AN EXPERT’S OPINION
The F&B scene has drastically evolved over the years. The practical contact between the chef and the client was limited to food ordering through the serving team. The development of culinary arts led to the adoption of open kitchen designs, which engage clients in the cooking process. Nowadays, the client has the opportunity to watch the butcher cut the piece of meat he chooses and accompany it from grilling to serving.
Contributing factors
Several factors steered the industry towards trendier show kitchens, including the growth in customer spending power, driving more eating out. Chefs have also become true stars, driven by the extra accent that gastronomy and cooking schools are putting. New hygiene standards, ultra-modern design and lighting techniques, have all contributed to making theater kitchens even more en vogue. Additionally, TV production companies attributed a mega importance to producing food-related shows. The development of induction cooking process, alongside upgrades in ventilation and smell absorption techniques, are also worth-noting.
The chef’s table
The ‘intimate’ chef-client relationship led to ‘the chef’s table’ concept: An open glass in-kitchen room with a limited seating capacity, mostly booked for private parties. Its popularity led to pulling down the walls and the open kitchen was developed.
Fast food and industrial catering
The increasing popularity of fast-food chains raised the profile of open kitchens. The introduction of more industrial and heavy catering facilities in office buildings, universities and factories, has also prompted the development of new open kitchen concepts catering to a large audience in a limited timespan.