5 things we learnt at The Restaurant Show

This year, we’ve been incredibly busy at Cab Hospitality. We’ve been attending shows, listening to industry talks and keeping up with the latest industry updates to ensure we stay at the forefront of everything going on in the hospitality industry. In October, our content writer, Neeve, attended The Restaurant Show and got stuck into some great talks, had a wander around the show floor and learned a little more about the current happenings in the restaurant industry.

• A summary of our findings:
• Sustainability remains an important factor for consumers and restaurateurs.
• Adopting smaller ways of environmentally friendly practices is the key to long-term eco-friendly success.
• A decrease in food miles and carbon calculators are the future for restaurants.
• Our note: Olleco and Foodsteps.
• The greatest ideas are polarising.
• Creative marketing is crying out for a comeback.
• The key social media channels to have in your arson.
• TikTok is an unknown but highly rewarding.
• Followers are a vanity metric unless engaged.
• Mental health in the industry: The Burnt Chef.

Here are five things we learnt at The Restaurant Show.

Sustainability will continue to be an important factor for consumers and restaurateurs alike.

A strong environmental policy is the backbone of many restaurants’ environmental considerations. However, if there is one thing that The Restaurant Show told us, it’s that restaurateurs, restaurant groups and head chefs are dedicated to doing more in the name of environmental consciousness.

One of the talks discussed going green and what some names in the industry are doing to support sustainability. On the panel sat Greg Pilley of Stroud Brewery - winner of the British Sustainability Award. The key takeaways from this talk were that businesses and business owners are keen to push forward with more green initiatives. From zero waste cooking, coined ‘nose to tail use’, to adopting smaller ways to be more conscious of food waste, resource waste and so on, the restaurant industry is committed to investing. The panellists discussed the trials and tribulations of pushing green initiatives, with Brett Barnes (Head Chef, Fox and Hounds, Barley) stating “It is up to us as business owners to do our bit.”

An initiative that the smaller restaurant groups and single restaurants were trying to adopt was a decrease in food miles. To do this, they were attempting to grow an assortment of seasonal vegetables, as well as encouraging individuals from the local community to donate any food that they had grown that may otherwise go to waste. While this is much harder for larger restaurant groups to undertake, a commitment to trying to decrease food miles and carbon waste was agreed by the panel as being a common goal.

The panel also agreed that one of the biggest things they push for in their kitchens and their restaurants is changing behaviours and ideals. By educating from the ground up, these restaurants are shaping and engaging their teams. From here, they then count on the expertise of the teams, and their new understanding, to inform them of areas where they can cut down on food miles, and food waste, or incorporate a new practice in the kitchens. When discussing further, it was clear that educating their teams wholly was one of the best practices for long-term change. Whether the staff chose to stay with them or move on to another kitchen, they would still be utilising (and sharing) their knowledge on best practices, initiatives and environmental concerns.

When the topic of quick and effective change was brought up, there were a few quick ways to ensure change that other restaurants should push for:

• Lower emission dishes on the menu
• Carbon calculator for menus

When asked about the future of going green, it was suggested that implementing practices such as the below would be key to the future of sustainability.

• Biodiversity
• Reduced water consumption
• Investing in sustainable single-use items, such as corn-based clingfilm
• An always evolving environmental policy

Our note

Off the back of the sustainability talk, there were several businesses at the show offering their services to pave the way for a more sustainable hospitality industry.

Firstly, Olleco is a cooking oil collection and delivery service in London. Olleco delivers premium, fresh cooking oil and collects your used oil and food waste. Olleco’s aims are for their biodiesel plant to reduce CO2 emissions and to use food waste to produce renewable energy.

Foodsteps is another fantastic business providing restaurants with the opportunity to become more sustainable food leaders. Foodsteps help restaurants to measure and communicate their food carbon impact and assist in making net zero easier to achieve.

“The greatest ideas are polarising”

Another talk, led by Tom Harvey, co-founder of the YesMore agency, discussed creative marketing and how to stand out from the pack. The talk began on the premise that creative marketing is on the decrease with many big names, agencies and brands, shying away from bold and creative ideas. Harvey stated that brands are focusing too much on immediate ROI ventures, such as offers and subscriber initiatives, as opposed to carefully thought out and creative long-term campaigns.

After reviewing several nostalgic and current marketing ads and campaigns that were joyful, unserious, funny and exciting, it was concluded that these campaigns are not for everyone.  However, for those who trust in their marketing teams and take the leap, the results can reap massive benefits in the form of brand recognition, brand identity, online discussion, social media hype, and general audience excitement.

