Talking about what’s next for foodservice at the A Taste of Bidfood experts panel

In this episode of Talking food with Bidfood, industry experts from Elior UK, The Alchemist and Bidfood UK discuss what’s next for foodservice and what it takes to stay ahead in a rapidly changing market, straight from the A Taste of Bidfood panel!

Tune in to explore:

• How customer preferences are evolving
• Where the biggest opportunities for innovation lie
• How sustainability is shaping decisions across the sector.
• The growing role of technology and AI in foodservice

Whether you’re an operator, supplier, or industry professional, this episode offers fresh insights and practical takeaways to help you navigate the road ahead.

Discover more about our 2025 Food and Drinks Trends here.

Explore Unlock Your Menu, our industry support hub here.

Watch the full episode here!

Participants:

Host: Rhia Harry- Research and Insights Manager

Guests:

• Polly Lamy- Head of Commercial & Brand at Elior UK
• Tom Rowley- Head of Kitchen Operations at The Alchemist
• Tim Adams- Sales and Marketing Director at BidfoodUK

Timestamps:

00:00- Intro

00:51- Meet the panel guests

01:49- When you think about the future of foodservice, what is the first word or trends that comes to mind? (Tom Rowley)

02:19- What would you say is the biggest shift in the market you have seen in the last 5 years? (Tim Adams and Polly Lamy)

04:22- How are customer preferences evolving in your sectors? (all guests)

07:14- How do you balance customer demands with operational realities? (Polly Lamy)

09:09- Where do you see the biggest opportunities in innovation for foodservice? (Polly Lamy)

10:30- What excites you most in terms of innovation? (Tom Rowley)

12:01- Is there anything that is exciting you in the industry right now? (Tim Adams)

13:20- How is sustainability shaping decisions in your sector or wholesale? (Tim Adams and Polly Lamy)

16:23- How do you see collaboration across the supply chain working practically? (Polly Lamy and Tim Adams)

17:30- What trade- offs do you think you face between cost and sustainability? (Tom Rowley)

18:51- What role do you think technology will play in foodservice, in the next 5 years? (Polly Lamy)

20:14- Do you think technology removes that human touch? (Polly Lamy and Tom Rowley)

25:54- How do you decide what’s worth investing in versus what’s a passing trend? (Polly Lamy and Tim Adams)

28:39- What do operators and suppliers need from each other to be future ready? (Tom Rowley)

29:50- Where do you see the biggest gaps today when it comes to operators and suppliers? (Tim Adams and Polly Lamy)

31:21- If you could give one piece of advice to the audience for preparing for the future of foodservice, what would it be? (Tim Adams and Tom Rowley)

34: 50- Outro