In today’s episode, we spoke with Philip Radford, SVP- New Product Development and Innovation at Welbilt Inc, about technological innovation shaping the future of the food service industry and how Welbilt is working toward creation in manufacturing and distributing most commercial food service kitchen equipment. Phil stated that they are 12 companies that create food and beverage equipment in various sectors. He discusses the challenges in the supply chain during a pandemic in manufacturing and raw material delivery. He provided a quick overview of the new controller platform, which was launched in early 2020 to assist with supply chain difficulties. He highlighted insights and details about food waste and the need for product recycling in commercial food service kitchens. He spoke about collaborating with a third-party company and how the entire process works when a customer requests a particular piece of equipment. He also provided specific examples of vending machines, refrigeration processes, coffee machines, and how the Welbilt team is working on them. He also talked about the apprenticeship, which helps students learn more about the food service industry, and he gave a brief overview of a few projects, such as nanotechnology and pizza oven appliances.

About Welbilt Inc- Both pioneers and inventors based in Florida. Their experience and insights into the business date back nearly a century, to the creation of the Hirsch brothers’ Welbilt Stove Company in 1929. Even today, they remain pragmatic in their approach to innovation, combining the expertise of over 80 fully-trained culinary specialists with that of an inventive and sturdy technical team to develop a product range that is built on genuine, practical use in the kitchen.