What’s more, when discussing exciting and creative campaigns, Harvey stated that “the greatest ideas are polarising”. Some people will respond to an unserious, fun ad, and others will not like it at all. But the main takeaway is that for those who don’t like it, the ad is not meant for them. Instead, you want to register and excite the audiences that do get it. Sometimes, you need to take a leap and alienate some people to really hit home with the audiences you intend to excite. A fantastic example is the Cadbury’s Gorilla ad from 2007. The ad had absolutely no context to the product, but still evoked huge discussion and is still considered a classic example of creative advertisements more than 15 years on. Perhaps one to consider when you next plan out a marketing campaign…

The social media platforms to have in your arson

Another talk discussed how to make social media a success in the restaurant industry. Every social media channel received its own spotlight for its respective positives and negatives and why it deserves to be part of a restaurant’s social media arson.

Instagram was agreed to be the previous social media hero for marketing. However, Instagram has changed considerably and while it still holds merit in social media, it isn’t what it used to be. Instagram is a fantastic opportunity to provide organic success, showcase the unique food and vibe of your restaurant, and gather a mass of engaged followers. Instagram story posts were also mentioned as a good opportunity to showcase great UGC and represent the real experience of those who visit your restaurant.

As for Facebook, as a social media platform, it does not provide much. However, for engaging with an older demographic audience and for utilising paid social, Facebook and Meta as a whole are valuable tools.

When discussing TikTok, the panel agreed that the app is still largely unknown and while there is no magic formula to TikTok success, it is fantastic for showing brand personality, reaping the benefits of UGC and creating a more relatable brand identity.

As for Twitter (or X), the panel all agreed this platform is not one they spend much (if any) budget on. While Twitter can help to engage with specific audiences that aren’t on other platforms, it doesn’t offer the same kinds of recognition, following or excitement as other platforms.

Threads is a brand new channel, and according to industry discussions, not at all a priority. Each member of the panel agreed they would keep their channel up and running, but in terms of budget and time management, Threads is certainly at the bottom.

When asked about the future of their social media channels, the panel shared some wisdom:

• Followers are a vanity metric and unless every single follower is engaged with the brand and the posts, it essentially means very little. Therefore, going forward, social media teams will be pushing to create a more engaged following.
• Organic social accomplishments are significant wins, but it is also important to have lots of other things going on in the background as well.
• It’s essential to be reactive and to stay on top of new trends and ideas in your social media efforts. The recent ‘Roman Empire’ trend has caused a lot of stir and examples like this indicate how important it is for restaurants to show their fun side and engage with these ideas.
• Find inspiration and ideas in other industries than your own. Ideas, new trends and exciting content go beyond just your industry.

TikTok is still an unknown but valuable social media channel to experiment with.

Following on from the above point, TikTok was a huge topic of conversation and was agreed to still be unknown from a marketing perspective. While there is no magic formula to TikTok and its forever adapting algorithm, TikTok is still a huge opportunity for great organic social media, brand identity and brand awareness.

TikTok is where teams can have the most freedom to try new things and experiment with content that may appeal to their respective audiences. While Instagram was agreed to be the ideal platform to showcase the restaurant atmosphere and the food served, TikTok is the better choice for having fun. TikTok viewers want to be entertained, not sold to.

For the restaurant industry, TikTok allows you the freedom to get creative with your content. Turtle Bay is a great example of this, being incredibly reactive with online trends, always appealing to their student audience, and remaining current, fun and light-hearted without pushing sales too much. As a result, Turtle Bay has a fantastic and noticeable brand identity that is extremely well-fitted to TikTok audiences and Turtle Bay’s student market.

A takeaway from this is that TikTok, while one of the younger apps, has and will continue to become a powerful tool in a marketer’s social media arson.

Mental health in the hospitality industry: The Burnt Chef.

Mental health in the hospitality industry is a known factor that contributes to high staff turnover, burnout and issues with recruitment. To help combat this, The Burnt Chef Project is a globally recognised not-for-profit Social Enterprise.

Astonishingly, The Burnt Chef reports that 4 out of 5 hospitality professionals report having experienced at least one mental health issue during their career. Additionally, a recent study by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) ‘Service With(out) a Smile’ found that 62% of respondents believed that the hospitality industry does not do enough for the physical and mental health of employees and 45% of respondents stated they would not recommend working in hospitality.

The Burnt Chef is committed to supporting the industry and the charity aids in 24 hour mental health support, assists with training in stress relief and mental health techniques, and training in mental health awareness. The Burnt Chef has also partnered with Thrive to create an NHS-approved app to assist in mental health support in the workplace. The Burnt Chef recognises that mental health issues and the lack of support in the hospitality industry lead to high staff turnover, cost businesses thousands and can be detrimental to businesses and individuals. With the support of their app and the exclusive hospitality partnership, The Burnt Chef can help:

• Boost retention
• Improve recruitment interest
• Support your teams and managers
• Decrease costs associated with presenteeism and burnout

For any hospitality business, the mental and emotional well-being of staff should be a priority, and with the help of The Burnt Chef, your hospitality business can receive excellent ongoing support, training and 24 hour assistance.

We certainly learnt a lot at this year’s Restaurant Show and it was fantastic to see so many lovely faces, huge industry names, and insightful discussions all in one venue. We can’t wait to see what next year brings.