In hotels, we have systems. Lots of systems. And many of them are complex. They're built to handle everything – and that's precisely why they become difficult to use for someone who only needs a small part of them.
Too much information is a problem too
Our meeting and event booking system is a good example. It's big, powerful and full of data. But for a kitchen or a restaurant team, it's simply too big – too big for everyone to find time to learn it, and often too big for them even to want to.
So, in day-to-day operations, we handle it manually, as we always have: with printed A4 lists containing the day's operational information, known as function sheets. They cover everything about a conference group, a dinner or an event – contacts, rooms, equipment, billing details, set-up, timings and menus. Again: lots of information, one page per customer, and it can easily add up to 30–40 sheets a week.
The result is that the person doing the job has to hunt for what matters on a sheet full of things that don't.
What the chef actually needs to know
Imagine a chef preparing refreshments for a conference. Three things matter to him:
Numbers – how many people are we catering for?
Dietary requirements and menu – are there any allergies or special requests?
Time – when does it need to be set out?
Everything else on the sheet, and everything else in the system, is irrelevant to him at that moment. The chef wants to know how much to prepare and when it needs to be ready. That's all.
That's why I created Grand Kitchen
Grand Kitchen is an integration that pulls data from the booking system's lists and turns it into a practical overview for the kitchen: the day's lunches, refreshments and dinners, with numbers, timings and dietary requirements. Clearly laid out and updated four times a day.
Nothing complicated. Simple, clear and quick to plan your day around. No one needs to learn a new system – you open the overview and see what needs doing.
I built it myself, with input from my colleague. Our current booking system lacks a staff perspective, and the request for a simpler overview had been around for a long time without being prioritised. With today's AI tools, we no longer needed to wait.
When I showed the overview to our conference manager, kitchen staff and restaurant staff, there were cheers. The difference it made to their working day was so tangible: it saves time, it's easy to follow and it's clear. We're now trialling it before reporting back on whether it should be introduced at more sites.
Why this matters
This isn't about one kitchen or one system. It's about how we think about information in a business.
Information should be adapted to people – not the other way round. We often spend a lot of time training staff to use systems built for someone else. Sometimes it's smarter to give each role its own view of the same data.
Less searching means more focus on the craft. Every minute a chef spends deciphering a function sheet is a minute not spent on the food or the guest.
Clarity reduces mistakes. Previously, the sheet was printed at 07:00, and that was the information the kitchen had for the whole day – even if the booking changed in the system. Now the overview is updated four times a day, pulling data from new lists, with numbers, timings and dietary requirements front and centre. Important information reaches the kitchen faster, and the risk of something being missed is reduced. Service comes first!
It builds confidence and involvement. When everyone sees the same simple, up-to-date picture, it's easier to plan, share out the work and take responsibility.
We don't need to wait for suppliers to understand day-to-day operations. With AI, those of us working in operations can build the tools we're missing ourselves – close to the business and based on real needs.
The right information, for the right person, in the right format
Grand Kitchen is a small tool with a big idea behind it. It repackages existing information to make it user-friendly for the people who use it. The best digitalisation isn't always a new system. Sometimes it's about taking what we already have and making it understandable for the person in the thick of the work.
Numbers. Dietary requirements. Time. That's all the chef needs. And that's exactly what he gets.