25% of UK consumers happy for robots to cook

A quarter of UK consumers would trust a robot to cook their meal in a restaurant, while 30% admit they are happy for one to serve them food and drinks in a hospitality venue, according to new research from ePOS Hybrid. The nationwide study of more than 2,000 consumers looked at whether robots are likely to dominate future hospitality experiences and replace humans in cooking and customer facing roles.

The data also revealed that 50% of consumers think it’s important to be greeted by a host as opposed to a robot. A further 24% admitted they are scared chefs will be replaced by robots, potentially impacting quality.

Consumers are, however, much more receptive to seeing this technology integrated into their experience from a logistical standpoint, as 39% would be happy for a robot to deliver takeaways to their house if it meant a more efficient process and lower fees. A further 36% are happy for a self-driving robot or drone to deliver food and drinks to their homes.

Andrew Gibbon, head of growth for ePOS Hybrid, said: “It is clear that there is a long way to go in terms of changing attitudes when it comes to adopting robotic chefs and waiters in the UK. While this technology may never become mainstream in the UK, unlike other parts of the world, the adoption of automated delivery robots is inevitable. Within the next five years, I believe we’ll see networks of fully autonomous robots completing deliveries in most major cities around the world.”

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