How Digitalisation & AI are transforming the future of Contract Catering

The contract catering industry is on the brink of a transformative era, driven by the rapid evolution of digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI).

These technologies are reshaping the way we operate, connect with customers and envision the future of hospitality. Far from being tools to replace human interaction, they are actually becoming essential enablers, streamlining processes and from the sounds of it, unlocking new opportunities to deliver exceptional experiences.

In this thought leadership piece, we’ve gathered insights from aspiring leaders and innovators across the sector to explore how digitalisation and AI are redefining contract catering. From enhancing customer journeys and creating frictionless transactions to optimising back-of-house operations and building data-driven strategies, technology is paving the way for smarter, more agile solutions.

Now, let’s delve into these insights and explore how these advancements are shaping a more innovative, efficient and customer-focused future for contract catering.

Insight #1 from BaxterStorey

I was genuinely excited to write this piece because I believe AI is unlocking incredible possibilities for all of us in the foodservice industry, but, let's face it—when we hear about AI in the catering world, it's a mix of excitement and a touch of nerves. The big fear? Robots taking over our jobs. I look after a team of creatives and they have said this on many occasions. But after really diving into what AI and automation can do, I've realised they're more like helpful sidekicks than job-stealing villains. It's part of my everyday life now. That's not cheating, it's working smarter. We don't judge people who use a calculator, so why judge those using AI. It's using tech to help us work more effectively.

We all know the world of catering: long hours, tight deadlines, and endless to-do lists. Tasks like stocktaking and staff scheduling can be tedious. That's where AI can step in, handling these repetitive chores so we can focus on what we love most—creating amazing food and experiences and delighting our customers. AI-powered tools have become game-changers for my team. They help us create engaging content more efficiently and support us with reworking assets for our European colleagues. Translation used to be drawn out, now we just need a quick local check and we are good to go. It's not about machines taking over; it's about getting back the time to connect with our teams, clients and customers in meaningful ways.

Let's be honest, profit margins in catering can be razor-thin. Issues like wastage, overstaffing, or misjudging demand can really hurt the bottom line. AI helps us make smarter decisions with accurate forecasts and insights, optimising stock holding and staffing, and cutting unnecessary costs. This boost in profitability means we can invest more in our people and our brand—offering better training, creating a more engaging work environment, and strengthening our reputation as an employer of choice. Something that was at the core of our rebrand 18 months ago.

These days, customers expect more than just a meal—they want a personalised experience. They eat the menu, they want everything considered. AI can analyse preferences and feedback to help us tailor our offerings and we are launching some new AI-driven tech shortly that does this. But let's be clear: AI provides the data, but it's our chefs and team who bring those hospitality experiences to life. The human touch is irreplaceable; AI can't replicate genuine hospitality. In marketing, personalisation extends to how we communicate. AI helps us segment our audience and deliver messages that really hit home, enhancing our brand perception and building stronger relationships with our clients.

We gather heaps of data every day, but making sense of it all can be overwhelming. AI can cut through the clutter, highlighting trends we might otherwise miss. For my team, these insights are like gold, guiding our strategies and content creation to keep our brand relevant and compelling. By understanding what our customers care about, we craft messages that truly land and drive experience and commerciality.

Here's my take: caterers who effectively leverage AI are going to gain a serious edge. Early adopters can set new standards in efficiency, personalisation, and customer satisfaction. Being at the forefront of AI not only boosts our image as innovators but also attracts new business and top talent who want to be part of something game-changing. We are calling it the new era.

I won't pretend that the fear of AI replacing jobs isn't out there—it's a valid concern. But in my experience, AI reshapes roles rather than eliminates them. It takes care of the grunt work, allowing us to elevate our skills and focus on what we do best. Creativity, empathy, problem-solving—these are things AI just can't replicate. Our industry thrives on personal connections, and that's something only we can provide. It's what hospitality is all about.

Of course, implementing AI isn't without its challenges. There's a learning curve, and adapting to new tech can be daunting. Mistakes will happen—that's just part of any significant change. Open communication and continuous learning are key. We need to share our experiences—the highs and the lows—to grow together.

Change can be uncomfortable, but it's also necessary. Ignoring technological advancements won't make them disappear. Instead, let's take control of how we integrate AI into our industry. By being proactive, we ensure technology serves us, not the other way around. We have a real opportunity to shape the future of catering in a way that benefits everyone—team members, customers, and businesses alike.

