The Center for Culinary Arts (CCA) Manila hosted a one-day conference dubbed The Future of Food powered by Courage Asia.
Speakers talked about sustainable practices that help food producers directly connect with restaurants, conservation of food cultures by passing on local traditions and understanding the rich diversity of the country’s local and indigenous ingredients, and elevating the dining experience through best practices and with the aid of new technology.
CCA’s Culinary Director and Culinary Advisor of Breville Philippines, Chef Philip John Golding focused on how Technology Trends in the Kitchen can build on CCA’s tradition of honing exceptional culinary talents, who can push the boundaries of gastronomy and elevate Filipino cuisine to new heights through smart technology.
“The technology that we now use are extremely relevant for the future,” Chef Golding highlighted some of the new tools that they are starting to use in CCA campuses, “digital kitchen or connected kitchen refers to a kitchen equipped with advanced technology and digital tools to enhance efficiency, productivity, and functionality.”
He elaborated further that by integrating digital and smart devices, it can streamline kitchen operations with its advanced software and systems and improve the cooking process.
Chef Golding explained that these appliances often come with built in sensors, connectivity features, and programmable settings to optimize cooking processes and ensure precise results. This is important most especially for professional kitchens that thrive on consistency with every dish that comes out of the counter.
His presentation featured the Smart Oven Air Fryer by Breville which can cook multiple different foods with different cooking techniques. This enables, not only chefs and culinary professionals but also home cooks, to have repeatable and good quality results with ease and mastery.
Throughout the conference, attendees were treated to free-flowing coffee by Breville’s baristas, serving espresso, a humble cup of joe, or lattes elevated with the freshest milk from Emborg. Everything was made fresh and with ease through an array of Breville coffee equipment.
During a panel discussion, a question was raised on how human labor is safeguarded with the rise of increasingly smart technology in the kitchen. Chef Golding aptly answered, “It’s not a threat.”
Being in the industry for decades, he has seen kitchens that were gloomy, hot, and sweaty. He also explained further that technology has allowed paving a more diverse workforce in the kitchen as equipment and appliances have become more manageable.
“We should embrace new technology, and it shouldn’t take us away from our core business of competency. We think it’s a huge plus, but we still need people to manage all these things for our industry,” he shared.
