OPINION: Could we see robots in our restaurants in Harrogate? - Simon Cotton, HRH Group

However, we are seeing daily the knock-on effect to commodities that war brings and that is impacting food costs considerably, so be prepared to see prices rising in the coming weeks.

Despite problems going on in the world though, it’s very positive to see continued investment coming into Harrogate from hospitality operators and I’ve heard of several new openings in recent weeks including a new bar on Parliament Street and the Giggling Squid chain are due to open up a new Thai restaurant at the end of the month on John Street, so it’s great to see the confidence the hospitality sector is having in our town.

With new bars and restaurants opening, that does mean more recruitment in our sector too, which should be seen as a good thing, but I know many running businesses in our industry will only roll their eyes when they think of how difficult recruitment of good people has become over the last couple of years.

I’ve written about it several times before and believe me when I say it’s certainly not got any easier of late. It was with this in mind that I got drawn to a story in our industry press about the use of robots being trialled in high street restaurants. Y

es, you did read that correctly, ‘Robots in Restaurants’ is something that could very soon be a reality. A national restaurant operator is currently trialling serving robots, capable of doing an equivalent job of serving staff.

Programmed to be fully automated, the robots are said to enhance the dining experience and can engage with guests through spoken conversation, take orders and deliver dishes, both to tables and for collection and I read that they will even purr if you touch them!

Not quite sure why you’d want to, but an interesting feature non the less. With infrared cameras, laser radars and sensors to ensure smooth transitions, navigation and obstacle avoidance, these little mobile robots are set to revolutionise dining out.

My first reaction to reading this was that I’d hate to see something like this introduced to a business which is all about the people. You go out to enjoy the ambiance and atmosphere of a bar or restaurant as much as the quality of the food in my opinion.

And that is all created by people and the smile you receive on arrival and the interaction with the staff. However, these little robot friends are said to take some of the workload away from the servers to allow them more time to engage with customers and make that side less hurried in a busy service.

So, it may not be such a bad thing and with the ever-growing issues of recruitment, it may be inevitable that we see these little things zipping around in a Harrogate restaurant in the not too distant future. Before we do let robots take over the world however, I’d like us to continue to celebrate the hard-working people who do serve us every day in Harrogate and really stand out and make a difference.

You can help with this by nominating a person or a business that you think goes the extra mile, in this year’s Harrogate Hospitality & Tourism Awards. The nomination process is currently open for just another three weeks until the end of March.

More details can be found at www.harrogatehospitality.co.uk or look out for the posters and voting forms in town.

It would be great to tell someone you think highly of why they’re far better than being served by R2D2 or Jonny Number 5, or any other famous robot for that matter so get involved today!

Until next month, stay safe, enjoy a bit of Harrogate’s hospitality scene and above all, enjoy life.