Week 6

Food distribution is system of moving food ingredients from the place where they are grown to the consumer – households or hospitality businesses.

Ever since humans moved from hunting and gathering for food and introduced agriculture as the means of food production, food distribution has been a major consideration for our societies. In today’s global market, consumers expect to be able to buy ingredients from all around the world, delivered quickly and in perfect condition. There are many steps on the way, requiring careful management to ensure good food safety, rapid distribution and minimal wastage.

^{(Food Service Distribution, n.d.)}

Key Stages In Food Distribution

1. Transportation

The way food is distributed to consumers and food businesses has undergone enormous change since the days of the horse and cart.

Trends and developments in food transportation

• Trucks and vans to move food on roads. The road network has been expanding and improving over time to allow faster journeys and bigger vehicles.
• Refrigerated vehicles to keep fresh food chilled or frozen to extend markets where it can be sold.
• Refrigerated rail transport – refrigerated shipping containers can also travel by rail.
• Refrigerated shipping containers allows for import and export of fresh, temperature-sensitive food items. Most food travels around the world this way. (Food Transport by Air, n.d.)
• Air freight of delicate and highly perishable items such as asparagus allows out of season importation of luxury ingredients.

Food Miles

This is a measure to calculate the impact of food transportation – just because we can source food from all around the world, it does not mean we should. The calculation of food miles helps us to understand the impact of the global food trade on the environment – and can help consumers to make informed choices of which ingredients to buy if they want to support the “buy local” trend.

^{(Food Miles by Transport Method, n.d. , Our World in Data)}

2. Food storage and warehousing

The link between transportation and distribution to the consumer or hospitality industry is storage. Modern warehousing is a complex process, involving monitoring of food hygiene, prevention of contamination, temperature control, shelf-life management and food quality. They must be safe and efficient in order to provide consumers and the hospitality industry with enough safe food as and when it is required. (Staff, 2018)

Trends and developments in food warehousing:

• Increasing emphasis on food safety and traceability through HACCP procedures.
• Improved ventilation, refrigeration and freezing technology.
• Increased regulations for prevention of allergen cross-contamination etc., with more inspections of premises.

Food Traceability Software – software can now automate many of the processes of record keeping and monitor the warehouse environment, product storage dates and ensure good FIFO practices. (Fram, 2019)

3. Local distribution

From warehouses, food is then distributed either to retailers (supermarkets, fruit and veg shops, butchers etc.) for sale to the public or to the hospitality industry (often via further storage in a local wholesale distributor such as Gilmour’s or Bidfood).

Self-Directed Learning

Review the key stages in food distribution and the trends and developments in local distribution.

Watch these videos to view Robotic food delivery service (used by Doordash in the USA to delivery restaurant meals to a local area) and food deliveries by drone (trials by Uber and Foodpanda for fast delivery without the need for a human driver and no traffic to contend with).

• Amazing Robot Roams The Streets To Deliver Food | Kiwibo
• Kiwibot
• Uber AIR: Delivering Uber Eats with Drones | Uber Elevate | Uber

Continue research, planning, writing and gathering examples for Task 3.

As we discovered in the last lesson, the process of distribution of food has been incredibly important for human culture and structure of almost all societies. So how is this changing in our fast-paced modern world?

1. Online supplies ordering

Use of online ordering by hospitality businesses to simplify the process. Easy to track what has been ordered, which is also useful for the book-keeping requirements of the business – saves time, labour and minimises human error.

2. Customer online ordering and delivery

Restaurant meal deliveries

Food businesses selling directly to an expanded customer base through online food ordering and deliveries to customers. Companies like Uber Eats will collect and deliver complete restaurant meals to customers, ready to eat. Food can be ordered through a website, or dedicated mobile phone app.

Meal kits

Companies like Hello Fresh and My Food Bag have gained popularity in the last few years supplying meal kits – a box of ingredients which are selected, weighed and sometimes prepared along with a recipe card. Some people see this as a convenient way to plan meals with less hassle.

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, many restaurants in countries worst affected by lockdowns have started to provide “meal kits” – a box of fresh or semi-prepared ingredients for customers to finish cooking at home. This includes pubs, casual restaurants and even high-end Michelin starred restaurants, like the River Café in London. The meal kit shown below is designed for 2 people and includes bread and soup, main course of beef eye fillet wrapped in Coppa di Parma, a side of braised fennel, Pecorino cheese and dessert for £155 (equivalent of approx. $300NZ). For many restaurants in the UK, meal kits are a way of surviving when no customers are allowed in the dining room – and may be here to stay.

Ready meals

Ready meals are prepared meals which are fully prepared and ready to reheat and serve. These convenience products have been around for a long time, but relatively new to New Zealand. They are prepared in dedicated manufacturing kitchens, with very strict food safety, packaging and labelling requirements, regulated by a purpose-written Food Control Programme.

^{(GCK Ready Meal, n.d.)}

Click and collect and grocery delivery

Consumers can now do their supermarket shop online and either have their order delivered, or packed and ready to pick up. This can be done via the supermarket website or a dedicated mobile device app.

^{(New World Shopping App, n.d.)}

Robotic local deliveries

Automation is increasingly common in many industries, and food deliveries is no exception.

Self-Directed Learning

Continue planning and writing Task 3 – New Zealand Hospitality Trends.

Continue improving Tasks 1 and 2 based on tutor feedback ready for final submission.

Lesson 28

Continue improving Tasks 1 2 and 3, based on tutor feedback, ready for final submission.

Self-Directed Learning

Complete all assessments ready for submission tomorrow.

Lesson 29

Tutor-led activity to wrap-up module.

Sign off all paperwork for Assessment 7.1

Complete and submit complete final written assessment to Turnitin before class tomorrow.

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