At BaxterStorey, we're not just accepting this change; we're embracing it. We believe in pushing boundaries all whilst remaining focussed on helping our teams to fuel their individuality. By leveraging AI in our operations and marketing, we're staying one step ahead and we are doing more to enable our business.

- By Natalie Mainwaring, Brand Experience Director at BaxterStorey

Insight #2 from Thomas Franks

Combining Technology, POS, AI and automation is an extremely exciting prospect. Many people fear the term AI, however I believe in this instance enhancing the customer journey within our outlets will have a significant impact on customer satisfaction and revenue.

We have become a very time sensitive world with ever more growing levels of pressure, whether this is in our own personal lives or within the workplace, time is of the essence. With the introduction of online/mobile ordering platforms and convenient ways of buying it’s vital the contract catering/hospitality industry reacts to this to ensure we bring the highstreets into our independent schools and workplace catering.

Enhancing customer flow and the customer journey with a stable and efficient platform such as Technology, POS, AI and automation enables us to become more nimble across all of our operations.

While it’s vital we have the ability to personally interact with our customers we also need to have extended options that enable our customers to make purchases at their convenience. This could be via click and collect mobile apps, self-service AI POS technology or just as simple as frictionless payments.

It is feared that technology will reduce the number of human hours worked to provide bespoke catering solutions. This can of course be the case and for those clients that need a reduction in catering costs, this can be a consideration. However it’s vital we all remember the best way to drive uptake and revenue is to drive services, drive choice and overall enhance the services we provide. It’s all about value for money in everything we purchase.

How about we simply look to reallocate the hours saved by these wonderful tech solutions to deliver better customer service, drive quality and build on enhanced relationships with our customers. This could be face-to-face or by delivering personalised and innovative marketing solutions that reward customer loyalty. In no way do we need to lose people or become less interactive with our customers, we can just use skillset in a better way to deliver a different style of service in which we add further value to the offer and deliver a more varied service solution.

Having the ability to track footfall and customer buying trends is vital to the success of any catering outlet. Having technology that can deliver efficient solutions for our catering teams in the way of bespoke loyalty rewards and highlighted key pinch points only makes us more aware and more nimble in finding solutions to drive throughput and customer spend.

This level of technology can support clients who may not have catering and may not have the space or budget for a full catering outlet. Introducing something small and condensed such as a micro market with frictionless technology allows this type of catering solution to be implemented.

This drives the ability for more bespoke solutions to be developed and integrated into the industry. Especially with the current inconsistent levels of footfall within the business and industry sector having this form of catering provision can provide a quick and cost-effective solution that would not have been possible if we didn’t have the ability to think outside the box.

This can drive revenue for businesses that can deliver this style of service from current underutilised facilities or CPUs that can service multiple clients. We are still serving great food with great people but just in a more nimble and flexible way. This enables such outlets to drive revenue while maintaining a stable labour cost which makes them more financially viable with growing profitability.

In summary, we need to embrace technology and not be afraid of it. The world is moving at a fast pace and we simply need to move with it. The hospitality industry has been under pressure for many years now and building a new more innovative future will only strengthen our ability to thrive.

- By Blain Shepherd, Managing Director at Thomas Franks

Insight #3 from Green & Fortune

AI – Two initials that seem to send chills through some, with thoughts of robots taking over the world and being eaten by your hoover! However, with the world evolving as it is, technology and AI are things that we not only have to embrace but should relish the opportunities they bring to our industry. As a medium-sized company, we don’t have departments or teams of people solely focused on infrastructure and technology, but it is vital to support our operations. We have invested in one person to champion this, but what is key for us is to be supported by great service provider partners to help steer the journey.

There are clear benefits to technology. We are already seeing these on many platforms. It provides absolute and clear data in an efficient way to help drive decisions. We have always been able to track things through EPOS and the like, but with how technology is changing, we can track so much more to help evolve menus, cost controls, purchasing, and people decisions – it really can improve all areas of business. However, the system is only as good as the information that’s in it, and if you don’t get the people who use it to embrace it and understand the value it can bring, it can cause as much of a problem as the manual processes we had before.

Having implemented a new purchase-to-pay system this year, which is currently in the rollout phase across our other sites, we know there will be some pain for all involved in getting it working fully. Operations and office personnel have all bought into it, and we are already starting to see marginal gains in the sites where this has gone live. It makes their lives easier and boosts profitability.

We are also invested in the automation of our FOH processes too, with AI technology being rolled out in some of our outlets in early 2025. I would be lying if I said that part of this investment wasn’t to save on the overall labour cost by helping to reduce headcount in that area, but it isn’t a like-for-like. Our aim is to give some cost reduction in labour, but more so to improve customer engagement by making the team members we do have more present and less stuck behind tills.

