Being skilled behind the pass is only half the job for the best chefs in the business, and rising costs, shifting consumer habits, risk-averse lenders and fierce competition mean that running a kitchen now requires navigating more challenges than ever before.
The Chef Summit brings together industry leaders who blend culinary skills with sharp business acumen, offering insights that help you stay profitable, resilient and ahead of the curve in 2025 and beyond.
In The Caterer Chef Summit, you will learn:
• Key market trends for 2025 and how to position your business for growth
• Practical strategies for resilience in a fast-changing market
• How crowdfunding works in practice and whether it’s right for you
• The pros and cons of tasting menus vs à la carte
• Proven ways to boost GP through menu design and dish selection
Chef Summit Agenda
Speaker:
James Stagg, editor, The Caterer
Go behind the data to look at the state of the hospitality market in 2025 so far and key trends to expect in the future.
In an era where banks view restaurants as high risk and traditional funding can be hard to secure, more chefs are turning to crowdfunding to launch new venues or keep beloved establishments alive. But is this a sustainable strategy or just a short-term lifeline?
In this session, we’ll hear from chefs who have used crowdfunding to open new sites or keep existing venues afloat. Expect honest insights into what it takes to run a successful fundraising campaign and whether adding “fundraiser” to your skillset is worth the time and energy.
Two chefs. Two menus. Two very different philosophies. One champions the creativity and control of a set menu; the other swears by the flexibility and freedom of à la carte. In this session both will make their case, share the numbers and reveal which approach serves up the best results.