An expert in food safety says hotels must get ready to adapt to tougher demands from guests when lockdowns are lifted.
Kirstie Jones, an environmental health expert at Navitas Safety in Leicestershire, believes consumer safety expectations will have risen significantly the hotel sector starts to reopen.
The Anstey technology company helps food and hospitality businesses meet their health and safety requirements. It provides handheld devices to outlets across the Ƶ, which monitor appliances and check food temperatures and send the data on to be processed in the cloud.
Ms Jones said with overnight stays cut, many hotels had been turning their attention to other revenue streams – Including adapting their food and drinks services. Even that, she said, posed new problems.
She said customers will want to be reassured that all food and drink sales meet stricter food, health and safety regulations before confidence starts building again.
She said: “When life returns to a level of normality, gone will be the days of self-serving buffets as customers will visit hotels and restaurants as a treat, or for a special occasion, and will therefore expect an experience and a level of high-quality service.
“Not only that, but self-service buffets are also high risk in terms of transmitting viruses, such as Covid-19. Minimising contact is key to preventing spread, so removing help yourself style offerings in favour of table service is a far safer option, and much easier to manage stricter cleaning regiments.
“Experiential restaurants and more luxurious in-room catering services will soon be fully embedded within hotel premises, becoming a much better representation of their complete offering and providing hotels with an additional revenue stream.
“We predict that hotels will not only be seen as a place to stay, as their food and beverage offering will be as much of a draw.
“Customers will choose to stay at hotels because of the restaurant facilities they have on site or even visit the hotel just to go to the restaurant itself. It will be a truly exciting time for the hospitality industry.”
“When businesses were able to open and serve food earlier in 2020, they adapted to the need of technology in the form of online menu’s, in-app ordering and the use of QR codes.
“Not only has this made the experience a much safer and hygienic one, but it has also streamlined the working process for staff and the business by improving efficiency and eliminating the risk of human error. It also means that the food being served, and its allergen listings are more trackable.
“Customers are becoming more aware of food ratings and their attitudes are changing when it comes to living in a post-Covid world, they first and foremost expect greater transparency and safer systems.”
She said Navitas offered a free downloadable Hotel Inspection checklist to help the hospitality sector operate safely and meet tougher health and safety measures.