Technology is here to stay and can absolutely improve business, but whilst there is a place for it, I’m a strong believer that people buy people, and as such, in the world of hospitality, people should always win over technology. A robot will never deliver the warmth, hospitality, and personality that we pride ourselves on.

- By Emma Williams, COO at Green & Fortune

Insight #4 from Eat Social

Food and drink have always been about social connection and without people, catering does not exist. By its definition, catering is the provision of food and drinks, however it is the people that deliver the service that creates the occasion.

But how do we ensure our people deliver a true hospitality experience? We implement technology and systems to free up time to engage with guests and create memorable moments.

At Eat Social, we are driven by the word hospitality. It is not a meeting room service, it’s a mindset and the way we treat our guests, our clients and each other. We are in the fortunate position today where the systems and technology we have implemented have been created to make us more efficient thus freeing up time to engage with our guests.

We are not encumbered with historic systems, trying to shoehorn them into recent technology which creates more frustration, making it harder to retrieve meaningful data.

There is a raft of new businesses delivering more user-friendly apps and EPOS systems, auto scanning tills, waste management systems, menu management software and others which are revolutionising our industry. Not because they should replace people and cut your labour budget, but because they will free up people to create amazing food, service more customers and gain insightful data to focus their efforts.

In my opinion, there is only one thing that makes any catering business profitable, volume! By understanding your customers’ needs, driving repeat business, increasing penetration and maximising spend, you will achieve a better labour-to-revenue ratio.

No decision should be made without analysing the data first. Combine technology and AI with your team’s experience, expertise and a little gut instinct and you will create a successful business that delivers enhanced personalisation for your guests.

I have always been driven by the fact that value for money is not about price, it is a combination of fantastic food, hospitality-driven service and a welcoming environment. All three elements are delivered by people and technology should only be used to support them in delivering a personal service and a value-for-money experience.

- By Nico Prinsloo, Commercial Director at Eat Social

Insight #5 from Genuine Dining

AI isn’t here to replace the chef, the waiter, or the catering manager, nor will it alter the way we connect face-to-face with clients or build meaningful relationships. At its core, AI is a tool designed to enhance human capabilities, not compete with them. Of course, this is just my perspective, and there are plenty of contrasting opinions out there - but let me share why I stand firmly on this side of the table.

Over the past couple of years, we have seen huge leaps forward across automated technology: self-scan tills, predictive analytics, and automated management reports, to name a few. Tasks that used to consume significant time and effort are now handled seamlessly, freeing up operators to think more creatively, engage with their teams, and make informed decisions using readily available data. These innovations address practical problems with practical solutions, and their value in streamlining operations is undeniable.

What AI lacks is the human intuition and emotional intelligence required to address nuanced challenges. At its heart, the contract catering industry revolves around people. Success depends on having the best people in the right places at the right time. While AI might be able to predict ordering trends or flag inefficiencies, it can’t sense the mood or create a personal connection that turns a good service into a memorable one.

AI is not a competitor - it’s the enabler, alongside all technology. By embracing AI and its merits we can focus on the parts of the job that truly make a difference: the creativity, the care, and the relationships. As we embrace this technology, the challenge isn’t in replacing people - it’s in empowering them to do their jobs better than ever before.

- By Robbie Laidlaw, Business Development Director at Genuine Dining

Insight #6 from The Litmus Partnership

In many ways, new technologies and AI are coming at just the right time. It’s arguably the most challenging economic and operational landscape we have faced.

Over the past two years, every client we have worked with has had to adapt how

they operate in some way, whether that’s to achieve cost-savings, improve efficiency, overcome staffing issues or mitigate risk.

From a consultant’s point of view, technology and AI can help alleviate these 

stress points; not to solve them completely, but to assist in ways that enhance catering operations substantially. Systems and AI can drive efficiency, increase productivity, reduce costs, deliver value for money, improve customer experience and positively impact ESG.

To put that in perspective, well-designed tech-driven systems can save hours of 

admin time each month, often in the region of 10, 15 or 20 hours. And save 

significant sums – up to 20% - on procurement costs, through networks of specialist suppliers and professionally negotiated prices. For some, this is the 

difference between being able to stay afloat, or not.

Tech systems also help to manage allergens, nutrition and legislative standards.

