The Necessity For Food Innovation In The HoReCa Industry And How To Do It
With the growing middle class and the rise of trends like QSR and online food delivery apps, there is increasing pressure on restaurants, cafes, and hotels. The food industry as a whole tries to tackle this problem year on year with innovative tactics and products.
Millions of people around the nation are impacted by the vibrant HoReCa industry. As a result, food innovation has become more of a necessity to sustain the demand and supply and remain competitive. In this blog, we will explain what food innovation is, why it is necessary, and how Food Service India (FSIPL) helps to incorporate these innovations into your business.
A] What Does Food Innovation Mean?
To put it simply, food innovation is the development of new products, processes, and services for the food industry. The primary purpose of these innovations is to meet market expectations, enhance productivity and efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction. Additionally, these endeavors can also be undertaken to address specific issues like food safety, cost reduction, and delivery time reduction.
At FSIPL we have a large R&D team comprising experienced chefs and food technologists who are responsible for a number of innovations for the HoReCa industry. Our customised and innovative food products are helping several commercial kitchens across the country.
B] The Necessity For Food Innovation In The HoReCa Industry
1. Popularity Of Mobile Apps And QSR
The rise of apps like Swiggy and Zomato and quick-service restaurants (QSR) has increased customer expectations about food delivery time. These apps and restaurants standardise speed, convenience, and affordability. At the same time, there is pressure on chefs to cook and serve food faster than ever before.
To help with this problem, Food Service India offers pre-made marinades, dehydrates, and gravy bases. These food solutions reduce the preparation time, enabling chefs to create authentic dishes in much less time.
2. Food Waste Reduction
The Indian HoReCa market generates about 11.9 million tons of food waste each year. Food waste is one of the biggest problems that the world is facing today. Finding effective solutions to reduce food waste is the key to sustainability, environmental conservation, as well as profitability.
Our premium lamb broth powder, chicken broth powder, and aromatic mixes have a longer shelf life than broths stored in a pot. Using products with a longer shelf life helps to minimise food waste. Additionally, you can use canned foods for ingredients as they stay fresh for a longer period of time in your inventory.
3. Cost Optimisation
With rising inflation, keeping costs down has become a hassle for kitchen staff and owners alike. A large portion of customers are looking for food that is tasty, hygienic, and inexpensive. Naturally, finding ways to cut costs without compromising on portion sizes and quality has become a priority for many restaurants and cafes.
Businesses can utilise AI-driven analytics, surveys, and smart kitchen appliances to reduce the wastage of food. Our team of industry experts help to figure out key points in your business that you can change to optimise your business and reduce costs.
4. Improvement In Dine-In Experience
Even with the innovations in drive-throughs and food delivery apps, the dine-in experience remains one of the cornerstones of the HoReCa industry. Interactive menus, personalised dining options, and immersive restaurant design all help to improve the dine-in experience.
Innovations in the dine-in experience are subjective to each restaurant and its target audience. However, some points that every restaurant can use could be reducing the kitchen to table time and offering free welcome drinks and appetisers.
5. Improving Productivity
Improving staff productivity is crucial to staying competitive in today’s marketplace. Businesses need to ensure each employee is skilled and trained for their role, from waiters to cooks. Creating innovative training programs helps to differentiate your management style and enhance productivity.
Being the leading HoReCa company in India, FSIPL helps to train your kitchen staff and create a standard operating procedure. Our custom solutions help to improve efficiency and productivity.
6. Reduction In Errors
The human element inherent in the HoReCa industry presents both opportunities and challenges. While occasional errors—from simple order mistakes to more complex culinary inconsistencies—are unavoidable, proactively identifying and mitigating these areas can significantly improve customer experience and profitability.
FSIPL offers premixed seasonings and taste enhancers that chefs can directly add to their recipes. These products have all the ingredients and spices premixed in the right ratio, eliminating the need to do everything from scratch.
7. Improving Food Taste and Maintaining Consistency
Maintaining consistency in quality and quantity while subtly improving the flavour profiles in your dishes is key to building customer loyalty. Innovations like smart cooking systems and automated order sequencing systems help to maintain this consistency.
Kitchens can also adopt precise cooking methods and flavor analysis techniques to ensure consistency. Using FSIPLs, pre-mixed, pre-packaged food solutions help to maintain consistency while also adding flavours to enhance the eating experience.
C] Step-By-Step Process Of Food Innovation
- Product/Process Strategy And Idea Generation: First, you need to identify a problem in the industry that needs to be solved. Solving the problem should be the aim of your innovation.
- Market Research: Gather information for food innovation through market research, surveys, and statistics.
- Development And Testing: Once you have conceptualised your idea, you need to test it on a smaller scale. Get feedback from the relevant audiences and make changes accordingly.
- Launch and Commercialise: Once the product, process, or service is deemed to be viable and profitable, either commercialise it or apply it to your business. Keep improving the idea with constant feedback.
Conclusion
Food innovation plays a critical role in advancing the HoReCa industry. From meeting customer expectations to sustainability, innovation is a necessity of a successful business. If you own or manage a hotel, restaurant, or cafe, enhancing your service and product quality over time while also staying economical is essential to long-term success.
Being the premier food products manufacturer for the HoReCa industry, we have been responsible for a lot of innovations. Get in touch with us today at customercare@foodserviceindia.com to find the best solution for your business.
Piyush Chhaochharia
Piyush Chhaochharia is the Vice President of Food Services India Pvt Ltd. He has a great sense of entrepreneurship, steadfast commitment, and passion for quality in the food sector. Piyush has played a pivotal role in transforming Food Services India Pvt Ltd into a leading food products supplier, offering a diverse range of high-quality products and services to customers across India. With a background in organizations like PwC and True North, he has played a key role in growing the business and expanding the product portfolio. An avid reader and fitness enthusiast, Piyush continues to drive the company's growth and success.
