Winnow uses tech to help hotel giant IHG reduce food waste

Al tech to analyse ingredients during food preparation and plates returned to the kitchen

Leading hotel company InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has partnered with tech company Winnow to help hotels reduce food waste.

With the Winnow Vision Al enabled technology, hotels will be able to track and measure the amount of food wasted to increase sustainability in the restaurant and bar operations.

The technology is already installed in IHG hotels in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

An intelligent camera, smart scales and Al-based smart meter technology will analyse ingredients during food preparation and then the plates returned to the kitchen. This will record which food items are wasted and in what quantities.

The data built can then inform buying decisions, shapes menus and alters food preparation techniques to help hotels achieve a 30% reduction in food waste.

Six months after the instalment of Winnow’s technology at the InterContinental Fujairah Resort in UAE, the resort reduced food waste by 50%. IHG is currently looking to expand the technology to the Americas and Greater China and 60 additional hotels expressed interest in the EMEAA region.

Kenneth Macpherson, EMEAA IHG chief executive officer, said: “Our partnership with Winnow will help our hotels be smarter and savvier in their approach to creating compelling menus that result in less waste whether it’s a grab-and-go breakfast, a family restaurant or a Michelin dining experience.

“I’m delighted that this is being led by some of our hotels in the Middle East, who are already seeing significant food waste reductions, and I’m looking forward to seeing this technology take off in more and more of our hotels around the world.”

The announcement comes on World Sustainable Gastronomy Day which raises awareness on how gastronomy contributes to sustainable development. This supports the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and IHG aims to fulfil SDG 12: responsible consumption and production.

Marc Zornes, Winnow founder and chief executive officer, said: “Without visibility into what is being wasted, kitchens are wasting far more food than they think.

“It is a privilege to work with such a forward-thinking hospitality chain as IHG and help them become the first global hotel brand to significantly reduce food waste globally by using Artificial Intelligence while improving their responsible processes in their food and beverages offer.”