It goes without saying how critical it is that this is done properly, and as 

numbers of people with allergies is increasing, it can feel an overwhelming task 

to solely rely on humans to manage this across multiple menus, services and 

venues. Systems can hold thousands of tailored and compliant recipes and 

menus, with supplier-linked nutritional and allergen information, removing the 

risk of human error and time-consuming admin needed to manage recipes and 

menus from a food-safety perspective.

Furthermore, ordering and stocktaking can be streamlined. As opposed to having several separate and disparate suppliers, and therefore multiple points of ordering and invoices coming in, this can all be consolidated into one automated process, along with simplified team, task and diary management.

New and innovative tech and AI automations are having a real and positive impact on the foodservice industry. However, for all that technology and AI brings, the one area I don’t believe it can replace is the need for fantastic people. We are a service sector at heart after all.

Where it adds value, is in supporting foodservice companies and professionals to deliver exceptional food and customer service, in the most efficient manner possible. But it can’t compete with the human touch, that makes our sector what it is.

- By Candice Finn, Managing Director at The Litmus Partnership

Insight #7 from Kanpla

As the Head of Innovation at Kanpla and a former contract caterer, I've had a front-row seat for the whirlwind that is artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation in our industry. Reading the thoughts of my colleagues, it's clear we're all feeling the same mix of excitement and uncertainty. But there is one thing I am certain of, the merging of AI with our traditional ways isn't just another buzzword; it's a game-changer that's shaking up how we do things.

There's a lot of talk about AI and automation possibly taking over human jobs. I've even heard these worries from my own development team at Kanpla, especially when we see AI tools whipping up apps at record speed. It's a bit unnerving, to say the least. But after really digging into what AI brings to the table, I've started to see it more as a collaborator than a competitor. Think about when calculators became commonplace. Mathematicians didn't become obsolete; they just had better tools. That's what AI is doing for us now, handling the tedious stuff so we can focus on what we love - creating amazing food experiences.

We're drowning in data these days, but let's face it, data without insights is just noise. AI has the power to help us make sense of it all. At Kanpla, we're not just collecting data; we're turning it into actionable insights. We're talking about everything from tweaking menus to fine-tuning marketing strategies, reducing food waste, and even tracking crowd patterns. This isn't just number-crunching for the sake of it; it's about helping you make smarter decisions that have a real impact.

As for customers, we are seeing that they don't just want food; they want an experience tailored just for them. AI lets us dive deep into preferences and feedback like never before. At Kanpla, we're building AI-driven solutions that help caterers offer that personal touch. Whether it’s prompting your usual coffee order as you enter the office, or recommending something we know you will love, It's about making every interaction feel special, because we know that’s what keeps customers coming back.

As for keeping your teams coming back, Let's be honest - no one got into catering because they love doing stock takes, printing menus or making rotas - and my colleagues are spot on in pointing out the ability of AI to automate these mundane tasks. AI frees up our teams to focus on what really matters: creativity, hospitality, and building relationships with our guests. At Kanpla, we love a mundane task! We see each one as an opportunity for automation and value creation using AI. Thankfully the list is long - and we are just getting started!

We're all navigating this new terrain together, and the only way forward is to face it head-on. In today's fast-paced world, adopting AI isn't just about staying competitive; it's about seizing the chance to redefine what's possible, grab it with both hands and I can guarantee you’ll surprise your clients, your teams and almost certainly yourself.

At Kanpla, we're not just watching from the sidelines. We're jumping in with both feet, excited about what's ahead. We're here to support our clients and partners as we all navigate this new era. So let's embrace the change, make the most of the technology, and keep our focus on what truly makes our industry special - the people.

- By Toby Bonnett, Head of Innovation at Kanpla

The Human-Tech Balance: Blending Innovation with Tradition

As we navigate this era of digital transformation, one thing remains clear: the future of contract catering lies in the harmonious integration of technology and human connection. Digitalisation and AI are not about diminishing the role of people but rather empowering them to work smarter, foster creativity and focus on delivering unparalleled hospitality experiences.

Whether it’s through data-driven decision-making, personalised customer journeys or operational efficiency, technology is helping the industry adapt to changing consumer demands and workplace realities.

However, the human touch - creativity, warmth, and the ability to build relationships - will always be at the heart of hospitality.

By embracing innovation while staying true to our core values, we can create a future where technology enhances the industry without compromising its essence. The journey ahead is one of collaboration, adaptability, and opportunity, and the potential for transformation is immense. Together, we can build a contract catering industry that thrives in the digital age, delivering value for clients, customers, and teams alike.