Real kitchens and 'cloud kitchens' are both set to be busy meeting post-pandemic demand

Food delivery providers and takeaways were among the biggest beneficiaries as people stayed home during the pandemic. Now, as restaurants, bars and other establishments open up and welcome customers again, will demand for meals delivered straight to the couch drop back to prepandemic levels?

Quite the opposite, many experts say. Indeed, the pandemic has given many consumers a taste for convenience, and the strong appetite for meal deliveries is expected to remain strong over the months ahead, providing businesses with recruitment opportunities across the sector.

According to one study from Euromonitor, the global market for delivery-on-demand meals will be worth a massive $1 trillion by 2030. Within the UK, the biggest apps are looking to the future with bullish determination and taking on new riders and drivers. But those aren’t the only jobs that will be created by this trend.

Versatile chefs set to be in demand

As well as traditional takeaways, growing numbers of traditional restaurants, including high-end establishments, are embracing rising demand for delivered meals.

That means that they are not only busy recruiting staff to cook and serve customers visiting their establishments, they are also taking on workers for their delivery operations, as well as chefs, operations managers and sales and marketing professionals with the skills to help them stand out in a crowded market.

What’s more, it’s not just high street kitchen restaurants that need new skilled workers.

Delivery-only kitchens are becoming increasingly commonplace in major cities and towns.

Also known as ‘cloud kitchens’, they are handling large numbers of orders. To meet this demand, they recruit fast and focus on hiring small teams of experts. Chefs capable of turning their hand to arange of dishes and cuisines are especially in demand and stand to benefit.

Interestingly, far from being in competition, the evidence suggests that there’s plenty of room for both delivery-only kitchens and bricks-and-mortar restaurants.

Strong consumer demand good news for hospitality workers

So, while many consumers are definitely eager to go out and enjoy a social dining experience, so too are they also won over by the convenience of having restaurant-quality meals delivered straight to their doors. That’s why many big high-street names and award-winning establishments see a future in both and are busy recruiting chefs and other hospitality workers to grow both parts of their businesses.

After a year of being cooped up indoors, and with many having savings to burn, people are happy to pay extra for convenience one night and then go out and treat themselves the next. Catering businesses, cloud kitchen operators and restaurants all need to be ready to take advantage of this, and that means having the right staff in place. With JW Recruitment, you find the very best hospitality talent today.