Independent Edeka retailer Alexander Ristow from Schleswig-Holstein uses a fully automated cooking system from Goodbytz to prepare fresh, hot meals. The cooking robot has been operating at an Edeka store in Kiel-Heikendorf since the end of November. This is the first time that Germany’s largest retail company has used this type of technology.
The autonomous kitchen system, developed by Hamburg-based food tech start-up, can prepare hot meals from raw vegetables and fresh ingredients in a 7.2 square metre-space. The robotics work completely autonomously: from cooking and serving to washing the pots independently. According to trade magazine EHI Stores+Shops, the robot is filled and cleaned by the in-house chef. The technology can currently prepare five different meals, which change weekly.
The existing lunch menu will continue to be offered alongside the new kitchen system. “Similar to self-service checkouts, we see ‘kitchen robotics’ as a way to counteract the shortage of staff,” Benjamin Klotz, Manager at Edeka Ristow, told EHI Stores+Shops. Existing staff will not be replaced.
Rewe also pilots kitchen robotics
In May, Rewe Markt GmbH’s western region announced a pilot partnership with Goodbytz’s competitor Circus, as reported by The Retail Optimiser. Since this autumn, the retail company has been testing the autonomous kitchen robot Circus Autonomy One (CA-1) in real store operations at three selected locations. The first pilot robot has been in running at the Rewe Center in Düsseldorf Heerdt since October. The other two pilot locations are still in the planning and construction phase.
