they can adapt to new purposes. 

Dr Peter Stadelmann, CEO of Rational AG – in a fascinating interview he was asked about successful business, replying “Only the fittest survive – so you have to get fitter!”

Mark Reynolds, executive chef, Levy UK, and national chair, Craft Guild of Chefs – he currently oversees The O2, The Oval, Chelsea, Brentford, Goodwood Estate and Tottenham Hotspur and spoke about front of house kitchen technology in use. 

Greg Archer MBE CFSP, chair of FEA’s education and training committee and MD of Contiquip Limited – presented FEA’s exciting NextGen plans. 

Tim Davies, CEO of Projekt Rising – he spoke about AI from an operator’s POV.   He said of his company, “We build AI solutions.  We create unfair advantages!”

Change Ge, senior fellow, University of Lincoln, and director of CG Vision Consultancy – talked about understanding how to use AI, covering ethics, policy, governance and regulation.

Emanuela Delgado, GVP of growth and innovation at Partstown – spoke about the way the company has embraced AI, looking at how to use it to make business more agile and drive growth. 

Eddie the Eagle Edwards – a brilliantly effervescent speaker, but his antics definitely fall into the ‘don’t try this at home (or anywhere else)’ category. 

Next year’s FEA Industry Conference is at the De Vere Wokefield Park Hotel, Reading, on November 18^th and 19^th 2026.  For information contact FEA.